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Sununu opposes federal gas tax increase

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On Friday New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu joined three other governors — Paul LePage of Maine, Peter Ricketts of Nebraska, and Gregg Abbott of Texas — in a letter opposing a proposal from President Donald Trump to raise the federal gas tax.

The proposal would raise the tax from 18.4 cents to 43.4 cents per gallon.

Support for critical infrastructure funding

Supporters note that the federal gas tax is not indexed to inflation and has stayed the same since 1993, so gas tax revenue has not kept pace with rising infrastructure costs.

The Trump administration said the increase will help pay for a much-needed transportation infrastructure plan.

In 2017 the American Society of Civil Engineers graded U.S infrastructure with a D+

Governors argue gas tax is a burden

Sununu and others say the increase is too much of a burden and ultimately increases the costs of transporting goods and services on the nation’s highways. They wrote:

“On the heels of historic tax relief, the last thing hardworking Americans deserve is for the federal government to claw-back the benefits with a significant gas tax increase.”

Instead, the governors proposed reforming how existing dollars are spent.

Do you agree with Sununu? Or do we need gas tax money for the nation’s bridges and roads? Let us know in the comments section below.

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