Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is urging President Donald Trump to suspend the 18-cent federal gas tax to offset rising oil prices as a result of the Iran conflict.
Nancy Cordes, who is the Chief White House Correspondent for CBS News, posted on X that she discussed the proposal in a phone interview with President Trump, where he said, "I think it is a great idea. Yup, we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in."
In response to Cordes' post, Sen. Kelly wrote, "Families need help now. @RepChrisPappas and I already have a bill to suspend the gas tax. Let's get it done."
The bill's cosponsor, Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH), similarly posted, "This should have happened months ago. @SenMarkKelly and I have legislation to suspend the federal gas tax through September to put money back in families’ pockets. It also protects funding for roads and bridges and will hold oil companies accountable if they don’t pass these savings along to consumers. Let’s pass it this week."
Sen. Kelly and Rep. Pappas introduced the Gas Prices Relief Actin March, which suspends the 18.4-cents-per-gallon federal gas tax through October 1, 2026.
In addition to the suspension, the bill includes provisions designed to ensure that consumers receive the benefits of this suspension more directly and requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer funds from the general fund to the Highway Trust Fund and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to ensure the program remains effective.
The Arizona Senator was not the only one seeking solutions to offset gas prices as they remain high until the Strait of Hormuz reopens, as Trump came up with his own idea: easing sanctions on Russian oil, which Kelly and Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) fiercely criticized.
