Pres. Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure includes a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax that will charge American car owners for every mile driven.
The massive $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill was passed by the U.S. Senate in a Tuesday morning vote. It will go on to the House or Representatives for a final vote.
The bill includes $125 million for states and local governments to come up with a working pilot program to charge drivers for every mile driven.
Both everyday drivers and commercial freight drivers from all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico will have to enroll in the program.
All cars, SUVs and trucks will be fitted with a device to track every mile driven and report the data to state and local entities.
Mileage to be taxed includes driving to and from work, vacation trips by car, and trucks delivering food to grocery stores.
The added tax on freight drivers is expected to drive up the price of food and other retail goods.
Electric car drivers will also pay the VMT tax.
The VMT tax is the brainchild of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg who will award grants to private entities “to carry out pilot projects” to collect the VMT tax from drivers.
The news was met with a mix of anger and frustration on social media and website forums.
One Dailymail.com user wrote:
“This will hit the working poor and middle class the hardest. Very unfair. Of course [Buttigieg] is in favor of sticking it to the average person.”
Another commenter wrote:
“Are these evil politicians going to be charged by the mile, as they are chauffeured around in their limos and jetting around the globe!”
A third user wrote:
“If you are rich and own an electric vehicle, then you are just trading the gas tax for the mileage tax. But if your middle class or poor, then you will pay BOTH the gas and mileage tax. Way to go Democrats! Your screwing the poor and not the rich. PAR FOR THE COURSE.”
