Sen. Bernie Moreno Had the Perfect Response to CNN Host's Questions About Trump's...
Pentagon Watchdog Launches 'Signalgate' Investigation Into Pete Hegseth
United Kingdom Weighs Striking Back Against US Tariffs, and It's Asking Businesses for...
A Quick History of American Tariffs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
'Designed for Battle' Isn't a Valid Argument for Gun Control
Have They Even Read the Second Amendment?
Kamala Harris Did More Than Just Endorse New WI Supreme Court Justice
Trump Weighs In on Proxy Voting Proposal, and It Looks Like There May...
Bernie Sanders Once More Tries, Fails Miserably to Get His Anti-Israel Resolutions Passed
Is AOC Really the Democratic Party's Leader? Here's What These Polls Say.
Senate Votes on Confirming Dr. Oz for Role in Trump Administration
We Will Hold Rogue Judges Accountable, Rep. Gill Says
Will the Liberal Media Cover This Horrific Crime Story?
Surprise: The 'Pro-Palestinian' Mob Has Nothing to Say About Hamas Murdering Palestinians
Pro-Hamas Mob Hits New Low With Latest Attack on Fetterman
OPINION

Highway Bill: The Unmentionable Option

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

In an article about federal highway legislation yesterday, the Washington Post illustrated the art of advocacy journalism cloaked as news reporting. The article explored different options for raising federal taxes $100 billion to fund state highways. It quotes three transportation lobbyists and included scare lines about the supposed consequences of not raising taxes (“… hundreds of thousands of construction jobs put at risk…”).

The article does not mention that spending cuts are an option for the upcoming highway bill. Everyone agrees that there is a large gap in the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), but gaps can be closed either by tax hikes or spending cuts. Yet the “transportation advocates” the Post talked to agreed, “until there is consensus on finding more money, transportation may be doomed to limp along in perpetual crisis.”

Nonsense. As I testified here, federal spending cuts would balance the HTF and solve the crisis, while spurring greater efficiency and innovation in U.S. transportation as the states played a larger role. The Post did not bother to explore that option, despite support from conservatives in Congress, prominent think tanks, and independent transportation experts.

In the election, Congress swung decidedly in a small-government direction, but the Post’s reporting did not reflect that reality, and instead presented only the lobbyist point of view. The Post’s silence on the spending-cut option is all the more striking because the newspaper admits that it would be very difficult to raise transportation taxes due to political and public opposition.

It will be interesting to see how Congress closes the HTF gap before the May expiration of the current highway bill. I hope that we have a robust debate on all the options and that the Washington Post changes course and presents its readers with a more balanced perspective.

Advertisement

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement