[THEHILL] Record-low gas prices across the U.S. have given rise to fresh talk in Washington of raising the federal gas tax for the first time in over 20 years, with leading Republicans now saying a hike must not be ruled out.
The GOP has long resisted calls from business leaders and others to boost the 18.4 cent-per-gallon tax as a way to pay for upgrades to the nations crumbling roads and bridges.
Yet in recent days, senior Senate Republicans have said they want to keep options open and that "nothing is off the table" when weighing the best mechanisms to pay to finance infrastructure projects.
Nothing is off the table, save for a tax cut.
"I just think that option is there, it's clearly one of the options," said Sen. Inhofe (R-Okla.), new chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the third-ranking Senate Republican, also said they were open to the possibility of raising the tax.
Democratic leaders in both chambers of Congress, meanwhile, declared this week that now is the time for an increase.
While major obstacles stand in the way namely the House of Representatives business groups believe there is a real chance to raise the tax in the final two years of the B.O. regime.
Comments this week from Sens. Inhofe, Hatch and Thune signal a growing recognition that the gas tax is a fair and consistent way to fund our infrastructure needs, Association of Equipment Manufacturers front man Michael OBrien said in an interview on Thursday.
Democrats have typically been more open to the idea of hiking the gas tax, but its the shift in Republicans' tone that is drawing more attention to the possibility. |