U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on May 13 proposed a comprehensive bill that would eliminate certain fuel excise taxes and impose a tax on greenhouse gas emissions to provide revenue for maintaining and building American infrastructure.
The congressman sponsored the bipartisan Modernizing America with Rebuilding to Kickstart the Economy of the Twenty-first Century with a Historic Infrastructure-Centered Expansion Act, H.R. 3338 — also known as the MARKET CHOICE Act — alongside bill cosponsor U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA). The legislation would put market forces to work to cut emissions, modernize national infrastructure, and secure America’s economic and environmental future.
“The MARKET CHOICE Act is a fiscally responsible, pro-growth solution to two of our most urgent challenges: rebuilding our infrastructure and addressing climate change,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “By empowering the private sector, reducing harmful emissions, and replacing an outdated gas tax with a smarter, more sustainable model, this bill will generate long-term investments in American infrastructure while promoting energy innovation, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship.”
If enacted, H.R. 3338 would eliminate federal gas and diesel taxes and replace them with a steadily rising fee on greenhouse gas emissions to ensure that polluters, not taxpayers, bear the cost, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
The revenue would be deposited into a new Rebuilding Infrastructure and Solutions for the Environment (RISE) Trust Fund to support investments in clean infrastructure, transportation, energy innovation, and climate resilience.
The revenue also would be used to establish a bipartisan National Climate Commission to track progress, ensure transparency, and guide policy using science and data, the summary says.
“The climate crisis requires innovative, all-hands-on-deck solutions,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m proud to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in reintroducing this bipartisan legislation that will work to cut air pollution while creating new economic opportunities for the Central Coast and beyond.”
H.R. 3338 has garnered support from the Environmental Defense Fund, Americans for Carbon Dividends, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, The Nature Conservancy, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), the World Resources Institute, Niskanen, among others.