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Senator Mike Lee has proposed an amendment to H.R.5021, The Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, that is expected to come to a vote next week. Americans for Tax Reform and the Cost of Government Center urge the Senate to support this amendment:

Senator Lee’s amendment, the Transportation Empowerment Act, provides a long term solution to the struggling Highway Trust Fund by returning the fiscal responsibility and authority for transportation spending back to the state level. The amendment involves reducing the federal gas tax and allowing states to keep the revenue that would normally be funneled into the federal Highway Trust Fund to use on projects that these individual state governments deem necessary.

The current system allows taxpayer dollars to be wasted as funds that run through Washington are ultimately diverted to the pet projects and special interests of politicians. The extra layer of bureaucracy that comes from putting Washington in control siphons off resources that should be used for infrastructure. By giving more authority back to the states, the money can be better spent on pertinent transportation needs.

Senator Lee’s amendment would empower states to be stewards of their own highway dollars and allow them to prioritize and authorize projects that will most benefit their citizens. We urge all members of the United States Senate to vote YES on the Lee Amendment to the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014.

To read the full alert, click HERE