A freshman Republican congresswoman, backed by the White House and other GOP lawmakers, is taking on a powerful House committee chairman by staunchly opposing a 5.4 cents-per-gallon increase in the federal gasoline tax.
 Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo. |
“Current proposals to raise the gas tax are counterproductive at a time when Republicans are working to pass tax relief in President Bush’s economic growth package,” said Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo. “The American people need their tax burden lifted, not shifted.”
That position puts Musgrave at odds with Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, who says the increase is necessary to meet the nation’s highway and transportation infrastructure needs.
At a news conference Wednesday, Musgrove said she had begun circulating a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., opposing “any and all efforts to raise or index the gasoline tax.” Reports said her letter angered Young, leading to charges by Musgrove that the Transportation chairman had resorted to intimidation to convince her to drop her opposition.
 Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska |
“[Young] is angry with the freshman congresswoman’s tactics and has made several attempts to intimidate her,” said Talon News Service on Thursday. “Young could strip funding for road projects in Musgrave’s district should she persist in her opposition.”
The Associated Press also reported that, according to Musgrave’s office, Young shouted at her and threatened to withhold funding of Colorado highway projects.
“You run a substantial risk in opposing a committee chairman,” Musgrave told Talon News, adding: “I’m not going to be held hostage by a bully.”
“I’ve been married for a long time and my husband’s a gentleman,” she said. “And I have never had a man talk to me like Mr. Young did.”
Young’s spokesman, Steve Hansen, denied the intimidation charge, saying the floor incident was nothing more than “a member-to-member conversation” that happens frequently. He also said Musgrave’s road projects “were never threatened” with elimination by Young.
The Alaska congressman-at-large is attempting to push through a $375 billion highway and transit bill that he says relies on an increase in funding if it is to address the nation’s aging highway and transportation infrastructure. In a statement to the press May 21, Young said he supported an “increase in revenues” to fund the bill.
“I’ve repeatedly stated that I want to ensure a minimum 95 percent return to all 50 states. This can be accomplished, but we can only do so if we work to increase the revenues to the Highway Trust Fund,” he said.
“The bipartisan leadership of the Transportation Committee is working to develop a six-year $375 billion highway and transit reauthorization that would include the 95 percent guarantee to every state,” said Young. “The $375 billion funding level has been identified as the level needed to just maintain and begin to improve our nation’s highway and transit infrastructure over the next years.”
Musgrave said Young’s bill seeks to raise the gasoline tax by indexing upward to adjust for inflation. Currently, the federal gasoline tax is 18.4 cents, which costs the average American family about $110 a year. If Young’s raise passes, Musgrove said that cost will rise to $135 a year.
President Bush supports Musgrave.
“The president believes in cutting taxes, not increasing taxes. We oppose increasing the gas tax, including through indexing,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday. Yesterday, Congress passed a $330 billion, 10-year tax cut plan that Bush is expected to sign by Memorial Day.
Hansen told WorldNetDaily Young wants more funding because the need for improving highways and transit infrastructure is so great and improving highways and roads would save lives, save money and create jobs.
“Chairman Young disagrees with what Rep. Musgrave is doing because the U.S. Department of Transportation has projected that we need to invest $375 billion in highway and transit programs just to maintain and begin to improve our infrastructure,” he said. “More than 1,200 people die in car accidents each month due to substandard road conditions,” and “42,000 die each year in traffic fatalities.”
“We lost $67 billion a year due to congestion, including 5.7 billion gallons of gas that was wasted by cars just sitting in traffic,” said Hansen. “This $375 billion, six-year proposal would create 1.3 million new jobs throughout all 50 states. It would provide a major economic stimulus.
“This is what Chairman Young is seeking to address. If she wants to oppose him, that’s her choice. It’s ironic, however, that she has requested far in excess of $1 billion in projects in her district, yet she doesn’t not want to increase highway and transit funding,” he said, adding that indexing the gasoline tax is just one of several funding measures under consideration.
The Colorado freshman also said she regarded Young highly despite her opposition to the tax increase.
“I have great respect for Don Young, but respectfully disagree with him on this aspect of the transportation bill,” Musgrave said.
About 20 lawmakers have signed on to Musgrave’s letter, said Talon News Service.
