White House considers vehicle mileage tax to fund infrastructure, Buttigieg says [View all]

[DonViejo]

Source: CNBC


PUBLISHED FRI, MAR 26 202110:29 AM EDT UPDATED FRI, MAR 26 202110:54 AM EDT

Thomas Franck
@TOMWFRANCK

KEY POINTS

Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, said that the White House is weighing a mileage tax and special bonds to fund infrastructure.

He argued that President Joe Biden’s forthcoming plans to rebuild U.S. roads, bridges and waterways would lead to a net gain for the U.S. taxpayer.

“I’m hearing a lot of appetite to make sure that there are sustainable funding streams,” Buttigieg said. A mileage tax “shows a lot of promise.”

Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, said Friday morning that the White House is weighing a variety of ways to finance what’s expected to be its multitrillion-dollar infrastructure proposals.

Buttigieg, who spoke with CNBC’s Kayla Tausche, also argued that President Joe Biden’s forthcoming plans to rebuild U.S. roads, bridges and waterways would lead to a net gain for the U.S. taxpayer and not a net outlay.

“When you think about infrastructure, it’s a classic example of the kind of investment that has a return on that investment,” he said. “That’s one of many reasons why we think this is so important. This is a jobs vision as much as it is an infrastructure vision, a climate vision, and more.”

He also weighed in on several potential revenue-generating options to fund the project. He spoke fondly of a mileage levy, which would tax travelers based on how far they travel instead of on how much gasoline they consume.



Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/26/buttigieg-says-white-house-is-weighing-mileage-levy-to-fund-infrastructure.html