Don’t Let Transportation Committee Run Over American Taxpayers

Today, Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) joined Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (CO-04), other Members of Congress and a coalition of organizations opposed to tax increases at press conference on Capitol Hill calling on Congress to reject attempts to raise the gas tax. The House Transportation Committee – led by Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) and ranking member James Oberstar (D-MN) – is trying to increase in the gas tax to pay for a bloated $375 billion highway funding bill (TEA-21).

Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) strongly opposes any attempt to raise taxes on the American people during this critical time and urges leaders in Congress to reject the increase. Raising taxes in a sluggish economy is about the worse thing you could do to American taxpayers. And raising the gas tax under this economy when gas prices are already flirting with $2 a gallon would be a direct hit to taxpayer wallets.

At the Press Conference Chris Kinnan, CSE Director of Public Affairs had these comments:

“On behalf of its 280,000 members around the country CSE calls on Congress to reject this outrageous tax increase. Raising the gas tax is an immediate, direct hit to the wallets in the pockets of American workers. Every time an American fills up their car to go to work, it will cost them over 5 cents more per gallon.

“It’s hard to believe anyone, let alone a leader in Congress, would suggest such a harmful action to American family budgets that are already stretched to the limit.

“Unfortunately, the Transportation Committee’s appetite for road pork is insatiable. The more they get, the more they want. With 75 members on the Transportation Committee, they tend to get what they want – even it means taxpayers get run over in the process. No longer – we’re here to say no to new taxes.”