Blumenauer: Congress Should Have Opportunity to Show Courage & Vision to Provide Stable and Meaningful Funding for Transportation

Statement

Yesterday, the House Rules Committee blocked consideration of Representative Earl Blumenauer's (OR-03) amendment to raise the federal gas tax, as the House considers H.R. 3763, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. Representative Blumenauer's amendment would have raised federal gas and diesel taxes 15 cents over three years and indexed them to inflation.

"Congress should have the opportunity to show the courage and vision to do what Ronald Reagan did in 1982 and what seven Republican states have already done this year -- raise the gas tax to provide stable and meaningful funding for transportation," said Representative Blumenauer. "I'm deeply disappointed that we are considering what alleges to be a six-year authorization without a real conversation about paying for it. This is a missed opportunity to provide certainty for the hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake and give states and local governments the federal partnership they need and deserve."

Source