CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
Jan. 15, 2008 – 2:10 p.m.
Recommendation for Boost in Gas Tax Faces Tough Reception on Hill
A bipartisan commission created under the 2005 highway law released its long-awaited report Tuesday, recommending an increase of up to 40 cents per gallon in the federal gasoline tax and renewing a contentious debate in Congress.
The collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis last Aug.1 spurred a new sense of urgency among lawmakers grappling for ways to finance modernization of the nation’s aging infrastructure.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar , D-Minn., is sympathetic to raising the gas tax. But President Bush and GOP lawmakers fiercely oppose increasing the 18.4 cents per gallon federal tax, which has not changed since 1993..
Congress is unlikely to address the issue in an election year, especially in light of projections that gasoline prices will top $3.50 a gallon this summer.
The 12-member commission, called the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, recommended almost doubling the federal gasoline tax over the next five years, boosting it in increments of 5 cents to 8 cents per year. The rate would be indexed thereafter to the rate of change in construction costs, according to an executive summary of the report.
Commissioner Jack L. Schenendorf, an attorney at Covington & Burling who concentrates on transportation legislation, said the gas tax increase was only one of many funding proposals considered but is the best short-term solution to jumpstart an overhaul of the nation’s infrastructure.
“Gas taxes are hard politically to raise. They aren’t popular with people when they don’t know how it is being spent,” he said. “But there’s no magic bullet. It costs money.”
The commission said the next highway bill, which Congress will tackle in 2009, should mandate a national study into a transition to a fee based on the number of miles that vehicles are driven.
Comments
I just read where the bridge collapse was due to a design flaw. Now maybe they'll push to raise it 'only' 35 cents. ;)
Is it possible to get the list of the full 12 member commission? Thanks Given the current economic uncertainty, Mr. Oberstar ought to head to the northernmost town in Minn for some R&R!
well maybe if we could control price gouging by the oil companies we could afford a gas tax hike? i have no problem investing in the infrastructure of the country i live in.
We have to pay for our roads somehow. We can either do it with gas taxes, which encourage the (sparing) use of more fuel efficient vehicles, or we can do it with tolling, which selectively regulates a handful of roads while not hitting any others, gives what amounts to a free pass to larger vehicles, and encourages truck drivers, who do pay a higher toll, to "rat run" on free roads and thereby totally clog them up. I think the gas tax is fairer. As the driver of a Chevy Prizm, I don't want to have to pay as much to use a road as a Hummer, which I would if we had road tolling, even though the Hummer is twice as heavy, uses three times as much gas, and puts much more wear and tear on the road. If they come up with a method of tolling that considers vehicle weight, and broadly levies trunk highways and not just a select few tollways, then I might favor tolls over gas taxes. Besides, if Europe can handle $7 gas, can't we handle $4?
I think we should go back to using Horses and Buggies...Note that sometime you need to go backwards, in order to go forwards. Sorry about the comment...Also Note that this is not by any means what God wants for us to be doing... Sincerly and Honestly, Donna
Better to have the money go to the govt than oil companies. The higher price will curb demand as well, which is critical. We might see the price at the pump the same after the lower demand results in lower oil prices. I would go 50 cents. It isn't like we are not used to get jerked around on the price all the time.
Another tax, just when the economy is headed south. damn good idea tax our way into the future, take another toll on ever ones pocketbook. I see the law of supply and demand has not been taught in most schools.The reason gas is so damn high is because of liberal lawmakers that will not let us drill in the US and build more refineries. Why don't you ask yourself what will the liberals do with the extra gas tax??? They will have a 50% cost increase because they will have to oversee the way our money is spent. Right now America can't afford any new taxes.
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