Paul Ryan Flatly Rules Out Gas Tax Hike

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, joined by House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., takes reporters' questions, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, as House Republicans s... House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, joined by House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., takes reporters' questions, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, as House Republicans signaled support for a budget deal worked out yesterday between Ryan and Senate Budget Committee Chair Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. The budget deal was one of a few major measures left on Congress' to-do list near the end of a bruising year that has produced a partial government shutdown, a flirtation with a first-ever federal default and gridlock on President Obama's agenda. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Hershey, Pa. — A gas tax increase ain’t happening. No way, no how.

That was the message from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) to reporters on Thursday at the congressional Republican retreat in this small Pennsylvania town.

“No,” he said. “I don’t see us passing — we won’t pass a gas tax increase.”

The unequivocal remarks by Ryan, who chairs the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee, quash hopes for the deeply tax-averse House to pass a gasoline tax increase as a mechanism to pay for a long-term highway funding bill.

The idea has enjoyed growing support lately with gas prices at historic lows, including from some Republicans like Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker.

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  1. Avatar for korvu korvu says:

    Bridges will be repaired via dynamic scoring.

  2. Bridges will be repaired as they collapse. Hey, you can’t repair the roof when it is raining and you don’t need to repair it when the sun is shining. As for the roads, potholes are natures’ way of dynamically testing automotive suspension design engineering. As we know American engineers are the best in the world, so potholes, meh!

  3. We’re paying less than two dollars for gas now.

    A gas tax?

    What about the prices we were paying before? All these explanations are suspect.

  4. But if you call it a user fee…

  5. To build/repair our roads, bridges and mass transpo.

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