re: #109 teleskiguy

Fucking unbelievable. The Senate voted Yay or Nay on eliminating the Federal Highway System? Ho. Lee. Shit.

From The Hill

The concept, commonly referred to by transportation observers as “devolution,” calls for lowering the gas tax that currently pays for most federal transportation projects from 18.4 cents per gallon to 3.7 cents in five years.

During the same time period, the bill would transfer authority over federal highways and transit programs to states and replace current congressional appropriations with block grants.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who is the primary sponsor of the gas tax reduction proposal, said Tuesday that it would give states more control over transportation funding that they collect via their own fuel levies.

“Under this new system, Americans would no longer have to send significant gas-tax revenue to Washington, where politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists take their cut before sending it back with strings attached,” Lee said in a statement. “Instead, states and cities could plan, finance, and build smarter and more affordable projects.”

Lee has been pushing to eliminate the gas tax since 2013.

The vote comes as senators are scrambling to approve a new round of transportation funding before the Highway Trust Fund runs out of money next month.

Read more: thehill.com