Clinton to Support Gas Tax Holiday

By: Fernando Suarez
Topics: Hillary Clinton

(CBS)

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

GREENSBORO, N.C. – As the summer travel season approaches, Hillary Clinton will focus on rising gas prices during her campaign stops in North Carolina today. She is expected to draw contrasts with her opponent, Barack Obama, for not supporting a gas-tax holiday, a plan that would shelve gas taxes between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

While the program has received support from travelers as they watch gas prices edge closer to an average of $3.50 a gallon, the gas-tax holiday has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans who say ditching the tax would be fiscally irresponsible. Clinton supports a revenue-neutral gas-tax holiday, which she says can be made possible by paying for the program using money from a windfall profits tax on oil companies.

The gas-tax holiday was first offered by John McCain, and would temporarily suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax between May and September. Clinton argues her plan would not cost the federal government any money, while McCain has not yet explained how he will pay for his plan. She says McCain's plan would drain the Transportation Trust Fund, which is used to repair and maintain roads.

Obama called the gas-tax holiday "one of John McCain's latest schemes," arguing that it would only save drivers $25 and hurt the Transportation Trust Fund. "The truth of the matter is the only way we're gonna lower gas prices over the long term is if we start using less oil," Obama said. "The only way we do that is to increase fuel efficiency standards on cars and invest in new technologies."

Clinton will spend the day campaigning and fundraising throughout North Carolina today as the state gears up for its May 6th primary. She faces an uphill battle here, trailing in the polls to Obama by double digits.

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by swuzy April 28, 2008 6:02 PM EDT: Hillary''s Secrets As Told By Her Watergate Boss
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HILLARY''S WATERGATE BOSS IS ALL FIRED UP ABOUT HILLARY.
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Hillary Clinton''s supervisor in the Watergate investigation, Jerry Zeifman, is a lifelong democrat and has been the general counsel and chief of staff of the House Judiciary Committee. He gets all choked up about Hillary.
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Hillary kicks butts. Jerry Zeifman says that Hillary developed and honed her unique political infighting skills while working on the Watergate investigation; and that she is well practiced and well versed at the outset in the art of political war.
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He shares previously unknown secrets unique to Hillary''s tenacious fighting character and campaign tactics at the websites below.
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http://www.jzeifman.com/
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60962
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/hillarys-crocodile-tears-in-connecticut
http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=220954&Disp=176
http://voicesweb.org/?q=node/1445
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No wonder she believes that she is fully qualified to be President on Day One.
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Per fionachristine at http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080402115731AA7rLkp; Reply to this comment


by mbmccarthy1 April 28, 2008 1:29 PM EDT: Listen Middle Class America. Let''s stop these bandaid solutions ! Hasn''t your wallet seen enough of these little paychecks back from the Government? $150 here, possible $25 there. All I know is I get stung every which way I turn. Increase here, AMT (bunch of whooie there). Lets stop this junk and take back our Government from Republican and Democrate fools. We need a solution and that is reducing oil use. The technology exists to get all vehicles to 50 miles per gallon TODAY. Do not let anyone say otherwise. Also, If we can run nuclear warships for 40 years, we truly can make small plants work across the country and cut oil use dramatically. I would rather plug my car into my home socket to recharge than line any more pockets of oil Barrons. Imagine, a holiday gas tax!! How about a holiday from thinking, we the middle class (who pay for everything) are stupid!!!; Reply to this comment


by dewardbowles April 28, 2008 12:56 PM EDT: The gas tax holiday is a particularly ridiculous idea.

Suspending the federal 18.4-cent-per-gallon tax would save the average motorist about $28. But the plan would cost the government $9 billion in lost highway funds and put at risk an estimated 300,000 jobs tied to the funding, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
This at a time when the Highway Trust Fund, which bankrolls local and state road and bridge projects, is already facing a $3.4 billion deficit.

To make up the shortfall you could "borrow" from the general fund but doing that would just add to the federal deficit.; Reply to this comment


by DCropp April 28, 2008 12:39 PM EDT: Hillary, I''m very disappointed that you would claim to care about Americans health, but favor giving up money that is needed to repair bridges that are crumbling.

Minnesota has had a bridge collapse and it cost lives.
In my state of Wisconsin, we have also had bridge problems.
California has had problems.

Hillary, you need to decide if you care about lives or not. Stop flip flopping.; Reply to this comment