NATSO, the trade association representing the nation’s truckstops and travel plazas, issued the following statement in response to the draft infrastructure proposal put forth by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The statement can be attributed to Lisa Mullings, President and CEO of NATSO.

“For too long, Congress has been unable to muster the political will necessary to invest in the nation’s highways and bridges. We hope that Chairman Shuster’s Discussion Draft, which takes into consideration both the immediate and long-term need to boost infrastructure revenues and shore up the Highway Trust Fund, rekindles the important discussion that began in earnest earlier this year but fizzled in recent months.

We are pleased that Congressman Shuster has proposed to raise the gasoline and diesel motor fuels taxes, which have stagnated for more than two decades while construction costs and motor vehicle fuel efficiency have continued to climb. NATSO, along with many in the transportation community, have long argued that increasing the gasoline and diesel motor fuels taxes are a key part of any infrastructure funding solution.

We also applaud Chairman Shuster for recognizing that tolling existing interstates and commercial rest areas are not viable solutions to financing infrastructure and meeting revenue needs.

NATSO looks forward to continuing this dialogue and welcomes the opportunity to work with Congress to advance infrastructure funding solutions that inevitably stand to ensure the nation’s economic prosperity.”