Ed Royce: “in 1992, when he was running for President, President Bill Clinton promised he would not raise Federal gasoline taxes.…”

“in 1992, when he was running for President, President Bill Clinton promised he would not raise Federal gasoline taxes. But just 1 year after he was elected, in August 1993, he pushed through the Congress a budget proposal with over $265 billion in tax increases, including a 4.3 cents per gallon hike in the Federal gas tax. At the time the President assured his colleagues that the 1993 tax increase would only affect the rich. In reality the gas tax increase has had a significant day-to-day impact on American families, especially those who are middle and lower income. These are the folks that are feeling the pinch at the pump, not the rich. To add insult to injury, none of the 1993 increase goes toward improving our Nation's roads, bridges or highways, which would be of some benefit to the user. This is a perfect case study of how the philosophy of redistribution of income can backfire. The painful increase in the price at the pump gives us an excellent opportunity to repeal the tax that never should have been imposed, while at the same time helping taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money.”