President Trump told CBS News during a phone interview that he is looking to suspend the federal gas tax “for a period of time.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “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.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright made similar comments in a recent interview. On suspending the federal gas tax, Wright said the White House is “open to all ideas,” but noted that “everything has trade-offs.”
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of a gallon of regular gas is $4.52 as of May 11.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) responded to reports on the possible gas tax suspension, writing on X, “I’m introducing legislation today to suspend the gas tax.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) said she plans to introduce a similar bill 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,” she stated. “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.”
In March, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) introduced a bill to suspend the federal gas tax through October 1. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The legislation moved to temporarily end the 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax.
