Thomas Daschle: “I find the selective memory very intriguing, and I certainly appreciate the good words by so many of our colleagues…”

“I find the selective memory very intriguing, and I certainly appreciate the good words by so many of our colleagues about the impact that the 4-cent gasoline tax has had. What I am surprised at is that they have chosen not to also direct some of their concern and attention to the dime's worth of increases in gas taxes in the 1980's and early 1990's--increases that most of them supported. We raised the tax in 1982 by 5 cents and again in 1991 by an additional 5 cents. As I understand it, almost every single Republican supported those two increases--a dime. In fact, our distinguished majority leader was one of those who supported the increase in gasoline taxes of 10 cents. We like to refer to that 10-cent increase as the ``Dole dime'' because, in effect, that is what has been the result of the gasoline tax policy over the last 15 years. Mr. President, a 10-cent increase was supported by virtually every single Republican in 1982 and again in 1991.”