House Democrats are discussing suspending the gas tax through the rest of the year, while Senate Democrats also discussed the idea during a closed-door caucus lunch, according to media reports. But the idea is getting pushback from GOP senators, whose support the legislation would need to ultimately pass, as well as some Democrats who are signaling early skepticism.
The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) circulated a letter on the issue to legislators voicing concern with proposals for the gas tax holiday.
“It’s no secret the method for funding our federal highway trust fund (HTF) needs reform,” said NSSGA President and CEO Michael Johnson. “For years, NSSGA has been calling on Congress to address the growing solvency issues and ensure that common sense, sustainable measures are in place to fund critical infrastructure projects. NSSGA strongly opposes legislation that suspends or halts the collection of the current gas tax. These short-sighted solutions will increase debt financing by billions and bring greater uncertainty to the solvency of the surface transportation system.
“With inflation higher than we have experienced since 1982, Americans don’t need gimmicks. American families need and deserve meaningful solutions that provide real long-term relief from inflation and the improved roads and bridges that the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act promised. We call on Congress and the Administration to stop playing political games with our funding mechanisms. Congress must get serious about reforms to funding the HTF that are fair and applied to all transportation users, as doing so will bring greater certainty to fixing our nation’s transportation networks.”