Bernie Sanders Introduces Corporate Tax Bill Named After Jeff Bezos

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) continued his war against Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos on Wednesday. The self-described democratic socialist senator, along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), introduced legislation aimed at punishing huge corporations like Amazon or Walmart for allegedly not paying its employees living wages.

The goal of the bill is not subtle, given its name: the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act, or the BEZOS Act, for short. The bill is only six pages long and would tax large companies for each dollar that their employees get in government benefits, per CNBC.

The bill is a pointed response to recent reports that some Amazon employees, like those at the company’s fulfillment centers, are paid so little that they need things like SNAP benefits to survive. If the bill were passed, companies like Amazon may theoretically pay their employees higher wages to avoid being taxed.

Amazon has been accused of not paying its fair share of federal income taxes over the years, as well.

The BEZOS Act may have trouble passing in a federal government controlled entirely by Republicans, but it is unlikely to be the last effort by Sanders and other left-leaning politicians to take on Amazon. Sanders, in particular, has taken a hard stance against Amazon for its alleged labor practices.

Amazon became just the second U.S. company to hit $1 trillion in market value this week, after Apple. Bezos, who founded the company in 1994, is the richest person in modern history. Critics like Sanders use these facts to bolster their arguments that the company should treat its employees better than reports have indicated over the years.

Some of the accusations against Amazon include low wages, heavily monitored restroom breaks and overwork in its fulfillment centers. There was even a worker’s strike and customer boycott during its Prime Day sales event earlier this year. At the time, an Amazon spokesperson denied the allegations in statements provided to International Business Times.

In late August, Amazon even issued a specific response to Sanders in the form of a company blog post. Again, the company said its employees are paid competitive wages and receive benefits. Amazon also encouraged Sanders to visit one of its fulfillment centers himself.