Collins says infrastructure bill won't have gas tax increase or undo 2017 tax reform bill

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday said the infrastructure bill announced by a bipartisan group of 10 senators will not include a gas tax increase or undo the 2017 tax reform bill.

When asked by host John Dickerson on CBS's "Face the Nation" how the group plans to pay for the package, Collins, who is part of the bipartisan coalition, silenced rumors of a gas tax increase or rolling back the 2017 tax reform bill, while outlining the group's strategies for financing the initiatives.

Collins said the group, which includes five senators from each party, is considering three "pay fors": an infrastructure financing authority, repurposing leftover COVID-19 funding and "a provision for electric vehicles to pay their fair share of using our roads and bridges right now."

"They are literally free riders because they're not paying any gas tax. So those are three of the provisions that we've taken a look at," Collins said.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/collins-says-infrastructure-bill-won-t-have-gas-tax-increase-or-undo-2017-tax-reform-bill/ar-AAL053f?li=BBnbfcQ&ocid=DELLDHP

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So it'll be more Republican "credit card economics" followed by cries to cut Social Security and other entitlements because according to the GOP "THE FEDERAL DEBT IS TOO DAMN HIGH".

[Ray Bruns]

1. I am not buying this.

Another "blow a huge whole in the budget, then run around and blame democrats" strategy.

[WHITT]

2. I Saw That

Collins was lying through her teeth. This is nothing but a stalling tactic. Moscow Mitch is trying to run out the clock.

Schumer needs to bring the 2.3 trillion bill to the floor, and see who is with the American people, and who isn't.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. Just come with the truth , Susan....

The rich you serve should not have to pay a tad more in taxe ls that a majority of voters say should.

[ananda]

4. Fuck her! Why does she get any say whatsoever?

Sheesh

[roamer65]

5. Trillions from Trump...

Not one cent for Biden.

Typical repukes. I hate them all.

[Roy Rolling]

6. Tax Increases are Fair

She and her’s just want a free ride.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. That's a fantasy bill

Financing authority equals segmented borrowing. COVID-19 funds are shifting from one place to another. EV's won't raise that much revenue.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

8. Susan Collins: Bipartisan infrastructure plan proposes user tax for electric vehicle 'free riders'

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday gave CBS News' John Dickerson a breakdown of how a bipartisan group of senators haggling with the White House on an infrastructure package aims to pay for their proposal.

For starters, Collins dismissed reports suggesting the senators' plan includes a gas-tax increase. Instead, she said the payment strategy involves "the implementation of an infrastructure financing authority that's very similar to the state revolving funds that we used for sewer and water projects," repurposing unused COVID-19 funding — Collins pointed to California's "enormous surplus" as an example — strictly for "water, sewer, and broadband," and, finally, "a provision for electric vehicles to pay for their share of using our roads and bridges." Collins said the justification for the electric vehicle idea is that their drivers "are literally free riders because they're not paying any gas tax."

The White House, though, has repeatedly said it will oppose a mileage tax for electric vehicles because it would violate President Biden's pledge not to raise taxes on any individuals making less than $400,000 per year, The New York Times reported last week.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/susan-collins-bipartisan-infrastructure-plan-190548824.html

So those who behave responsibly in dealing with climate change get penalized. How very typically Republican.

[Mike Nelson]

9. I think...

... "free riders" are her constituents who won't pay taxes! She should be calling for taxes for Trump and his ilk - why do they get a "free ride," Susan?

[lark]

10. New, more true headline - Republicans continue to play rope a dope with the economy.

They don't give one shit about helping America's working class, just the rich, like always. Also anything coming from Collins is always going to be poison, she's one of the rich and has gotten wealthy from government investments in her husbands' (shipping?) company.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

11. I would bet that few conservatives own electric vehicles.

As more and more businesses -- Amazon, AT&T, Clif Bar, Consumers Energy, DHL, Direct Energy, Genentech, IKEA North America, LeasePlan, Lime, and Siemens, to name a few -- start using electric vehicles she'll claim they need to have their taxes eliminated. Notice who her plans affect -- middle class progressives who are concerned about the environment.

There ought to be a $1 billion "return-from-space" tariff levied on each ticket sold for a commercial space flight. We don't want those billionaires to get a free ride for using our airspace, do we?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. And just like I called it

Republicans plot an infrastructure 2-step: Spend more, then kill Biden’s agenda

Senate Republicans are mulling support for a massive amount of new spending on infrastructure — in part because they think it’ll help kill President Joe Biden’s liberal agenda.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to tip his hand on whether he supports the bipartisan negotiations on Biden's plan for roads and bridges that are being led by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). But a growing number of Senate Republicans are betting that if a deal is reached on that sort of physical infrastructure, Democrats won’t have the votes needed to pass the rest of Biden’s “soft infrastructure” priorities, such as child care and clean energy.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) surmised Monday that if a bipartisan package comes to fruition, the only remaining ways for Democrats to pay for a second bill on social spending programs are tax increases — too toxic to pursue. Democrats can pass a spending bill with only Democratic votes, but they need all 50 of their members to be on board.

“It’ll be awful hard to get those moderate Democrats to be for that,” Thune said. “The stars are kind of lining up for an infrastructure bill. And if you do do something bipartisan on that, then I think doing something partisan on reconciliation — in some ways, with certain Democrats — it gets a lot harder.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-plot-an-infrastructure-2-step-spend-more-then-kill-biden-s-agenda/ar-AAL2KIt

[Yavin4]

13. Wouldn't such a tax kill EVs in its infancy?

EVs are more expensive than fossil fuel cars right now. Add in this tax, and very few people will be able to afford them.

[paleotn]

14. Whatever, Esmeralda. That bill isn't going anywhere.