WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Bush said Thursday he doesn’t support increasing gasoline taxes to pay for bridge repairs, calling on Congress to instead change its priorities on spending.

Several members of the House Transportation Committee are calling for the tax hike in the wake of the deadly 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis last week. Congressman James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, Wednesday said he would introduce legislation for bridge repair funding, as well as increased inspections. He says a 5-cent increase in the gas tax would pay for the three-year proposed program, generating $8.5 billion a year.

Citing 74,000 bridges rated by the federal government as “structurally deficient,” Oberstar told reporters, “We cannot wait for another tragedy. We must, and we will, act decisively."

But at Thursday’s White House news conference, President Bush said, “It's an interesting question, about how Congress spends and prioritizes highway money. My suggestion would be that they revisit the process by which they spend gasoline money in the first place.”

Mr. Bush criticized the way Congress approves projects, saying, “From my perspective, the way it seems to have worked is that each member on that committee gets to set his or her own priority first, and then what's ever left over is spent to a funding formula. That's not the right way to prioritize the people's money. So before we raise taxes which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities.”

“If bridges are a priority,” said Mr. Bush, then “let's make sure we set that priority first and foremost, before we raise taxes. “

A new CNN-Opinion Research Corporation poll out Thursday shows while 52 percent of respondents are worried another bridge may collapse somewhere around the county, 65% percent would oppose an increase in the gas tax.

- CNN Political Desk Managing Editor Steve Brusk 

WASHINGTON (CNN) - More than half of all Americans are worried about the collapse of a bridge somewhere in the United States. That, according to a new CNN-Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday.

But only one in three Americans are concerned that a bridge that they drive across regularly will collapse. 69 percent are not worried.

The new numbers come just eight days after an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed into the Mississippi River. At least five people were killed in the collapse.

Only one third of those we polled favor increasing the tax on gas to pay for bridge inspections and repairs. The federal program to inspect and repair bridges is funded mostly by the federal tax on gasoline. 65 percent of those we questioned are against raising that tax.

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland says, “Polls sometimes show that the public is willing to accept higher taxes to pay for popular projects, but not in this case. With the price of gasoline hovering around three dollars, it may not be surprising that Americans don't want to pay any more at the pump, even though they worry about bridge safety.”

At a news conference Thursday morning at the White House, President Bush dismissed raising the federal gasoline tax at least until Congress changes the way it spends highway money.

- CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Make no mistake about it, Iowa Democrats have no plans of mixing politics with Christmas cheer.

An Iowa Democratic Party official tells CNN that there are no plans to hold their caucuses around the Christmas holidays despite decisions by other states to move up their own nominating contests into January.

The latest move will be announced late Thursday morning by the South Carolina Republican Party, which will hold their primary on January 19, 2008. South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson will make this announcement in Concord, New Hampshire at an event expected to be attended by several of the Granite State's political officials.

It is a symbolic move to show that the first-in-the-nation primary state (New Hampshire) and the first-in-the-South (South Carolina) stand united in protecting their unique roles in helping select the next president.

"Iowa is not going to be driven by the Republican Party in South Carolina making a change to their primary date," said Carrie Giddins, communications director for the Iowa Democratic Party. "Nobody wants to go in December and Iowa will remain first in the nation."

The big question is what date will New Hampshire hold the first-in-the nation primary? We are unlikely to learn that Thursday, but the fact that the South Carolina GOP is moving up to Jan. 19 means that New Hampshire will move to a date earlier in the month.

The Iowa Republican Party, which is hosting its Ames straw poll this weekend, is waiting to see what New Hampshire decides before announcing a date for its caucuses.

"We are not going to make any comment or announcement until New Hampshire announces its primary date," said Mary Tiffany, communications director for the Iowa Republican Party.

Another big unanswered question is to what date will the South Carolina Democratic Party move its primary? Right now, South Carolina Democrats are scheduled for January 29, the same day Florida is holding its primary. There might be pressure now to allow the South Carolina Democrats to join the South Carolina Republicans 10 days earlier - a move that would save the state money and give South Carolina its own day in the sun.

- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston