Comments foreshadow challenges as gas tax revenues fall short of infrastructure needs
Roll Call By Jessica Wehrman February 24, 2021 The ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday cautioned against trying to pay for a massive infrastructure bill through the budget reconciliation process, saying it could put at risk one of the few policy areas where both Republicans and Democrats agree. The comments by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia could foreshadow what will likely be the most insurmountable hurdle to any infrastructure bill: money. The Highway Trust Fund, which is paid for through federal gas taxes, has not sufficed in paying for highway needs, and has required $140 billion in transfers from general revenue since 2008, according to the Tax Policy Center. That fund pays for both highways and transit. “The strong bipartisan support that exists for a surface transportation reauthorization bill and other infrastructure legislation should not extend to a multi-trillion dollar package that is stocked full with ideologically driven, one-size-fits-all policies that tie the hands of states and communities,” she warned during what will likely be the first of many hearings on infrastructure legislation.
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