[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 25 (Thursday, February 11, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H716-H717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, from the moment I arrived in Congress, I 
have been working to rebuild and renew America. Our great country, 
sadly, is falling apart as it falls behind the rest of the world. The 
American Society of Civil Engineers rates our infrastructure as 
failing.
  I have worked to develop a plan, a vision for infrastructure for this 
century because people have forgotten our history and are woefully 
uninformed about the nature of the challenge we face and the 
opportunities to do it right.
  This doesn't need to be a partisan fight in Congress. Indeed, 
infrastructure used to be much more central to our mission in Congress, 
dating back to the postal roads mandated by the Constitution to 
President Eisenhower's interstate freeway system.
  I welcome the administration's proposal for an oil fee to invest in 
green infrastructure. I truly believe that President Obama is committed 
to investing in infrastructure. He understands its value, and he has 
worked to include some infrastructure investment in the Recovery Act. I 
think we all know that it actually should have been much larger than it 
was; but, nonetheless, was very helpful.
  The President has proposed things Congress after Congress that would 
fund a grander vision. Unfortunately, in the context of this Congress, 
they were not realistic. They had no chance of passing, probably 
regardless of who has control, given the nature of those proposals.
  Nonetheless, I welcome the administration's proposal for a $10 per 
barrel fee on oil to finance green infrastructure because of the timing 
at this point of incredibly low gas prices, flirting with $1 a gallon, 
high oil production, a swollen inventory. Thirty dollars per barrel has 
become the benchmark.
  Unfortunately, the new proposal was launched, as near as I can tell, 
without consultation with people in either party or the organizations 
that deal with infrastructure. It was not met with organized support on 
behalf of the vast array of individuals and organizations who are 
deeply committed to rebuilding and renewing America. It simply begs the 
question: Why not just raise the gas tax?
  The proposal I have introduced to raise the gas tax was widely 
supported by business, labor, professions, local government, 
environmentalists; indeed, it was supported by the widest collection of 
interest groups supporting any major initiative before Congress. When 
you get the truckers and AAA both saying, ``Raise taxes on motorists 
and truck drivers,'' that is a signal.
  The proposal does not have the gaps associated with an oil fee that 
would impose challenges on consumers of oil, like school buses or home 
heating, and it does provoke the petroleum industry, which has accepted 
reasonable gas taxes, but would oppose an oil fee.
  This is, however, an opportunity for us to revisit the need for 
investment in infrastructure, now that the administration has signaled 
its comfort with raising taxes on people who make under $250,000 a 
year. The oil fee would be the equivalent of 20 to 25 cents a gallon--
far more than the model proposal I had to phase in a 15-cent per gallon 
increase over 3 years.
  Maybe we can reengage the conversation about raising the gas tax. 
After 24 years, we might follow the lead of President Reagan, who led 
an effort to raise the gas tax in 1983. After we raise the gas tax, we 
should index it and

[[Page H717]]

then abolish it and replace it with a more sustainable mechanism for 
funding transportation in the future.
  I appreciate the administration starting this conversation related to 
infrastructure finance. Maybe we can have a broader effort to work 
cooperatively on an issue that is gaining traction at the State level 
around the country. Over a dozen States have raised their gas tax, 
including a number of red Republican States.
  This will be something that meets the needs of America now--and in 
the future--and I hope it is time for us to refocus on it.

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