Coalition Letters

R Street Signs On to Coalition Urging Congress to Prioritize, Streamline, and Innovate U.S. Infrastructure Spending Without Raising Taxes

April 15, 2019

issues: Finance and Trade, Transportation

Monday, April 15th 2019 Dear Members of Congress:

On behalf of our organizations and the millions
of American individuals, families, and business
owners they represent, we urge you to focus on comprehensive reforms
to prioritize, streamline and innovate the financing and regulation of our nation’s
infrastructure projects rather than considering any increases to the federal
gas tax.

As part of any potential infrastructure package, Congress
has an opportunity this year to institute major
reforms to our federal
funding and regulatory systems. Reforms
are badly needed
to improve outcomes, target spending toward
critical projects, and streamline much needed maintenance and construction projects.
The goal this year should
be a more modern and efficient
national infrastructure system that will allow people
and goods to move where they need to both safely and economically,
contributing to an effective and well-functioning system of free enterprise.

A 25-cent per gallon increase
in the federal gas tax, a current
proposal from some on and off Capitol
Hill, would more than double the current rate and would amount to an estimated
$394 billion tax increase over the next ten years.

Before asking Americans for more of their hard earned money
at the gas pump, lawmakers must consider how federal gas tax
dollars are currently mishandled. More than 28 percent
of funds from the Highway
Trust Fund are currently diverted away from roads and bridges. Still more taxpayer
dollars are wasted on inflated
costs due to outdated regulatory burdens, a complex
and sluggish permitting system, and overly restrictive labor requirements.

These reforms can be achieved by focusing on three core outcomes: 1) spending smarter on projects of true national priority, 2) reforming outdated and costly regulations, and 3) protecting Americans from new or increased tax burdens.

We urge lawmakers to reject calls to simply
throw more money into a broken funding
system. Now is the time to take serious steps toward modernizing our nation’s
infrastructure by eliminating unnecessary spending, reducing
government overreach and unleashing untapped private sector
investment. Our organizations stand ready to work with lawmakers who will fight
for these important reforms
to deliver better
results to the American people
without asking them to pay more.

Thank
you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Americans for Prosperity

ALEC Action

American Business Defense Council

American Commitment

American Consumer Institute

Center for Citizen Research

American Energy Alliance

Americans for Limited Government

Campaign for Liberty

Center for a Free Economy