Over the past week, Chairmen of three of the Senate Committees that will write the next Highway Bill have stated that they would be open to increasing the gas tax as a means to fill the growing shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and a member of Republican Leadership, stated that Congress should consider all options, including a gas tax increase, to fund the highway program. His statements were later echoed by Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Chairman of the Finance Committee. While none of the three Senators explicitly supported a gas tax increase, their statements are a notable departure from the statements of other top Republicans, such as Speaker John Boehner, who have previously expressed opposition to any gas tax increase.
