I’m not angry at the Democrats for jamming through this monstrosity masquerading as an infrastructure bill in the Senate. I’m more pissed off at the 19 so called “Republicans” who yet again sold out the country. Also hidden deep within the infrastructure bill is a pilot program plan to tax drive per mile they drive. There is $125 million in the bill for “exploring” the possibility of a federal vehicle miles traveled tax, or VMT.
American drivers could soon trade paying taxes on gas at the pump for owing the government annual ‘per-mile user fees,’ under a new pilot program recently passed by the Senate in Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal.
The bill passed a Senate vote on Tuesday and will go on to the House of Representatives.
The massive deal puts $125 million toward exploring the possibility of a federal vehicle miles traveled tax (VMT) by funding the launch of federal, state and local VMT pilot programs.
It gives Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg the ability to award grants to local and regional entities ‘to carry out pilot projects’ of the VMT tax.
Both everyday drivers and commercial freight drivers from all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico would have to be enrolled in the voluntary program, the bill text reads.
The DOT would calculate drivers’ payments quarterly.
It also calls on the DOT secretary to carry out a public awareness campaign on per-mile use fees.