Buttigieg proposes raising gas tax to pay for infrastructure bill
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested raising the gas tax could help fund Democrats' proposed infrastructure bill.
FILE – In this Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 file photo, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke at Union Station in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
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UPDATED 4:17 PM PT – Friday, March 12, 2021
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested raising the gas tax could help fund Democrats’ proposed infrastructure bill.
During an interview on Friday, Buttigieg called the proposal a “medium-term” solution for funding the bill, pointing out the current gas tax hasn’t been adjusted for inflation since it was last revised in 1993.
Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with Kamala Harris and members of the House of Representatives in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 4, 2021, on infrastructure. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
“Historically for example, we’ve mostly relied on the gas tax in order to fund our highways,” Buttigieg stated. “But, the gas tax hasn’t been adjusted since 1993, it was never pegged to inflation and at best that’s a medium-term solution because as electric vehicles come onto the road, people are going to use less gas anyway.”
However, as recently as February, Buttigieg said Joe Biden has shown opposition to raising the gas tax, since doing so would violate his campaign promise to not raise taxes on middle class Americans.