Is the cost of your gasoline about to rise? Washington looks ready to talk about a tax hike

The Trump administration and congressional Democrats have found something they agree on — and it could mean higher taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel.

Last week, President Donald Trump’s energy secretary, Elaine Chao, told senators that a gas tax hike was on the table when asked whether the White House would support such a move.


And this week, Democrats are indicating that they too are ready to consider a tax increase — an effort that would fund publicly popular infrastructure improvements but has hit a hard wall of opposition for years from fiscal conservatives and advocates for low-income people alike.


“I don’t think it should be off the table,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told McClatchy when asked about the prospect of the increase. The caucus has taken no formal position.


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