ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has joined with more than 200 members of the Americans for Affordable Products coalition to lay out a case to Congress against the Border Adjustment Tax.

The BAT is included in the House Republican leadership’s “Better Way” plan for tax reform.

In a letter to the bipartisan congressional leadership, the coalition wrote: “The goal of tax reform should be to lower effective tax rates for businesses of all sizes and ensure Americans benefit with more money in their wallet. We believe the Border Adjustment Tax would do the exact opposite by raising effective tax rates for many companies to well over 100%.”

The BAT “is not simple or fair,” the letter adds. “It proposes a massive tax increase on consumers and would result in increased costs on everyday necessities like food, clothing, gasoline and prescription drugs — necessities that Americans rely on daily — by as much as $1,700” in the first year alone. “It is really a ‘cost-of-living tax’ that will make the lives of millions of middle-class Americans harder and more expensive.”

The tax “would take the term ‘unintended consequences’ and redefine it for the ages,” said NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson. “From a health and wellness perspective; from a total-store perspective; from a consumer perspective; from an employee perspective; and from an employer perspective the Border Adjustment Tax would prove devastating and it should be considered a non-starter in the public policy arena.”

The National Retail Federation has launched a television, print and digital ad campaign to educate Americans on the high consumer cost of the tax.

“American consumers are being asked to foot the bill for a new $1 trillion tax giveaway for multinational companies, and this campaign will make sure those paying for it know it,” NRF senior vice president for government relations David French said. “We need tax reform that rewards entrepreneurs and allows businesses to grow and create good-paying jobs that lift working families up. The BAT does just the opposite, penalizing Americans by adding a tax on clothing, food, gas and other necessities while threatening the very industry that 42 million hardworking men and women rely upon for their livelihoods.”

The TV spot, which began airing last month, can be viewed on the campaign landing page, bat.tax. The ads encourage consumers to contact their members of Congress to express opposition to the Border Adjustment Tax.

Companies and associations that are members of Americans for Affordable Products speak for nearly one out of every four jobs in the nation.

For its part, NACDS supports the “Made in the USA” movement, as demonstrated by the success of programs to call attention to qualifying products at the NACDS Total Store Expo trade show and strategic ­exchange.