[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E18-E19]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GAS TAX RESTITUTION ACT OF 1996

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today I along with Representative Tom Petri 
are reintroducing legislation we sponsored during the last Congress to 
transfer to the highway trust fund revenues received from the 4.3 cents 
of the Federal motor fuel tax that is currently going to the general 
fund.
  Many of us concerned with our surface transportation infrastructure 
were troubled when in 1993 this tax of 4.3 cents per gallon of motor 
fuel was imposed not for the purpose of bolstering receipts into the 
highway trust fund, but for the purposes of deficit reduction.
  As we all know, the basic premise of the Federal motor fuel tax is 
that it is a user fee collected for the express purpose of making 
improvements to our road and highway infrastructure. It is one of the 
few taxes where Americans can see an immediate and direct result for 
having to pay it as they drive on the Nation's highways.
  Last year we debated repealing the 4.3 cents-per-gallon tax. At the 
time, I offered an alternative. Restore it to the highway trust fund. 
Today, I do so again.
  Few, if anyone in this body, can say that the areas they represent do 
not require road and highway improvements. The legislation I am 
introducing today will not only restore faith with the American people 
on the uses of the Federal motor fuel taxes, but will certainly assist 
in making needed surface transportation enhancements.
  I would note that as introduced, this legislation would dedicate the 
entire 4.3 cents-per-gallon tax to the highway trust fund, and would 
not earmark any portion of this amount for mass transit, or for that 
matter, for any proposed new area of eligibility such as for Amtrak. 
This is not to say that I am necessarily opposed to the use of some 
portion of the 4.3 cents-per-gallon tax for these purposes and

[[Page E19]]

policy decisions of that nature can certainly be made during further 
consideration of this legislation.

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