- A pair of Senate Democrats facing tough re-election bids want to cut costs at the gas pump.
- Sens. Kelly and Hassan unveiled a bill to suspend the federal gas tax through 2022.
- The cost of gas has risen sharply in recent months and it's becoming a hot-button midterm issue.
A pair of Senate Democrats up for re-election in the fall want to suspend the federal gas tax through 2022.
Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire unveiled legislation to briefly shelve the 18.4 cents per gallon tax until Jan. 1, 2023.
"People are feeling a real pinch on everyday goods, and we must do more to help address rising costs, particularly the price of gas," Hassan said in a statement. "We need to continue to think creatively about how we can find new ways to bring down costs, and this bill would do exactly that, making a tangible difference for workers and families."
"Arizonans are paying some of the highest prices for gas we have seen in years and it's putting a strain on families who need to fill up the tank to get to work and school," Kelly said.
Other co-sponsors of the bill included Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada. They're on the ballot this November as well.
Inflation has hit a four-decade high in recent months, the product of snarled supply chains and persistent labor shortages helping to push up prices for groceries, housing, and most other goods and services.
The cost of gas is no exception. The national average is $3.47 per gallon, per AAA. The organization said that the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine and spate of snowstorms is helping increase the cost of oil.
Republicans are pouncing on it as a hot-button issue ahead of the midterms. "Democrats' reckless spending has fueled the worst inflation in 40 years," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Twitter. "Families are hurting — at the checkout counter, at the gas pump, when they pay their bills."
Presidents typically have few options at their disposal to cut gas prices. President Joe Biden in November authorized tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to combat rising prices. But that step seems to have done little to cut costs at the pump so far.