Since the Reagan administration, some of our fuel tax dollars have gone toward buses and trains, mostly buses. While federal fuel tax money is a small part of some transit agency's budgets, others get as much as 20% of their money from this source. Unfortunately, the current bill reauthorizing the fuel tax, HR 3864 would end using fuel tax money for buses and trains. It seems to replace $25 billion with $40 billion, but in it is replacing a dedicated $25 billion each year with $40 billion for infinity. In fact, the new Alternative Transportation Account is not guaranteed to ever come into existence by this bill.
The good news is that our opponents know that they are trying to pull a fast one on the American public. That is why the bill is not clear. That is why two Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee voted against this bill. That is why when I called the office of that committee, the staff pretended that they did not know what was happening.
We need to keep dedicated revenues going to buses and trains. We need to keep at least 10% of highway funds going to other forms of transportation.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION
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