Trump, Congressional Republicans float gas tax holiday amid Iran war
A sign shows prices for unleaded, premium and diesel gasoline at a Speedway gas station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Brian Kaiser | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing suspending the federal gas tax as pump prices continue to rise ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
gasoline and oil Prices have risen since the US-Israeli war with Iran broke out more than two months ago. Since the first attacks began, Iran has largely brought the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of the world’s oil, to a standstill.
Trump said in an interview in the Oval Office on Monday, shortly after saying he would “lower” the tax: CBS News He said he wanted to pause the tax “for a while.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said in the CBS interview. “Yes, we will eliminate the gas tax for a period of time and phase it back in when gas becomes scarce.”
Trump cannot declare a gas tax holiday on his own, since Congress has sole authority over taxation. But some Republican lawmakers on Monday moved to suspend the gas tax, which stands at 18.4 cents per gallon, the same amount since 1993.
Federal gas taxes primarily pay for federal highway construction and maintenance and also fund some public transportation.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Monday he would immediately introduce a bill to suspend the federal gas tax. send to x. And Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said she would “introduce a bill in the House to suspend the federal gas tax in light of Trump’s recent remarks.”
“American families need this relief on gas prices. My office will work directly with President Trump to ensure we deliver this relief to the American people,” he said in a speech. social media post.
Trump and Republicans are scrambling to lower prices ahead of November midterm elections that threaten to hand control of Congress to Democrats. A recent survey The Economist and YouGovOnly 25 percent of those polled approved of the job Trump was doing on inflation and prices, while 69 percent disapproved.
Gas prices in the US currently stand at around $4.52 per gallon. AAA national averageIt is approaching the highest average price recorded in June 2022 of $5.02. Lowering the federal gas tax would reduce that to roughly $4.34 per gallon.
