Evergreen Action Statement on Release of House Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill Text

Contact: Seth Nelson

Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released draft text of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill, the legislation that decides how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are spent on roads, transit, and other transportation infrastructure. The proposal imposes a new fee on electric vehicles (EVs) that starts at $130 and ramps up to $150, rolls back safety and transit programs, and doubles down on fiscally irresponsible, polluting highway expansion spending. It comes as gas prices have surged nationwide to an average of $4.51 since the start of Trump’s illegal war in Iran, deepening the affordability crisis already squeezing American families.

In response, Evergreen Action Federal Affairs Director Dani Hupper released the following statement:

“Families are already getting hammered by skyrocketing gas prices thanks to Trump’s illegal war in Iran, with no clear end in sight. For households watching their fuel costs climb week after week, switching to an electric vehicle could save them thousands a year on fuel and maintenance. But at the exact moment families most need a way out of gas price volatility, this proposal relies on too many misguided proposals from House Republicans, like a consumer tax on the vehicles that would protect them from it.

“Instead of investing in solutions that would offer more affordable commuting options and cut pollution, this bill does the opposite on both counts: deepening the affordability crisis while driving a nationwide surge in pollution. Its centerpiece is a new consumer tax on EVs that raises costs, increases climate emissions, and does nothing to meaningfully close the Highway Trust Fund shortfall. The proposal also underfunds public transit while pouring billions more into a costly highway expansion strategy that has worsened congestion, made our roads more dangerous, and crowded out investment in cleaner, lower-cost alternatives. 

“Worst of all, the EV fee is yet another gift to Big Oil—a provision that might as well have been written by fossil fuel lobbyists themselves. Republicans are so beholden to their donors that they would rather lock American families into volatile gas prices than let them choose cleaner, cheaper-to-operate cars. We urge Congress to strip the EV fee from this bill and instead build a transportation system that is cleaner, safer, and more affordable for the American people.” 

Earlier this year, Evergreen Action published “Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Four Key Risks and Opportunities for Sustainable Transportation,” which modeled the climate and consumer impacts of various Republican EV fee proposals. You can read the full analysis here and a blog summarizing the findings here.

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