Utah is one of six states that taxes satellite service at a higher rate than cable. The tax on satellite service is about 1.5 percentage points higher than on cable. The Conyers-Cannon bill would make them equal.

"Instead of playing favorites, we should level the playing field and let businesses compete for subscribers," Cannon said in a statement.

Cable companies argue that they must pay franchise fees to lay the cable in public rights of way, something satellite companies don't have to do since they use the airways.

Cable companies also have benefited from a nationwide moratorium on taxing the Internet, including the modems they issue to customers. That moratorium will expire on Nov. 1 if Congress doesn't act.

In a separate bill, Conyers and Cannon would extend that ban for four years. Congress originally passed the moratorium in 1998 and then extended it in 2003.

"While I would have preferred to make the Internet tax moratorium permanent today, this extension is necessary to prevent the circling tax vultures from descending on American families," Cannon said.