U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue called Thursday for Congress and President Trump to enact a major infrastructure bill this year, a goal that would face resistance from some Republicans.
“We are calling on our leaders to pass a significant infrastructure package this year,” Donohue said during his annual state of American business speech.
Donohue said that the Chamber will push for an increase in the gas tax in order to pay for new building and transit projects and that the group believes Congress would have the votes to pass legislation to that effect.
“Not only would it have 218 votes, it would have 218 bipartisan votes,” said Neil Bradley, the Chamber’s chief policy officer, during a press conference following the speech. Bradley also expressed optimism that the funding mechanism could pass the Senate. The Chamber favors raising the gas tax and also indexing it to inflation.
Conservative activists, particularly low tax advocates, would oppose the push, setting up the potential for an unusual intraparty legislative battle between Republicans.
“The president agreed with increasing the gas tax,” said Donohue, adding, “We can do roads, bridges, and light transit with an increase in the gas tax.”
Donohue also said the chamber would be open to other funding ideas and said the business advocacy association would give cash prizes for other ideas it thought could work.
But the chamber CEO added, “We haven’t heard too many other ideas since last year.”
Donohue also said that increasing the workforce, in part through immigration reform, would be imperative so that there would be enough workers to build new projects.
Even if an infrastructure funding and permitting reform package passed right now, Donohue said, “We couldn’t do it because we don’t have the workers.”
