Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation today joined a group of 23 Republican Senators in sending a letter to President Obama asking the White House to clarify its budget proposal to raise $435 billion in new revenue for FY2012 to fund the Transportation Trust Fund.
With the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) noting the absence of any information about the nature of the taxes or fees that might be used to produce revenues did not allow an assessment of the potential budgetary effects" and The Washington Post editorial board questioning if this magic asterisk" represents
higher gasoline taxes" Republican Senators are requesting detailed information as to how the Administration plans to raise a new $435 billion and if that revenue means Americans will be faced with a massive gas tax hike at a time when energy prices are already on the rise.
In the letter the senators wrote
To communicate to our constituents whether or not the $435 billion trust fund represents a large gas tax increase we respectfully request details on how the Administration calculated the amount of revenue it envisions for the Bipartisan financing for Transportation Trust Fund. More specifically given the exact numbers provided in your budget we request information as to what revenue stream the Administration assumed would fund this new transportation trust fund in the coming year."
The senators added As energy prices continue to increase we are hopeful that this new revenue stream proposed by the Administration would not be a new gas tax on American consumers. We appreciate your clarification on an issue that affects the everyday lives of our constituents."
The full text of the signed letter is below and PDF version can be found below:
April 4 2011
The President
The White House
Washington DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
Rising energy prices and the negative effect that they have on consumers job creators and the greater economy are of grave concern to all Americans. During these tough economic times it is important that we do everything we can to mitigate the impact of high energy prices and avoid additional increases. With that in mind we write today to express concern with the proposed $435 billion in revenue contained in your budget request for Fiscal Year 2012 labeled as the Bipartisan financing for Transportation Trust Fund." Specifically we request that you make clear to the American people and Congress how this $435 billion will be financed.
You have provided in your Fiscal Year 2012 budget specific year-by-year totals of the amount of revenue projected to be raised by a Bipartisan financing for Transportation Trust Fund." For example according to your budget this fund would provide $26 billion next year alone.
However your budget submitted to Congress contains no details on how this revenue would be raised. Furthermore in its recent re-estimate of your budget proposal the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office noted that the absence of any information about the nature of the taxes or fees that might be used to produce revenues for this fund did not allow an assessment of the potential budgetary effects."
Also while your budget states that you have not assumed an increase in gas taxes it goes on to state that the new revenues have the general characteristics of an excise tax."
This language is contradictory.
To communicate to our constituents whether or not the $435 billion trust fund represents a large gas tax increase we respectfully request details on how the Administration calculated the amount of revenue it envisions for the Bipartisan financing for Transportation Trust Fund." More specifically given the exact numbers provided in your budget we request information as to what revenue stream the Administration assumed would fund this new transportation trust fund in the coming year.
As energy prices continue to increase we are hopeful that this new revenue stream proposed by the Administration would not be a new gas tax on American consumers.
We appreciate your clarification on an issue that affects the everyday lives of our constituents.
Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely
Marco Rubio (R-FL)
U.S. Senator
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
U.S. Senator
John Barrasso (R-WY)
U.S. Senator
John Boozman (R-AR)
U.S. Senator
Richard Burr (R-NC)
U.S. Senator
Scott Brown (R-MA)
U.S. Senator
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
U.S. Senator
Dan Coats (R-IN)
U.S. Senator
Dr. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
U.S. Senator
John Cornyn (R-TX)
U.S. Senator
John Ensign (R-NV)
U.S. Senator
Charles E. Grassley (R-IA)
U.S. Senator
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
U.S. Senator
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
U.S. Senator
Mark Kirk (R-IL)
U.S. Senator
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
U.S. Senator
Mike Johanns (R-NE
U.S. Senator
Mike Lee (R-UT)
U.S. Senator
John McCain (R-AZ)
U.S. Senator
James Risch (R-ID)
U.S. Senator
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
U.S. Senator
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
U.S. Senator
John Thune (R-SD)
U.S. Senator
