Sen. Carper Proposes Fuel Tax Hike
Delaware Democrat Sen. Tom Carper, a senior transportation authorizer, offered a bill designed to raise fuel taxes over four years.
The TRAFFIC Relief Act, unveiled this week, would increase gas and diesel taxes by four cents a year for four years, and subsequently index them to inflation. The 24.4 cents per gallon tax on diesel and the 18.4 cents per gallon tax on gasoline have not been raised since 1993. The bill’s objective is to draw in significant revenues to ensure the sustainability of the Highway Trust Fund, an account that relies primarily on revenue from fuel taxes.
“I say it’s time to do what’s right. At a time when gas prices are some of the lowest we've seen in recent memory, we should be willing to make the hard choice to raise the federal gas tax,” Carper said, in a statement. "Funding our nation's transportation system offers a very attractive return on investment for American taxpayers. Better roads, safer bridges, and more convenient public transit make businesses more competitive, help workers be more productive, and allow families to spend more time together.”
Carper has been proposing raising fuel taxes in recent years. In February, House Ways and Means committee member Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) offered legislation that would raise fuel taxes. Such measures are not expected to advance to the floor of the chambers soon because Republican leaders say they will not accept increases in fuel taxes.
