After a long time in legislative limbo, it looks like the promised infrastructure plan is showing some signs of life. It’s not a bill yet, but Rep. Bill Shuster has released a draft of an infrastructure plan to get negotiations rolling again. It includes a 15-cent-per-gallon hike to the gas tax and a 20-cent-per-gallon hike to taxes on diesel.
Everything in the draft is up for discussion, but it’s a starting point. The proposal allocates significant federal money for grants and appropriations. The money would be raised from multiple sources, though primarily through the increase to gas and diesel taxes. The increases would be phased in over three years, indexed to inflation, and then eliminated in 2028. The proposed elimination would come only after a mileage-based tax can be implemented.
Additional sources of funding range wildly. Everything from a 10% tax on electric car batteries to a 10% tax on wholesale bicycle tires is in the proposal.
Shuster is the Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. His term is over this year and he isn’t running for reelection. That means he has until the end of this year to turn this proposal into a bill that he can shepherd through Congress. That’s a tall order at any time, but especially during an election year.
So far though, Shuster claims that he’s had input from both sides of the aisle and is looking to continue in that fashion.
“This discussion draft does not represent a complete and final infrastructure bill,” Shuster said. “It is meant to reignite discussions amongst my colleagues, and I urge all Members to be open-minded and willing to work together in considering real solutions that will give America the modern-day infrastructure it needs.”
Source: truckinginfo, thehill, politico, dcvelocity, ttnews
Michigan already has some of the highest fuel taxes in the country, we don’t need any more…
More money for government to collect and pocket, like it’s really going to go into infrastructure of this country….
What..!!???.. higher fuel..? Are you people crazy?? Do you not pay for your own fuel? That’s got to be it!
they don’t call him bud shister for no reason!!his dad was rotton and so is he!! the apple never falls to far from the tree!!!
They dont give a you know what about the people that put them there trump was my hope now I see its big busines for him an thats supposed to come out of our family’s living fund thanks for nothing. O yea thanks for making me worry