Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) pushed for a temporary suspension of federal gasoline and diesel taxes to help Americans cope with high fuel costs and ease pressure on household budgets.
Kelly Calls for Federal Gas Tax Holiday
On Tuesday, Kelly said in a post on X that he is fighting to suspend federal fuel taxes, arguing that drivers need relief as gasoline prices remain elevated.
“Gas prices are still too high,” he wrote.
He added, “I’m fighting to suspend federal gas and diesel taxes to put money back in the pockets of every American who drives to work, drops their kids off at school, or fills up their truck.”
According to data from American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average price of regular gasoline stood at $4.26 per gallon, while diesel averaged approximately $6.32 per gallon on Wednesday.
Trump Defends Energy Policy
On Sunday, President Donald Trump’s administration announced $8 billion in farmer aid to offset higher diesel costs during the 2026 crop year.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) praised the assistance, while Trump promised more funding if Republicans won the midterms.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended Trump over rising energy costs, citing “short-term political pain” in efforts to lower prices.
He also criticized Democrats’ energy policies and argued that Democrat-led states had higher fuel prices than Republican-led states.
Gas Tax Debate Intensifies Amid Rising Fuel Prices
Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) defended Republican economic policies, criticizing Democrats over taxes, health care and affordability while citing record median family income and historically low poverty levels.
Economist Peter Schiff warned that suspending the federal gas tax could increase fuel demand and prices while widening the budget deficit and fueling inflation.
He wrote, “Demand moves opposite to price,” calling it “Econ 101.”
In June, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) backed a six-month delay of a scheduled 1.3-cent-per-gallon inflation-based increase in the state’s motor fuel tax, pushing the increase from July 2026 to January 2027.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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