Published 10:53 IST, October 14th 2020
Bernie Sanders attacks Jeff Bezos' Amazon for not paying enough taxes despite profits
US Senator Bernie Sanders, who just recently started in-person campaigning for Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden, took a dig on Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.
US Senator Bernie Sanders, who just recently started in-person campaigning for Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden, took a dig on Jeff Bezos’ Amazon on October 14. Sanders said that if an individual paid the monthly cost of Amazon Prime membership of $12.99, the company received more amount that the federal tax it paid “over the past three years combined”. Despite paying less amount of taxes, the US Senator said that the Seattle-based multinational technology company made nearly $30 billion in profits. Concluding his attack on Amazon on Twitter, Sanders said that “it’s time” to make huge firms pay their fair share of taxes.
Sanders has been publicly critical about the money that the US tech firms receive as opposed to the amount they pay to the government. Earlier, the Vermont Senator co-introduced a bill along with Ed Markey, and Kirsten Gillibrand called ‘Make Billionaires Pay Act’ that would force the companies to hand over billions of dollars that they’ve gained in wealth during the COVID-19 pandemic stimulus. The one-time 60 per cent tax on wealth gains made by billionaires between March 18, 2020, and January 1, 2021, would be imposed by this new act.
These collected funds would be utilised to pay for the extra healthcare expenses for all Americans for a year. If the bill is passed, it would tax the billionaires on wealth accumulated through the end of the year but the business tycoons, whose wealth shot up during the pandemic would bear the huge charges.
Sanders attacked Trump for ‘big’ stimulus package
Before reiterating his call in favour of the ‘Make Billionaires Pay Act’ and talking about Amazon’s tax, Vermont Senator attacked the US President Donald Trump for “erratic” tweets. While Trump’s brief Twitter post said, “STIMULUS! Go big or go home!!!”, Sanders said that if the Republican leader wishes for a ‘big’ stimulus, he can get the Senate to pass the HEROES Act. Saying that Trump can just ‘call’ US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell so that the House can pass the act which would end up providing $600 to the unemployed every week and “much more”.
Updated 10:52 IST, October 14th 2020