Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) is introducing an amendment to increase the federal gas tax by 15 cents, totaling 33.4 cents per gallon on gas purchases.
"The bill under consideration calls for a six-year period of spending authority, and hopes to be funded for three years with a combination of budget gimmicks and tax code smoke and mirrors over the next decade," he said in a statement. "But Congress will be back to square one when that money runs out, facing an even bigger hole in the Highway Trust Fund — and once again throwing hundreds of thousands of jobs into uncertainty."
Blumeaner is trying to attach the gas tax proposal to a $325 billion highway bill being considered by the House next week.
The House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider amendments to the highway bill and the chamber is expected to bring the measure up for a vote of the full House.
