Lawmaker wants to pave way for ‘modern-day infrastructure’

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster seeks bipartisan legislation to keep nation’s Highway Trust Fund solvent.    House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., wants to pave the way toward what he hopes will become substantive legislation to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent and improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
   “The 2016 presidential campaign shined a spotlight on America’s crumbling infrastructure,” Shuster said in a statement. “Since Election Day, the American people have waited for action by their federal elected representatives, and I am just as frustrated as they are that we have yet to seriously consider a responsible, thoughtful proposal.”
   The discussion draft legislation includes the formation of a 15-member Highway Trust Fund Commission to oversee various pilot programs during fiscal years 2019-2021. 
   One of the proposed initiatives within the discussion draft is to establish a pilot program to demonstrate the feasibility of a national per-mile user fee to preserve the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The draft excludes the establishment of a federal excise tax on gas and diesel fuel.
   As part of the Highway Trust Fund Reform, all modes of transportation that benefit from the nation’s roads and highways will contribute to the trust fund. The discussion draft calls for a 10 percent tax on the value of each electric vehicle battery sold. Even a bicycle tire tax will be considered to help fund the Highway Trust Fund.
   “This discussion draft does not represent a complete and final infrastructure bill,” Shuster said. “It is meant to reignite discussions amongst my colleagues, and I urge all members to be open-minded and willing to work together in considering real solutions that will give America the modern-day infrastructure it needs.
   “Over the coming weeks and months, I look forward to additional input from my Republican and Democratic colleagues in order to prepare a bill for congressional consideration,” he added.