Congress loves the Highway Trust Fund, but it shirks responsibility

Congress repeatedly has demonstrated its inability to complete substantive work, and one of its most pathetic displays has been with the federal Highway Trust Fund.

For the past decade Congress has failed to pass a long-term funding plan for the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure. Just recently it again kicked the can down the road.

The current Trust Fund authorization was set to expire at the end of May, when the U.S. Department of Transportation would have had to cut off funding for projects around the country. To prevent that, Congress passed a two-month extension. If it doesn’t come up with a plan by then, well, it can punt again.

It’s not that anyone is against the Highway Trust Fund. Members of Congress love it, in fact. When they run for re-election, they point to all of the wonderful projects they secured funding for. Local road improvements, bridges and public transportation rarely lose votes.

Spending money is easy. Raising it is another story.

Historically, user fees — specifically the federal gas tax — fed the Trust Fund. Unfortunately, the gas tax has languished at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993. Inflation eroded its worth, while fuel-efficient cars whittled away at consumption. The Trust Fund now has an annual shortfall that Congress fills with general tax revenue, but that isn’t sustainable. Over the next 10 years, budget experts forecast a $168 billion shortfall.

The nation’s transportation infrastructure needs a lot of work. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives America’s roads a D grade.

The responsibility for funding repairs and upgrades is properly shared by local, state and federal governments. For example, Missouri receives almost $1 billion per year from Washington for transportation projects. That’s nearly half of the state’s total transportation revenue.

Without additional federal help, cash-strapped states are lucky if they can take care of the little stuff. They fill potholes while bridges crumble and congestion grows worse.

The simplest solution would be to increase the gas tax and index it to inflation. Asking Americans to pay more at the pump would require political courage, something in short supply these days.

The Obama administration and some lawmakers, including Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, want to raise a bunch of money with a one-time, discounted tax on American dollars held overseas. That’s fine for a single infusion of cash, but it just puts off finding a real solution. It also kills the notion that the people who use the roads pay for them.

A more high-tech idea would use GPS to charge by the mile instead of the gallon. That’s a tough sell to a nation wary of government surveillance. Moreover, if it were more than revenue neutral, it would be perceived as a tax increase.

Congress is not solely to blame for its inaction. Public hostility to tax increases is a major disincentive to fully funding transportation needs. The hardest sell often comes in convincing taxpayers that they get what they pay for.

This story was originally published May 31, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Congress loves the Highway Trust Fund, but it shirks responsibility."