Suspending Gas Tax Just a Start

Citizens for a Sound Economy today called proposals on Capitol Hill to suspend the gas tax a good start, but one that fails to go far enough. Patrick Burns, CSE’s Director of Environmental Policy, said “We shouldn’t just suspend this tax. We should abolish it completely as we move toward fundamental tax reform.”

At a time when rising gasoline prices have consumers in an uproar, the federal gas tax has become a potent political issue. In 1993, Vice President Gore cast the deciding vote in the Senate for a 4.3 cent per gallon increase in the tax, which now costs 18.4 cents per gallon.

Calls to provide gas tax relief have also gained steam with the recent estimate that the non-Social Security surplus will reach $1.9 trillion over 10 years.

Concluded Burns, “With Americans being over-taxed to the tune of $1.9 trillion, and gas prices soaring due to the Clinton-Gore administration’s overtly anti-consumer energy policy, suspension of the federal gas tax can only be seen as a first step. A good first step, no doubt. But Congress really should be scrapping it entirely.”