Time to save our infrastructure

Sometimes doing the right thing is not always the most popular thing in Washington, especially in a place where politics often trumps good policy. It would be more popular, not to mention easier, for us to continue to tell the American people that we can fix the Highway Trust Fund by cutting unnecessary spending on things like bike paths and highway beautification, and that we don’t need additional revenue in order to fix our crumbling transportation infrastructure. It would also, however, be a lie. That’s why, in the interest of addressing a long-term transportation problem that hasn’t seen a long-term solution in more than 20 years, we introduced the Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Act.

Some want to call it a gas tax increase; for those that say that, they need to read the bill.

The Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Act uses the threat of a gas tax increase as an enforcement trigger to motivate Congress to finally do its job, which ultimately will provide at least 10 years of funding for the Highway Trust Fund. Our legislation does not set a particular mechanism to reach 10 years of debt-free funding, but rather forces Congress to consider all viable options and take action. Fundamentally, we believe it’s a conservative position that if something is important enough to buy, it is important enough to pay for, and the things we buy today should not create debt for our children tomorrow.

The legislation takes a two-pronged approach. First, in order to provide an initial source of revenue to allow Congress enough time – roughly 1.7 years – to consider all potential funding options, it indexes the gasoline and diesel user fees to inflation going forward, ensuring the purchasing power of the Highway Trust Fund remains stable. Second, recognizing cars have become more fuel-efficient and the gasoline and diesel user fees will not be a sustainable funding mechanism on their own, our bill creates a commission tasked with reviewing all funding options and finding agreement on a path forward.

Opponents of our legislation may have you believe this would lead to massive increases in the cost of gasoline for the average American. In reality, it is estimated that in 2016 the average driver will pay an additional $2.83 over the entire year under our plan – less than just one of your morning lattes. Instead of continuing to ignore this problem, we choose to act so that the next generation will not bear the burden of Congress’ inaction. Critics of infrastructure investment who point to transportation museums and bike paths are presenting a straw man aimed at undermining long-term solutions like our Bridge to a Sustainable Infrastructure Act. In fact, only 2 percent of federal funding can be used for those purposes.

We need multi-year highway program reauthorizations that reduce and streamline regulations and restore local control of transportation projects. Our national infrastructure system provides a platform for our economy to operate, and Americans across the country agree that something needs to be done. According to a Gallup poll, seven out of 10 Americans favor infrastructure repair programs to save our roads and bridges.

If we maintain and improve our infrastructure, not only do we become more competitive globally, certainty provides local governments and the construction industry the opportunity to plan in a way that can result in significant cost savings.

As Republicans, we support comprehensive tax reform, lowering the deficit, and reducing the Washington-born regulatory burden placed on our job creators. We also support one of the most important tools for American businesses, workers, and families – our national infrastructure system. Our legislation has helped propel the conversation forward and refocus attention on the need for Congress to get serious about finding a long-term solution to our failing infrastructure. After 33 short-term fixes, stop-gap measures, and clumsy governing, it’s finally time to face this national challenge. We refuse to sit back and leave our children and grandchildren with a nation that is no longer a leader in innovation. The rest of America should too.

Renacci has represented Ohio’s 16^th Congressional District since 2011. He sits on the Ways and means Committee. Ribble has represented Wisconsin’s 8^th Congressional District since 2011. He sits on the Foreign Affairs and the Transportation committees.