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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Has the federal gas tax not increased since 1993?

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

By Mia Dillon

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YES

The federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon has not increased since 1993, resulting in a 57% drop in its power to fund transportation needs.

Federal fuel taxes since 1956 have been directed to the Highway Trust Fund, which was created to help pay for a new interstate highway system. The fund continues to support federal contributions to highway construction and repair. Inflation, along with the impact of increased vehicle fuel efficiency, results in “recurring funding shortfalls,” according to the Peter G. Petersen Foundation.

Federal contributions fund only about a quarter of total spending. States also raise money through fuel taxes, but at least 28 states haven't raised their rates in the last decade.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that even as nominal U.S. spending on infrastructure has risen 44% since 2003, spending after adjusting for inflation is down 9%.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Eno Center for Transportation: The gas tax versus inflation—Two measures

Peter G. Peterson Foundation: The Highway Trust Fund explained

National Conference of State Legislatures: Variable rate gas taxes

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy: How long has it been since your state raised its gas tax?

Congressional Budget Office: Reauthorizing federal highway programs—Issues and options

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.