Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe urged the support of highway user fees in order to finance the nation’s Highway Trust Fund.
“I also think the fact that we are now looking at something on the electric vehicles, paying their fair share, I just rejoice that people are talking about that now and it is popular, and it is very fair,” said the Senator during a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
The hearing focused on the Highway Trust Fund and Sen. Inhofe questioned the witnesses who testified.
“This is the first time that I have heard that all of our witnesses came in agreement, knowing that there should be a user pays concept,” added the Senator. “I have been saying this when it was very unpopular to say this, now I think it is more popular than it was at that time, so I think we are making some headway in this area.”
Witnesses included: Joseph Kile, Ph.D., Director of Microeconomic Analysis, Congressional Budget Office; Jack Basso, Chair, Mileage Based User Fee Alliance; Patricia G. Hendren, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Eastern Transportation Coalition; Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation; and Douglas Shinkle, Transportation Program Director, National Conference of State Legislatures.
(Click here to watch Inhofe’s full remarks.)