POLITICO Nightly: Why is a conversation about paying for roads and bridges so hard?

 

By Kathryn A. Wolfe Presented by  MAGA GOP ARE INCAPABLE OF SOLVING A PROBLEM - ANY PROBLEM!  GOP CREATED THE DEFICIT BY APPROVING TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY & PLAN TO MAKE THOSE TAX CUTS PERMANENT - PERMANENT DEFICITS!  Vehicles travel along I-95 on May 24, 2024 in Miami, Florida. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images ROAD WARRIORS — This week, GOP Rep. Sam Graves, the veteran chair of the House Transportation Committee, proposed a $20 annual fee for most passenger cars in America, pitched as a new way to pay for American roads and bridges that doesn’t depend on a tax on gasoline. The proposal had a lifespan of less than 24 hours — when his committee marked up its piece of the GOP megabill intended to fund President Donald Trump’s domestic priorities, it stripped out the provision. Yet it was still monumental in some ways. This signaled the first actual movement on a seemingly intractable issue from someone in a position to do something about fixing the structural deficit between revenues and spending in years, maybe even decades. The American Road and Transportation Builders Association praised Graves’ proposal, saying it would “begin an overdue conversation and bring fresh ideas to a problem that has been avoided for too long." Graves’ idea would have been the first meaningful change to the excise tax revenues that pay for federal transportation projects since Bill Clinton was president — and it would have marked a major move away from the political inaction on funding deficits that has been the cornerstone of the country's transportation policy for decades. Graves is among those who has long wanted to ditch the current scheme of taxing gasoline at the pump as a way to pay for infrastructure in favor of a fee that’s based on how many miles you drive . In an interview he confirmed that he intends for the fee to eventually replace the gas tax, which is no longer generating enough revenue to cover U.S. infrastructure needs. But implementing a new tax aimed at drivers is touching a political third rail in a car-loving nation. The Republican blowback was swift. “Like, are you out of your fricking mind? Like, the party of limited government is gonna go out and say we're gonna have [a car tax]?” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a staunch proponent of limited government. Graves promptly abandoned the proposal, but the congressman’s willingness to float it in the first place speaks to the current imperative of finding ways to pay for the Trump administration’s priorities. Trump’s ambitious domestic policy agenda — which includes making most of his 2017 tax cuts permanent and vastly increasing border security and mass deportation programs — costs a lot of money. And he and his allies must consider creative ways to make a dent in that price tag. Why is a conversation about how paying for federal transportation projects so hard? Because lawmakers have been incapable of raising the federal gasoline tax. It is simply a political non-starter, which is why it hasn’t been raised since 1993 – even in a world of rising materials costs and ever more efficient cars. Instead, Congress borrows money to cover the gap. Currently, gas tax revenues only cover about half of what’s spent on transportation-related infrastructure maintenance and improvement — meaning the party of small government has pulled back a proposal that would curb deficit spending on infrastructure, which amounts to about $275 billion since 2008. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at kwolfe@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @kathrynwolfe .   A message from The Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance: President Trump wants to put America First, but Big Pharma is putting America last. For too long, the pharmaceutical industry has ripped off American patients - charging them over 3x more than consumers in other wealthy countries, even for the exact same drugs. The time for reform is now.   What'd I Miss? ****SLASHING RESEARCH! SLASHING PERSONNEL! CLOSING OFFICES! SLASHING IRS SO WEALTHY TAX CHEATS ARE NO LONGER AUDITED! SLASHING HEALTH CARE! SLASHING FOOD PROGRAMS! OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING FOR ILLEGAL MASS DEPORTATIONS! SLASHING VETERANS CARE!  MASSIVE ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS! MAGA GOP WILL SIT ON THEIR HANDS WHILE THE BANKRUPTCY KING BANKRUPTS THE NATION! **** — Trump sends a scorched-earth budget plan. GOP lawmakers hate it already: President Donald Trump is seeking massive, unprecedented funding cuts across the federal government, unveiling a budget blueprint asking Congress to slash non-defense programs by more than $163 billion while keeping military funding flat . Already, Republicans in Congress are alarmed. The proposal released today pressures Republican lawmakers to cleave more than 20 percent from federal coffers Trump has already been freezing without their approval since Inauguration Day. Congress isn’t accustomed to cutting anywhere near what Trump is proposing, amplifying tension between the White House and congressional Republicans as GOP leadership works to fund the government before the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. ***MARCO RUBIO HAS ALREADY PROVEN HIMSELF INCOMPETENT IN A SINGLE POSITION!  — White House wants Rubio in powerful dual role long-term: Marco Rubio is expected to serve as both secretary of State and national security adviser for a minimum of six months, and a number of top advisers to President Donald Trump are interested in making the arrangement permanent , according to three senior White House officials. His dual role is seen as far more than a short-term solution. “It was not set up to be a stop-gap measure,” one of the officials said. THESE TRUMP LACKEYS ARE INCOMPETENT & JEOPARDIZE NATIONAL SECURITY!  On the day he was fired as National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz was using an Israeli app to archive Signal messages https://www.sott.net/article/499350-On-the-day-he-was-fired-as-National-Security-Advisor-Mike-Waltz-was-using-an-Israeli-app-to-archive-Signal-messages ****TRUMP INFLAMED HIS SUPPORTERS BASED ON LIES, JEOPARDIZED LIVES, CAPITOL WAS TRASHED WITH URINE & FECES, JAN 6 ATTEMPTED OVERTHROW OF DEMOCRACY THAT TRUMP WATCHED AS IT UNFOLDED & REFUSED TO STOP IT! TRUMP'S DISGRACE!**** — Trump administration reaches ‘settlement in principle’ with rioter shot by cop on Jan. 6: The Trump administration has reached a financial settlement “in principle” with the family of Ashli Babbitt , a member of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer guarding the House chamber. Justice Department attorneys and lawyers for the Babbitt family confirmed the agreement in court today, saying they hoped to iron out specific language and sign the settlement within the next 30 days. excerpt:  The impending payout to Babbitt’s family is likely to tear open lingering wounds on Capitol Hill, three months after President Donald Trump issued sweeping clemency to more than 1,000 people who stormed the Capitol. Babbitt was killed about 30 minutes after the mob entered the building. Three other Trump supporters died of natural causes amid the chaos and 140 police officers were wounded in the violence. