{"id":2620566,"date":"2026-06-28T14:46:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-swamps-got-another-bright-idea-and-it-could-end-up-hosing-every-american-who-drives\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T14:50:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T18:50:42","slug":"the-swamps-got-another-bright-idea-and-it-could-end-up-hosing-every-american-who-drives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-swamps-got-another-bright-idea-and-it-could-end-up-hosing-every-american-who-drives\/","title":{"rendered":"The Swamp&#8217;s Got Another Bright Idea, and It Could End Up Hosing Every American Who Drives"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-swamps-got-another-bright-idea-and-it-could-end-up-hosing-every-american-who-drives%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2620566&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The content discusses the multiple taxes and fees Americans pay for vehicle ownership, including sales taxes, gas taxes, tolls, insurance, registration, inspection, and property taxes.It highlights proposed legislation at the federal level that seeks to introduce an annual vehicle registration fee, initially targeting electric and hybrid vehicles, with potential for expansion to all vehicles. The article criticizes this move, comparing it to historical resistance against recurring car taxes like Virginia\u2019s personal property tax, which was eventually phased out due to public opposition. It argues that taxing ownership rather than usage undermines fairness, especially since EV drivers already contribute less in fuel taxes and are incentivized through government subsidies. The piece advocates for limiting government spending instead of introducing new taxes and emphasizes that a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >sustainable infrastructure funding strategy<\/a> should rely on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/november-to-remember-what-to-know-about-texass-2023-ballot-measures\/\" title=\"Texas&#039;s 2023 ballot measures: November&#039;s must-knows.\">existing revenue streams<\/a>. The authors warn that creating a federal vehicle tax risks future overreach and additional burdens,advocating for policymakers to reconsider before imposing such fees.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Americans already pay plenty to own a car. They pay sales taxes when they buy one. They pay gas taxes every time they fill up. They pay tolls, insurance premiums, registration fees, inspection fees, and in <a href=\"https:\/\/legalclarity.org\/what-states-dont-have-personal-property-tax-on-vehicles\/\">many states<\/a>, yearly property taxes simply for the privilege of owning a vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Now Congress wants to add another bill to the pile: a new federal annual vehicle registration fee.<\/p>\n<p>Some in Congress are calling it an \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/IF13064\">EV fee<\/a>\u201d aimed at electric and hybrid vehicles. Americans should not assume it will stop there.<\/p>\n<p>We have seen this movie before.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pilotonline.com\/1997\/11\/05\/republican-win-result-of-hated-car-tax\/\">1997<\/a>, Virginians revolted against one of America\u2019s most despised taxes: the local personal property tax on cars. Families bought a vehicle, then got taxed on it every year. The tax became a symbol of everything people disliked about many such taxes: recurring, unavoidable, and disconnected from ability to pay.<\/p>\n<p>One of us, Jim Gilmore, ran for governor promising to phase it out. Political experts dismissed the idea. Editorial boards mocked it. The establishment insisted repeal was impossible.<\/p>\n<p>The voters disagreed.<\/p>\n<p>Virginians understood something politicians often forget: a car is not a luxury for most Americans. It is how people get to work, take their children to school, and manage daily life. Taxing mobility is taxing opportunity itself.<\/p>\n<p>After taking office, Gov. Gilmore signed legislation beginning the phaseout of Virginia\u2019s car tax. The effort proved enormously popular. During the 2001 economic downturn, however, the state legislature paused the phaseout and imposed a dishonest formula that permanently capped the relief in dollar terms.<\/p>\n<p>With that cap in place, the car tax was gradually reimposed. When Governor Gilmore left office, 70 percent of the car tax had been eliminated. Today it\u2019s only 42 percent.<\/p>\n<p>The lesson remains clear: once government becomes dependent on recurring vehicle taxes, they are extraordinarily difficult to unwind.<\/p>\n<p>Congress should take note.<\/p>\n<p>The current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us-house-lawmakers-propose-130-annual-ev-fee-pay-road-repairs-2026-05-18\/\">proposal<\/a> would impose a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/clean-energy-groups-fossil-fuel-advocates-react-to-beautiful-bill-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Clean energy groups, fossil fuel advocates react to &#039;beautiful bill&#039; - Washington Examiner\">annual federal registration fee<\/a> on electric and hybrid vehicles, while effectively turning state DMVs into federal tax collection agents.