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From groceries and streaming subscriptions to web servers and Alexa, Amazon has become one of the world’s strongest economic powers. After returning from a short flight into space on a rocket built by private space company Blue Origin on Tuesday, Jeff Bezos made remarks that drew attention to the enormous wealth the company had created for him.
“I also want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer, because you paid for it all,” Mr. Bezos said at a press conference after the spaceflight.
Mr. Bezos’ comment sparked rapid critical response, including from a member of the House of Representatives who served on the tax writing Ways and Means Committee.
“Space travel is not a tax-free vacation for the wealthy,” said Oregon Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer. “We pay taxes on plane tickets. Billionaires flying into space – who produce no scientific value – should do the same, and then some!”
Mr Blumenauer expressed concern about the environmental impacts of such space tourist flights. said he introduced the legislation sought The Protection Against Carbon Emissions (SPACE) Tax Act, which aims to tax passengers on such flights to offset the pollution effects.
He wasn’t alone in linking Mr. Bezos’s spaceflight to concerns about how Amazon’s business practices affect small businesses as well as company employees.
New York Democratic Representative Nydia Velazquez said on Twitter, “While the news that Jeff Bezos is paying to go to space is filled with news, let’s not forget the fact that he created it here on Earth.” she loved #WealthTaxNow hashtag It was Tuesday morning and included a link to an article about how much Amazon paid its employees.
While these Congressional Democrats were critical, the message from the White House was more pleasant.
“This is a moment of American exceptionalism,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about the flight at a news conference Tuesday.
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