Testimony of Honorable Phil Montgomery State Represenative, Wisconsin

Chairman Cohen, Ranking Member Franks and members of the Subcommittee on Administrative and Commercial Law, I appreciate the invitation to testify before you today on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). I am Phil Montgomery, a member of the Wisconsin  ssembly and I serve as Chairman of NCSL’s Standing Committee on Communications, Financial Services & Interstate Commerce. As you know Mr. Chairman, the National Conference of State  Legislatures is the bi-partisan national organization representing every state legislator from all fifty states and our nation’s commonwealths, territories, possessions and the District of Columbia.

Mr. Chairman, I also am pleased to acknowledge your long history as an active member of NCSL, especially during your service on NCSL’s Executive Committee. Speaking on behalf of your colleagues in state legislatures, we are proud of your past service as a state Senator and now your leadership in Congress. We hope that during your tenure as a member of Congress and your chairmanship of this Subcommittee, we will have numerous opportunities to work together to foster a strong federal-state partnership on issues of mutual concern.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss Voice over Internet Protocol and the problems related to the assessment and collection of taxes on VoIP related services. I also am here to express NCSL’s support for draft legislation - the “Voice over Internet Protocol Sourcing Act of 2009” - and I want to commend you Mr. Chairman for your willingness to sponsor this important legislation that goes directly to strengthening the federal-state partnership.