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“No, that’s not part of the conversation about that infrastructure bill,” Buttigieg told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” when asked if a mileage tax, which people would charge based on the number of miles they cover would be a factor in paying for the plan.
The absence of the two taxes to fund the infrastructure proposal marks a departure from Buttigieg’s comments on Friday, when he indicated in an interview with CNBC that both ideas could be on the table.
“I think it shows a lot of promise,” Buttigieg said of the kilometer tax. “If we believe in what’s called the user pay principle, the idea that part of how we pay for roads is that you pay for how much you drive.”
He continued, “The gasoline tax was the most obvious way to do it – it’s not anymore, so a so-called vehicle-kilometers-driven tax or mileage tax, no matter how you. want to call it, could be a way to do it.
Buttigieg said of the gasoline tax on Friday that “if there is a way to do it that doesn’t increase the burden on the middle class, we can look at it, but if we do, we have to recognize that this still will not be the long term answer. “
Biden will detail the infrastructure and climate side of the proposal in Pittsburgh – where he launched his presidential campaign in 2019 – and focus on repairing the country’s physical infrastructure while pushing for significant investments in climate infrastructure and climate change. research and development.
In conjunction with a second proposal focusing on the so-called ‘economics of care’ with a focus on key national economic issues, the plan marks a step forward towards the implementation of key elements of the program for the job that Biden presented largely during his campaign for president.
Biden’s proposal will mark the first step in what are expected to be lengthy negotiations with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where Democrats have been working on their own versions of several key elements of the proposal and are also in the process of drafting revenue streams. potential to pay. part or all of the plan, say the assistants.
Buttigieg quoted encouraging conversations with Democrats and Republicans in Congress on Monday as noting “a tremendous opportunity now to have bipartisan support for a broad and bold vision for infrastructure.”
“I hope we can work in good faith with people on the other side of Congress to get votes there,” said Buttigieg, when asked about the possibility that Biden’s first two major initiatives, the Covid relief, and now the infrastructure proposal, do not garner any Republican support.
“At the end of the day, it’s up to them to decide if they’re going to support something,” he continued. “But we’re going to work with them to try to shape it in a way that we gain as much support as possible.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Phil Mattingly and Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
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