Congressman Stephen Lynch said Monday night that raising the state gas tax to generate revenue to pay off debt is more in line with national energy policy than toll hikes.

"You can't do a $7 toll," Lynch, a Boston Democrat, said on NECN's Newsnight Monday. "That's just insane...They've got a couple options herre. One is to look at a gas tax, that would be, I think, consistent with national energy policy. You can't charge the guy in the Prius seven bucks for coming through and then the guy in Hummer seven bucks for coming through. That's totally inconsistent with our national energy policy."

"I think the gas tax is a fairer resolve," Lynch added.

Massachusetts legislators are currently debating different ways to raise revenues to pay off over $2 billion in Big Dig debt. Gov. Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority have submitted a proposal that would increase tolls on tunnels servicing Logan International Airport to $7. House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, on the other hand, has backed increasing the state's gas tax. A legislative oversight committee will hold a hearing Tuesday morning on the governor's proposal as part of a series on different revenue raising options.

Lynch also discussed why he is supporting a $15 billion bailout for the auto industry after voting against the Wall Street bailout plan earlier this year. Lynch said that this $15 billion is coming out of a $25 billion package that was passed last year for the auto industry to make more fuel efficient funds.

"This is not new money," Lynch said. "The $700 billion that I voted against was new money. This is old money."

Lynch also said that he believes the three executives of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC should step down, but noted the critical impact the auto industry's failure would have on the economy.

"If these three companies go bankrupt, I'll tell ya, this will be a full blown depression not a recession," he said.

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