Pro-border tax group launches TV ad

A coalition of businesses that back the House GOP’s border-adjustment tax proposal is launching its first television ad.

The commercial, from the American Made Coalition, is airing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday and will appear on cable news channels in the D.C. metropolitan area and several states through April 9. The ad will also run online, according to a coalition spokesman.

The ad is the latest example of advocacy efforts on the border-adjustment proposal, which has divided GOP lawmakers and businesses. The proposal, part of the House GOP tax-reform blueprint, would subject imports to U.S. taxes and exempt exports.

{mosads}Supporters argue that the border tax would level the playing field for American-made products, while opponents argue that it would lead to consumers paying higher prices for goods. Senate Republicans are looking at alternatives to border adjustability, because a growing number of senators have raised concerns about the provision.

The ad from the American Made Coalition — which includes Boeing, GE and Merck — references the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation’s estimate that the House GOP tax blueprint would lead to 1.7 million more jobs. The commercial starts with images of lights going out in a factory while somber music plays, and the end of the ad shows lights being turned on.

“For years, lights have been turned out in American factories. Lights that likely won’t be turned on again,” text displayed in the ad states. “Because of old tax policies, our country has lost millions of American jobs. Stop favoring foreign-made imports over American-made goods. Support tax reform and create 1.7 million new American jobs.”

Groups that oppose the border-adjustment proposal have also been running TV ads.

Late last month, the National Retail Federation launched an infomercial-parody ad that has aired on “Fox and Friends” and “Saturday Night Live.” The Club for Growth, a free-market group, has run an ad urging Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) to oppose the proposal.