|
Contents
White House eyes 7-cent gas tax hike for infrastructure plan
The White House may back the first hike in the federal gasoline tax in decades in order to pay for President Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure package.
Trump’s economic adviser Gary Cohn told moderate House lawmakers at a private meeting on Wednesday that they'll get a chance to vote on a gas tax hike early next year as part of an infrastructure bill, according to two lawmakers who were present. The discussion over the fuel tax during the meeting was first reported by Politico Playbook.
"Cohn seemed receptive to it," one meeting participant told The Hill.
Separately, an industry source tells The Hill that the White House intends to back a 7-cent gas tax increase to pay for U.S. roads, bridges, highways and other public works, though it’s unclear if the proposal would be included in initial infrastructure legislation or if the administration will push to have it added at the committee level.
Trump signaled some openness to raising the federal gas tax earlier this year, telling Bloomberg News that it’s something he would “certainly consider.” But the idea, a politically fraught issue that lawmakers have avoided for years, quickly ran into fierce opposition from GOP lawmakers and influential conservatives.
However, as the White House scrambles to score a legislative victory on Capitol Hill, the administration may be eager to identify potential funding options for its long-stalled infrastructure plan.
Read on...
GOP chairman: No appetite for gas tax hike now in House
The head of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said on Thursday that there is little appetite in the lower chamber right now for a hike in the federal gasoline tax.
The administration is considering a 7-cent gas tax increase to pay for President Trump’s long-stalled infrastructure plan, which would be the first federal hike in the fuel tax in more than two decades.
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) reportedly said that though there is little enthusiasm at present, members could get on board with the idea if the White House gets publicly involved on the issue and actively advocates for an increase. He emphasized that the president needs to take the lead on the infrastructure package.
“There’s no sense in me going out there and putting something out and all of a sudden the president beats it down,” Shuster told reporters, according to CQ Roll Call.
Trump’s chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, told moderate House lawmakers at a private meeting on Wednesday that they'll get a chance to vote on a gas tax hike early next year as part of an infrastructure bill, according to two lawmakers who were present.
Separately, an industry source tells The Hill that the White House intends to back a 7-cent gas tax increase to pay for U.S. roads, bridges, highways and other public works, though it’s unclear if the proposal would be included in initial infrastructure legislation or if the administration will push to have it added at the committee level.
Read on...
Top GOP Senator won’t rule out gas tax hike for infrastructure upgrades
The Senate’s No. 3 Republican left the door open on Tuesday to raising the federal gasoline tax to pay for infrastructure improvements — an idea currently being considered by the White House, but one that has repeatedly run into a buzz saw of opposition on Capitol Hill.
“I’m not ruling out anything at this point,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, told reporters. “I think we need to keep our options open in terms of how we get that done.”
“We have members who are open to all ideas about how to pay for [infrastructure],” he added.
White House officials told a group of moderate House lawmakers last week that they are considering a gas tax hike to help offset President Trump’s infrastructure proposal.
An industry source told The Hill that the administration is eyeing a 7-cent increase, though it’s unclear if the proposal would be included in the initial infrastructure legislation or if the administration will push to have it added at the committee level.
It would be the first hike in the federal gasoline tax in over 20 years. The Highway Trust Fund, which provides money for road construction and other transportation projects across the country, is financed by a federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel fuel.
“If anything is done on the Highway Trust Fund, it will happen in the context of an infrastructure discussion,” Thune said. “If that’s what we’re going to use to pay for infrastructure in this country, then we’ve got to figure out a way to fund the trust fund.”
Read on...
Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19), co-chairs Congressional Ports-to-Plains Caucus
A bipartisan Congressional Ports-to-Plains Caucus has been formed, and inducted as a Congressional Member Organization for the 115th Congress. This Caucus will serve as an informal group of Members dedicated to issues related to rural transportation and rural economic development in America’s Heartland, with a focus on the corridor running from Texas to North Dakota and Montana, and educating other Members on the importance of this area is feeding, fueling, and clothing America’s cities and urban areas.
Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19), co-chair of the Congressional Ports-to-Plains Caucus says,
“Middle America provides the food, fuel, and fiber that strengthens and protects our nation, but that’s only true when we can get the product to market. The Ports-to-Plains corridor is strategically located to facilitate billions of dollars in trade, create jobs, and increase economic efficiency by connecting rural areas to urban America, regional trade centers, and international transportation facilities.
“I’m honored to share the significance of this corridor and its needs by co-chairing the newly created Congressional Ports-to-Plains Caucus, alongside my House Co-Chairs, Representatives Smith, Gonzalez and Cuellar, and our counterparts in the Senate, Senators Heitkamp and Fischer."
Congressman Jodey Arrington is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving the Nineteenth Congressional District of Texas. He serves as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, House Budget Committee, and Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Extension of I-27/Ports to Plains Corridor
Texas has no major north-south interstate west of Interstate 35; and the Texas Freight Mobility Plan notes that further investment alone on I-35 will not fix the problem saying,
“The state must focus not only on improving existing facilities, but also on developing future freight corridors to move products to markets and exports".
Has your organization considered the resolution supporting the Extension of Interstate 27?
Have you individually added your name supporting the Resolution?
Please share with your Texas Friends!
Please click here to add your personal name to the Resolution in Support of Expansion on Interstate 27
Please click here to downland a draft organizational resolution for consideration by local governments and non-profit organizations. (Word Document)
|
