In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rob Portman urged they act to “pass the Craft Beverage Modernization & Tax Reform Act and make the exiting federal excise tax rates for beverage alcohol producers permanent.”
In the letter, Wyden and Portman noted that “Every state in our nation is proudly home to craft distillers, brewers, wineries, cideries, and meaderies who without Congressional action, face a significant increase in their federal excise taxes on Jan. 1, 2021.”
“Together, these producers support over 4 million jobs across the country and contribute immensely to the vibrancy of our economy and communities,” the said, adding that “with the economic duress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, producers’ businesses have been devastated which would be compounded by an increase in their federal excise taxes.”
The letter was cosigned by 55 additional senators.