Poll: Majority of People Want Increased Highway Spending
An article posted on The Hill says a recent poll conducted by the AP and Gfk reports that 53 percent of the nation's population would like the federal government to increase spending on roads and bridges. Not an overwhelming majority, but only 10 percent want less spending while about one-third of the respondents said current spending was about right.
Laymakers continue trying to find a way to pay for an extension, let alone find and fund a long-term solution, the article noted. You can find the article here.
The projected shortfall is estimated to be $16 billion per year for the next ten years. The federal gas tax generates about $34 billion each year, about $16 billion short of annual spending on transportation projects.
The current "patch" for the Highway Trust Fund ends in late July or early August unless there's an agreement on a long-term solution or on an extension.
In a Wall Street Journal article on July 6, John McKinnon says the debate is complicated by issues of taxes, and says finding highway funding will be a new test to bipartisanship. Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) are weighing the possibility of teaming up with Mr. Obama and Senate Democrats, including Charles Schumer of New York, to use corporate tax changes to help pay for an infrastructure package. Ryan and Schumer are expected to increase focus on building bipartisan support for a deal that combines a tax overhaul with funding. Such a move is likely to face significant hurdles, McKinnon notes, if funding the highway bill will require new taxes. Find his article here.
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