With the federal plan to pay for America’s surface transportation system set to expire Oct. 1, Congress takes its first official look at a new highway bill next week – and policy groups, the trucking lobby and business interests are all rolling out their wish lists.
On Capitol Hill, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold the first reauthorization hearing on Tuesday. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST.
The witnesses, announced Wednesday, will be Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, on behalf of the National Governors Association; Caterpillar Inc. Group President Stuart Levenick; Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; and Lawrence Hanley, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union.
In making the news media rounds following his appointment, LaHood said that he supports a 10 cents per gallon increase in the federal gas tax and that the tax should be indexed to inflation.
“While there is widespread agreement that our nation’s aging roads, bridges, transit and aviation systems are woefully inadequate, Washington has failed to show leadership in making the tough decisions to increase revenue to fund these critical investments,” LaHood said. “With the Highway Trust Fund just months away from insolvency, it is time for action.”
Early in his tenure as transportation secretary, LaHood suggested taxes would have to be raised to shore up the trust fund – a position the White House immediately rejected and from which LaHood backed off.
