Trump proposes suspension of gas tax to bring prices down, Hawley to take it up in Senate
“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.”
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“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.”
President Donald Trump has said that he is looking to suspend the gas tax "for a period of time" until gas prices go back down, and then phase it back in. Senator Josh Hawley has also said he will take up the legislation in the Senate.
The president was speaking with CBS reporter Nancy Cordes when the subject came up, and he said, "I think it's 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."
Since the start of Operation Epic Fury in Iran on February 28, gas prices have increased across the country, sometimes by over 50 percent. On Sunday, average gas prices around the country hit $4.52, per AAA. However, the suspension of the gas tax, which is 18.4 cents a gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel, needs an act of Congress to be suspended.
After Trump's comments, Senator Josh Hawley said that he would be introducing legislation to suspend the tax.
https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/2053851177079484834?s=20
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida similarly said that she would propose similar legislation in the House. "This week I will be introducing 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 be working directly with President Trump to ensure we deliver this win for the American people," Luna posted on X.
Gas prices have risen dramatically due to a shorter supply as Iranian forces have repeatedly tried to block the flow of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for trade in the Middle East, where a large portion of international energy trade runs through. However, the US has heavily degraded the military of the Iranian regime. The president has repeatedly said that he will not allow the regime to develop nuclear weapons, a development that would destabilize the region.
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