A bipartisan coalition introduced a transportation bill on Tuesday that would levy a $130 annual fine on electric vehicle owners to compensate the federal government for the gasoline they stubbornly refuse to burn.
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers introduced a transportation bill on Tuesday that would levy a $130 annual penalty on electric vehicle owners to compensate the federal government for the gasoline they stubbornly refuse to burn.
The proposed legislation, advanced by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, seeks to close a growing loophole in which millions of motorists have legally evaded the federal gas tax by entirely eliminating their tailpipe emissions. Under the new regulatory framework, the Treasury Department will systematically fine drivers who fail to report to a gas station, ensuring that the financial burden of highway maintenance remains firmly tied to carbon output.
Proponents of the measure argue that the $130 levy is desperately needed to maintain the Highway Trust Fund, which has traditionally relied on the uninterrupted combustion of fossil fuels to patch potholes in a nation currently experiencing unprecedented, climate-driven infrastructure collapse.
According to a 400-page draft circulated among committee members, the flat fee was calculated to match the exact amount of revenue the government loses when a citizen decides not to contribute to the slow warming of the Earth's atmosphere.
For decades, the American highway system has been funded by the reliable combustion of petroleum, and we cannot allow a rogue faction of battery-powered motorists to simply opt out of this arrangement.
Aides familiar with the drafting process confirmed the bill also includes a provision granting the Internal Revenue Service new authority to audit driveways for the presence of internal combustion engines. Lawmakers from both parties praised the legislation as a rare moment of unity, noting in a joint press release that punishing citizens for adopting the exact green technologies subsidized by the federal government just two years ago represents a vital step toward long-term fiscal stability.