CO-SPONSORSHIP of the Transportation Empowerment Act

CO-SPONSORSHIP of the Transportation Empowerment Act

Representative Tom Graves (R-Ga.) introduced the Transportation Empowerment Act (H.R. 3264), which would turn back control of transportation spending to the states. Currently, Americans pay 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline to the federal government. That tax is funneled into the federal Highway Trust Fund, and then doled back to the states via complex congressional formulas.

This dynamic creates "donor" and "recipient" states. Donor states give more gas tax money to the government than they receive back, while recipient states receive more gas tax money than they pay in. Americans are paying into a system that is supposed to help their state, but all too often they are not getting a good return on their investment.

State and local governments are becoming increasingly concerned with the uncertainty created by Washington. Instead of playing middleman, Congress should get out of the highway business and empower states to keep their own money. States could have an element of certainty and would be freed from the costly and cumbersome strings that come attached with federal monies.

Heritage Action supports H.R. 3264 and will include CO-SPONSORSHIP of this legislation in our scorecard.

Related:

Heritage Action's Legislative Scorecard
Issue Profile: The Transportation Empowerment Act
Heritage: "Turn Back" Transportation to the States
Heritage Action: Key Vote Alert: "YES" on the DeMint State Authority Amendment