WASHINGTON — Despite the plan being slapped down by the White House last week, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders hinted that Big Brother may still be looked upon to bridge the funding gap in transportation.

After suggesting last week that the Department of Transportation could replace or align the federal fuel tax with a mileage tax, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood was quickly contradicted by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who said the plan is "a no-go" and even the concept — which would require GPS tracking systems in all vehicles — isn’t worth considering further.

However, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., transportation committee chairman, has told the White House to butt out. "I have news for you. Transportation policy isn’t going to be written in the press room of the White House," he said, adding that the mileage tax is one of the options being considered for the 2009 highway reauthorization bill.

Taxing drivers on how many miles they drive rather than how much fuel they burn is an idea being floated in some U.S. states as they face transportation budget shortfalls.

Proponents of a mileage tax believe that dwindling fuel tax revenue — mostly a result of more fuel efficient vehicles and hybrids penetrating the market — cannot be counted on long-term to maintain the nation’s aging transportation system.

Critics instead preach the lessons of George Orwell, suggesting that giving the government the ability to track all vehicles at all times is an invasion of privacy.

Under the proposal, all cars and trucks would be required to be equipped with GPS technology or a transponder to record the amount of miles a vehicle was driven, whether on highways or secondary roads, or even whether it it’s during peak traffic periods or not.