A sign displaying unleaded, premium and diesel gasoline prices at a Speedway gas station in Columbus, Ohio, U.S., on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Brian Kaiser | Bloomberg | getty images
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing to suspend the federal gas tax as prices at the pump continue to rise ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
gasoline and Oil Prices have surged since the US-Israeli war with Iran broke out more than two months ago. Iran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of the world’s oil, since the first attacks began.
Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday that he would “reduce” taxes, shortly after saying in an interview CBS News He wants to pause the tax “for some time.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” he said in the CBS interview. “Yes, we are going to remove the gas tax for a period of time, and when the gas goes down, we will phase it back in.”
Trump cannot declare a gas tax holiday alone, as Congress has sole authority over taxation. But several Republican lawmakers on Monday suspended the gas tax, which stands at 18.4 cents a gallon, the same amount since 1993.
Federal gas taxes primarily pay for federal highway construction and maintenance and also fund some public transportation.
Senator Josh Hawley, R-MO, said Monday he will introduce a bill to immediately suspend the federal gas tax. post on 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 comments.”
He said, “American families need this relief from gas prices. My office will work directly with President Trump to ensure we achieve this victory for the American people.” social media post.
Trump and Republicans are battling to lower prices ahead of the November midterms, threatening to shift control of Congress to the Democrats. A recent survey from The Economist and YouGovThe poll found that only 25% of those surveyed approved of the job Trump was doing on inflation and prices, while 69% disapproved.
Gas prices in the US are currently around $4.52 per gallon, according to National average of AAAReaching its highest recorded average price of $5.02 in June 2022. Lowering the federal gas tax would bring it down to about $4.34 per gallon.