Representative Earl Blumenauer, who represents Oregon in the US House of Representatives, introduced legislation in December 2013 that would require the government to study the most practical ways of taxing drivers on how far they drive. HR 3638 would set up a Road Usage Fee Pilot Program that would study mileage-based fee systems. He also brought forward a bill to increase the federal gas tax, which he views as a short-term solution as the gas tax has proven to be unsustainable. As an example he cited the fact that Congress has had to move more than $50 billion from the general treasury to the Highway Trust Fund, as the gas tax has not kept up with highway spending. This article goes on to provide details of how such a tax may work, as well as the evidence in support and in opposition to the idea.
