Top Democrat and tight Obama ally pushes for new transportation bill by mid-2010

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and President Barack Obama see eye to eye on a lot of issues. However, when it comes to transportation funding, Durbin is looking the other way. The No. 2 Democratic leader in the Senate is pushing for a long-term highway bill to be passed by the early part of 2010, essentially rejecting the White House’s 18-month funding solution.

Durbin, speaking at the Tri-State Development Summit on Monday, also stressed the possibility of increasing the federal gas tax to try to finance a new six-year measure.

“We have to pay for it, and paying for it may mean an increase in the federal gas tax,” he said. “Nobody wants to say those words. I’ve said them to you because unless we are honest about this, we are not going to see an [adequate] federal highway bill.”

Durban said business, labor and community leaders must come together to support an increase in the federal gas tax.

Increasing what motorists pay at the pump, however, may not be the sole answer. According to a study conducted by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, a 10-cent increase coupled with indexing the tax to inflation would only raise $90.5 billion over five years. The bill currently circulating the House calls for $500 billion over six years.