ICYMI: Sen. Cramer Op-Ed: The Highway Trust Fund drives our economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - For over 25 years, expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund have exceeded its revenues. In 2024, there were $57 billion in expenditures, but only $43 billion in incoming revenues. Over the last 15 years, Congress has transferred money from the Treasury General Fund - to the tune of $275 billion - while punting on the source of the problem. Offloading the burden on all taxpayers in the form of federal debt - rather than sticking with the "user pays" model Eisenhower envisioned - is not a solution.

As Congress prepares to debate and negotiate the surface transportation reauthorization, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) penned an op-ed in The Washington Times to suggest a solution to the Highway Trust Fund shortfall.

The Highway Trust Fund Drives Our Economy

The Washington Times - March 26, 2026

Whether North Dakotans are delivering crops to the local elevator or loading the family into a minivan for a road trip, well-maintained roads are essential. At the center of it all is the National Highway System (NHS), the network which moves people and freight across the nation.

Highways are the heartbeat of interstate commerce, a constitutional duty of the federal government. More goods are transported by truck than by rail, air, water and pipelines combined. Our economy is driven by the free flow of goods across our patchwork of roads and highways.

However, the Highway Trust Fund faces a structural funding shortfall, threatening the long-term ability of states to maintain and modernize transportation infrastructure. When President Dwight Eisenhower established the interstate system in the 1950s, the Highway Trust Fund was a "pay as you go" model where users of the road system paid for its maintenance and construction through taxes on gasoline, diesel and tires.

As a result, the fund is based on the deceptively simple principle of "user pays." Since 1993, Americans have contributed 18.3 cents to the Highway Trust Fund for every single gallon of gasoline. As cars have become more efficient or drivers switch to hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs), the result is fewer dollars flowing to the fund all while road use is increasing. More users and less revenue is not sustainable.

For over 25 years, expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund have exceeded its revenues. In 2024, there were $57 billion in expenditures, but only $43 billion in incoming revenues. Over the last 15 years, Congress has transferred money from the Treasury General Fund - to the tune of $275 billion - while punting on the source of the problem. Offloading the burden on all taxpayers in the form of federal debt - rather than sticking with the "user pays" model Eisenhower envisioned - is not a solution.

How do we stay true to "user pays" and ensure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund?

First, all highway vehicles should contribute. If they drive on it, they pay for it. According to the Argonne National Laboratory, Americans purchased approximately 1.2 million battery electric vehicles in 2024 alone, the vast majority of which were in California. In plain terms, a Fargo mom taking her kids to hockey practice in a Suburban is paying into the highway system while coastal elites who can afford EVs are getting a free ride from the federal government down Sunset Boulevard. The disparity is real.

One widely discussed solution is a federal registration fee for EVs dedicated to the Highway Trust Fund. In fact, 39 states have already implemented registration fees for EVs, recognizing these vehicles use the system but do not contribute through gas taxes. At a minimum, this framework would reduce the Highway Trust Fund shortfall and ensure EVs pay their fair share. A $200 annual fee, for each of the 5.7 million EVs in the nation could add over $1.14 billion to the fund every year.

But I think we can - and should - consider broader policy solutions.

While some suggest a per-mile fee, tracking mileage is fraught with practicality and privacy concerns. One option could be supplementing or replacing the gas tax with an annual registration fee based on weight. Every vehicle in America, from pickup trucks to EVs to hybrid sedans, pays a fee straight to the Highway Trust Fund based on its weight.

Doing nothing is not an option.

We have become way too familiar with robbing Peter to pay Paul in Washington, and it's time to put Highway Trust Fund bailouts in the rearview mirror.

As we debate, negotiate and pass a surface transportation reauthorization this year, I am hopeful my colleagues and I can correct course and stabilize the fund.

Our ability to repair, update, and build out new roads depends on a sustainable "user pays" system.

The American economy is built on the durability of our infrastructure and investments across the NHS is a necessity.