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters argue this is about \u201cfairness,\u201d since EV drivers pay less in gasoline taxes. That argument does not hold up.<\/p>\n<p>Gasoline taxes are tied to usage: the more you drive, the more you pay. A flat annual EV fee breaks that link and replaces it with a tax on ownership rather than use. The proposal would begin at roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us-house-lawmakers-propose-130-annual-ev-fee-pay-road-repairs-2026-05-18\/\">$130 per year<\/a> \u2014 well above the average <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/cars\/news\/2026\/05\/18\/ev-driver-fee-proposed-us-congress\/90141085007\/\">$73 to $89<\/a> in federal gas taxes paid by many gasoline vehicle owners \u2014 and would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us-house-lawmakers-propose-130-annual-ev-fee-pay-road-repairs-2026-05-18\/\">rise over time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.klt.org\/2025\/01\/17\/states-fees-for-electric-and-hybrid-vehicles\/\">41 states<\/a> already impose additional EV registration fees, some exceeding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.njcar.org\/latest-news\/dealerships-must-start-collecting-the-new-ev-registration-fee-tomorrow\/\">$250 annually<\/a>. New Jersey, for example, currently charges $260 and plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.njcar.org\/latest-news\/dealerships-must-start-collecting-the-new-ev-registration-fee-tomorrow\/\">increase<\/a> it further. A federal fee would layer another charge onto an already expanding system.<\/p>\n<p>Once Washington creates a federal vehicle tax, it will almost certainly expand it.<\/p>\n<p>Today it applies to EVs. Tomorrow it will apply to every vehicle. And unlike gas taxes, which rise and fall with use, this fee is scheduled to grow over time.<\/p>\n<p>There is also a contradiction. For years, federal and state governments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/house-plan-calls-for-annual-fees-of-250-for-evs-100-for-hybrids-while-ending-7-500-ev-tax-credit-481ec663\">subsidized<\/a> electric vehicles through tax credits and incentives. Policymakers encouraged adoption and praised EVs as the future of transportation.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, they imposed fuel efficiency standards that reduced gasoline consumption \u2014 and with it, gas tax revenue. Now those revenue losses are cited as justification for new taxes on the very vehicles policy encouraged Americans to buy.<\/p>\n<p>Americans have reason to be frustrated when government subsidizes a behavior and then turns around and taxes it again.<\/p>\n<p>As governor of Virginia, Gilmore saw how deeply citizens resent policies that treat their cars as a permanent source of taxation. The backlash was a practical revolt against a system that felt disconnected from everyday life.<\/p>\n<p>A vehicle tax imposed merely for ownership makes far less sense than user-based systems tied directly to actual road usage.<\/p>\n<p>None of this means infrastructure funding challenges are imaginary. Roads and bridges require maintenance. But before inventing new taxes, lawmakers should first scrutinize existing revenue streams.<\/p>\n<p>Congress\u2019 real problem is not insufficient taxation, but rather chronic overspending and the inability to prioritize. A national car tax is the last thing Americans need.<\/p>\n<p>What the country actually needs is a government capable of living within its own limits.<\/p>\n<p>In 1997, Virginia voters sent a message heard across the country: stop treating citizens like endless sources of recurring revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Congress should hear that message again today.<\/p>\n<p>Limited government means saying no to new taxes even when they arrive disguised as \u201cfees.\u201d Especially then.<\/p>\n<p><em>James Carter is a principal with Navigators Global and a policy advisor for America\u2019s Economy First. Previously, he served as a deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury. James S. Gilmore III served as the 68th Governor of Virginia and is currently the President of the Gilmore Global Group LLC.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. 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Now Congress proposes adding a new annual federal vehicle registration fee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2620567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ben-net-2026-06-23T174525.137.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50410,53793,7297,5894,8068],"class_list":["post-2620566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-controversy-2","tag-environment-2","tag-innovation","tag-politics","tag-transportation"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ben-net-2026-06-23T174525.137.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2620566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2620566"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2620566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2620570,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2620566\/revisions\/2620570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2620567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2620566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2620566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2620566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}