The American infrastructure is the worst that it’s ever been. The infrastructure fund is going broke, yet Congress keeps issuing feeble, short-term extensions to the budget instead of something viable and long-term. It’s so bad that 16 states, half of them red states, have to raise their gas tax in an attempt to make up the difference.
Congress has remained stagnant on improving and increasing funding for the country’s infrastructure. When it does do something, the action is a brittle patchwork to keep the budget barely afloat. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation extending the nation’s infrastructure budget five months past its July 31 expiration date, but senators want to create something long-term.
The U.S. Senate wants to fund the American infrastructure at least through the 2016 elections. This sort of disagreement is a major problem. When both chambers can’t agree on something, they usually fight until the deadline expires, or they come to a weak compromise. This only affects the American people. And states have to take it upon themselves to do what Congress is too incompetent to do.
Because Congress is terrible at its job, the 18.4 cents-per-gallon gas tax passed in 1993 isn’t filling the budget gap. There’s currently a $16 billion hole in the infrastructure budget. At least a dozen states are raising their gas tax in order to make up for Congress’ ineffectual policy. It’s still uncertain whether state increases will close the budget gap and fund the roads and highways that the federal government is supposed to maintain.
The federal government has responsibilities that it must uphold. It shouldn’t be the states’ responsibility to make up for the federal government’s shortcomings. Because of such incompetence, the tax burden grows bigger onto the People.