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died after suffering a stroke the next day and several others died by suicide in the ensuing weeks and months. The settlement news comes as the Justice Department has also argued in favor of refunding restitution payments made by some rioters — funds meant to cover damage caused to the Capitol — and shortly after Trump himself floated the notion of payments to rioters. Meanwhile, members of Congress who fled the mob and several police officers injured during the attack are pursuing a lawsuit against Trump for his role in stoking the mob. ****KENTUCKY ANDY BESHEAR!*** — Beshear open to presidential run in 2028: Andy Beshear “would consider” running for president in 2028, he told a Louisville television station this week. The Kentucky governor is seen as a potential standout in what could become a crowded Democratic primary. His bona fides include winning statewide election three times in the ruby-red state. Beshear was also a finalist to serve as former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election. ****TRUMP'S WAR AGAINST FACTS & INFORMATION CONTINUES! THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INFORMATION IN AREAS WITH POOR MEDIA SOURCES (SUCH AS SINCLAIR OR FOX NEWS = FAKE NEWS LIARS), AS WELL AS LOWER INCOME FAMILIES THAT LACK CABLE OR INTERNET OR LIBRARY SOURCES!**** THIS IS WHAT FASCISTS DO! — Public media executives push back against Trump targeting NPR and PBS: Public media executives are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s late Thursday executive order seeking to strike federal funding for NPR and PBS , arguing it is unlawful. Trump’s Thursday order directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private nonprofit that Congress awards more than $500 million annually to fund public media, to “cancel existing direct funding to the maximum extent allowed by law” to NPR and PBS.   A message from The Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance:     AROUND THE WORLD TRUMP HAS UNITED THE WORLD AGAINST THE US!  IT'S TIME FOR DEMENTIA DON TO GO INTO A NURSING HOME! King Charles III holds an audience with the Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney at Buckingham Palace on March 17, 2025 in London, England. | Pool photo by Aaron Chown FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES — Canada is hitting back at President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions about making Canada the 51st state by calling on King Charles to personally deliver Canada’s throne speech on May 27. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday, said he asked the monarch to perform the ceremonial role, underscoring Canada’s sovereignty. “It’s a very clear message being sent to other countries around the world. And it’s an honor for us,” Carney said in French in his first press conference since the Liberals won a minority government in Canada’s federal election on Monday. The invitation to the monarch, who is Canada’s head of state, is a dramatic example of the country’s “elbows up” defiance of Trump’s repeated insults and annexation threats. ****INDIA & PAKISTAN!**** RISING TENSIONS — The European Union’s top diplomat asked her counterparts in India and Pakistan to deescalate Friday amid fears of a military conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations . “Rising tensions between India and Pakistan are alarming. I urge both sides to show restraint and pursue dialogue to ease the situation,” the EU’s High Representative Kaja Kallas said, adding she said as much to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The latest rift in the decades-old feud between India and Pakistan started on April 22, when Islamist militants massacred 26 people in Pahalgam, a well-known tourist destination in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan control parts of Kashmir, and both claim sovereignty over the entire region.   A message from The Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance: For too long, Big Pharma has cut Americans the world's worst deal on drug prices - charging U.S. patients over 3x more than other wealthy countries for the exact same drugs. It's no surprise more than half of Americans worry about affording their prescriptions. The time for reform is now.   Nightly Number 177,000 The number of jobs American employers added in April , beating economists’ expectations, as the job market showed resilience in the face of President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.2%, the Labor Department reported today.   POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2025 MILKEN GLOBAL CONFERENCE: From May 4–7, California Playbook will deliver exclusive, on-the-ground coverage from the 28th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference. Get behind-the-scenes buzz, standout moments, and insights from leaders in AI, finance, health, philanthropy, geopolitics, and more. Subscribe now for your front-row seat to the conversations shaping our world.     RADAR SWEEP MICS ON THE MOVE — Late-night talk shows used to be the premier stop for celebrities on press tours and the dream job for wannabe comics. But social media is giving a new generation of comedians the chance to reach fame and host their own show — all they need is a microphone and a bit. TikTok shows like Tiff Baira’s “Street Hearts” and Kareem Rahma’s “Subway Takes” are racking up millions of views because they’re short and original. More celebrities and politicians are joining as guests, and traditional late-night talk shows are following suit, producing more clippable segments for social media. As Rolling Stone’s CT Jones observes: “The stars of the future are mics on the move.”   Cut through policy complexity and turn intelligence into action with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant—a new suite of tools designed to save you time and demonstrate your impact more easily than ever—available only to Pro subscribers. Save hours, uncover critical insights instantly, and stay ahead of the next big shift. Power your strategy today— learn more .     Parting Image On this date in 1984: President Ronald Reagan gestures toward the crowd as Pope John Paul II stands by his side during a joint appearance at the airport in Fairbanks, Alaska. | Scott Stewart/AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   Follow us on X Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   Follow us

POLITICO 1000 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA, 22209, USA