FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           

STATEMENT

Rep. Burgess Says Patching Transportation Funding Problems by Raising the Gas Tax Wrong Solution at Wrong Time

Washington, D.C. –Congressman Michael C. Burgess (R-Texas), M.D., today urged Congress to recognize that raising the gas tax to fund transportation is the wrong way to fix long-term transportation problems:

“It’s irresponsible to tell Americans that the best way to solve traffic congestion and pay for roads and bridges is to make them pay even more at the pump. 

For Texans, the gas tax is not a good deal in the first place.  For every dollar we send to DC, we only receive about 69 cents back for our roads.  Until we are able to change this ratio, I will not advocate for Texans sending even more gas dollars to Washington. 

Raising the gas tax is also incredibly short-sighted.  Transportation problems run deeper than money and they are not going away any time soon.  That means proposals to fix them cannot just patch the tread.  We need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to transportation policy.  I urge fellow Members to be willing to do that as we start talking about passing the next highway bill in 2009.”   

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., practiced medicine as an OB-GYN in North Texas for nearly three decades before coming to Washington, D.C., to represent the 26th District of Texas.  He serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and four of its subcommittees:  Oversight and Investigations, Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, Health, and Energy and Air Quality.  He is also the Vice Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.

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