Rep. Peter DeFazio

A plaque displaying the name of Re. Peter A. DeFazio, senate representative for the state of Oregon.

Peter De Fazio, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to Retire

The end of an era for Oregon in Congress.

December 6, 2021 - The Oregonian

Capitol Hill

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Heads to the House: Details and Reactions From the Planning World

Planetizen gathered explainer posts and advocacy responses that continue to shine a light on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, approved by the U.S. Senate earlier this month.

August 17, 2021 - James Brasuell

Freeway Construction

House Democrats Approve $1.5 Trillion 'Moving Forward Act'

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the Moving Forward Act vote "pointless political theater."

July 2, 2020 - The Washington Post

The Seat of Government

Transportation Bill Clears House Committee

A five-year transportation bill has advanced in the House, but it has a long way to go before Americans should expect to see a final federal transportation policy emerge from Congress.

June 24, 2020 - The Washington Post

Student activists with the Sunrise Movement occupy Nancy Pelosi's office

Democrats Reveal a $760 Billion Transportation Framework

Congressional Democrats hope transportation infrastructure can be a winning political point during a campaign year following the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

January 30, 2020 - The Hill

Capitol

Transportation Priorities of the New Democratic Leadership in the House

With Democrats rising to power in the U.S. House of Representatives and the government recently reopened (temporarily at least), it's time to plot the legislative ambitions of the coming session in Congress.

January 30, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Capitol Hill

House Democrats Prepared to Work with Trump Administration on Infrastructure

The incoming chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), points to gubernatorial races and a California ballot initiative to show there's no peril for legislators to hike the gas tax.

November 29, 2018 - Marketwatch

Trump

Trump's 25-Cent Infrastructure Tax?

During a closed-door meeting Wednesday with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, President Trump endorsed hiking the gas tax by 25-cents per gallon to help pay for the $200 billion investment and restore solvency to the Highway Trust Fund.

February 18, 2018 - Politico

Car Culture

Critics Blast Trump's Infrastructure Plan

Opposition mobilized quickly after the Trump Administration released its long-awaited infrastructure plan. There's even a hashtag.

February 13, 2018 - James Brasuell

President Trump's Other Infrastructure Plan—Defunding Grant Programs

The showman captured America's attention with a promise to "make America great again" with a $1 trillion infrastructure plan. Receiving scant attention are the infrastructure grant programs he'll cut in order to fund massive defense spending.

March 16, 2017 - The Hill

House Transportation Committee to Explore Sustainable Funding Options

Federal transportation leaders recognize that sustainable transportation funding options are needed to meet America's infrastructure needs. At AASHTO's Annual Washington Briefing, different funding strategies were proposed by key Congress members.

March 1, 2016 - AASHTO Journal

Federal Funding Authorized for States to Test Gas Tax Alternatives

The five-year transportation reauthorization known as the FAST Act relies on $70 billion of one-time, non-user fees to fund the $302 billion bill. The act also allows the government to fund the development of sustainable funding options by states.

January 10, 2016 - The Hill

House Passes Six-Year Transportation Reauthorization Bill

The House of Representatives plowed through about 270 amendments this week, with floor votes on nearly 130 of them, before passing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act) with funding for three years.

November 6, 2015 - The Hill

6-year Transportation Reauthorization Passes Committee; 3-Week Extension Introduced

The bipartisan, $325 billion STRR Act unanimously passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Oct. 22. A three-week transportation funding extension bill was also introduced, as the Highway Trust Fund expires on Oct. 29.

October 25, 2015 - The Hill

House Passes Two-Month Transportation Funding Patch; Senate Likely to Follow

The House voted 387-35 on Tuesday to extend transportation funding for two months—using the remaining funds in the Highway Trust Fund.

May 22, 2015 - Politico Morning Transportation

Will This Bipartisan House Bill to Index the Gas Tax Succeed?

The Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Act is taken seriously in Congress. With 17 bipartisan co-sponsors, it would index the gas tax to inflation, thus increasing the Highway Trust Fund revenue and bridging to a sustainable revenue source.

April 21, 2015 - The Hill

Key Senate Republican Opens Door to Gas Tax Increase

Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), current ranking member and incoming chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation surprised the media when he announced on a Sunday morning talk show that a gas tax increase is possible.

January 5, 2015 - National Monitor

Campaign 2014: Rolling Back Gas Tax Indexing

Massachusetts voters will decide on Question 1 on Tuesday—an initiative petition to eliminate the automatic, annual indexing of its 26.5-cent gasoline excise tax to inflation, implemented with a three-cent gas tax increase last year.

November 2, 2014 - T4America Blog

Governors Blame Congress for Failure to Sustain Highway Trust Fund

Bipartisan governors faulted Congress for failing to find long-term funds for the Highway Trust Fund, but how do their state records match their rhetoric aimed at raising federal gas taxes? Planetizen looks at some of the governors cited in the WSJ.

July 15, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Who Should Pay for Highways: Motorists or Oil Companies?

A new transportation funding option proposed by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) would repeal the 18.4-cent gas tax, unchanged since 1993, with a "small" tax levied against oil companies on each barrel of oil used to make gasoline.

June 16, 2014 - The Oregonian

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