Republicans are exploring pausing the federal gas tax in an effort to provide voters relief as prices at the pump soar due to the war in Iran.Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) have pledged to introduce legislation to suspend the excise taxes, which are 18.4 cents per gallon on gas and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Gas prices have soared since the start of the Iran war due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, reaching a national average of $4.55 last week, according to AAA. The price is the highest it has been since 2022, when the national average jumped to $5.01 per gallon.
President Donald Trump threw his support behind pausing the federal gas tax on Monday, saying he would suspend the tax “until it’s appropriate.”
It’s a small percentage, but it’s still money,” he said in the Oval Office.
Earlier Monday, the president told CBS News that he thought it was a “great idea” to temporarily pause the federal tax.
“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,” the president told the outlet.
