Democratic Congressional Reps Want Gas Tax Hike
President Trump isn’t on board and doesn’t want to talk about it.
May 23, 2019
WASHINGTON–Democratic Congressional representatives want to see a gasoline tax hike, which would help pay for the $2 trillion infrastructure plan agreed to last month, but yesterday’s scheduled meeting between President Trump and leading Democrats to discuss the issue was abruptly ended by Trump, according to the Washington Post.
Trump told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) that he was unable to work with them on legislation following comments by Pelosi on Wednesday that he was “engaged in a coverup.” Shortly afterward in an unscheduled appearance in the Rose Garden, Trump said he couldn’t work on infrastructure “under these circumstances.”
Some Washington insiders don’t believe Trump will allow an increase in the gas tax because he is looking ahead to the 2020 election, according to Eenews.net.
"It's my understanding that the White House is not going to agree to a gasoline tax increase,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, after attending a meeting with administration officials late last week.
Today’s American drivers pay a federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline, which goes into the Highway Trust Fund to help cover road and bridge repairs. The tax has not been raised since 1993, and there is concern about the solvency of the fund.
Democrats see a gas tax hike as a short-term funding solution. But Sen. Schumer is concerned that a gas tax increase would burden the working class. A source close to Schumer has said that the New York lawmaker will not consider a gas tax hike unless Trump rolls back part of the 2017 tax cuts for wealthy Americans and corporations. Washington insiders say the president will keep taxes low in preparation for his reelection campaign.
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