Trump vows to pause federal gas tax after Iran war boosts US fuel prices to four-year high

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Donald Trump pledged to suspend nan US national gas taxation successful a bid to trim unit connected Americans aft nan US-Israel war connected Iran sparked a crisp emergence successful substance prices.

The US president told reporters connected Monday that his management would look to region nan taxation “till it’s appropriate”, arsenic drivers count nan costs of nan surge successful lipid prices successful nan 2 months since US and Israel forces attacked Iran.

The national state taxation – 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline, and 24.4 cents for diesel – raises astir $500m each week for nan national government.

Suspending it is “a awesome idea”, Trump told CBS News connected Monday. “Yup, we’re going to return disconnected nan state taxation for a play of time, and erstwhile state goes down, we’ll fto it shape backmost in.”

He later confirmed nan thought during nationalist remarks astatine nan White House, acknowledging nan state taxation was a mini percent of nan rising costs.

The nationalist mean of gasoline prices deed $4.52 per gallon connected Monday, nearing its highest levels since 2022, according to AAA – up from $3.14 per gallon a twelvemonth ago.

The accrued substance costs travel amid an affordability situation successful nan US, a apical interest for voters up of this year’s midterm elections arsenic they get squeezed connected nan prices of mundane goods. People crossed nan state person told nan Guardian they are cutting backmost connected basal needs arsenic substance costs rise.

Suspending nan taxation requires legislature action. Republican lawmakers instantly said they would present bills to suspend nan tax. Josh Hawley, a Republican legislator from Missouri, said connected X that he was introducing legislation, and Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Texas, said she would present a measure successful nan House of Represenatives connected nan taxable “in ray of Trump’s caller remarks”.

“American families request this alleviation connected state prices,” Luna said. “My agency will beryllium moving straight pinch President Trump to guarantee we present this triumph for nan American people.”

Oil prices person continued to climb since Trump called Iran’s consequence to US bid proposals “totally unacceptable” complete nan weekend.

Top lipid and state companies person pulled successful large profits arsenic these substance prices increased. Analysis for nan Guardian recovered that nan world’s apical 100 lipid and state companies “banked much than $30m each hr successful unearned profit successful nan first period of nan US-Israeli warfare successful Iran”.

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Source theguardian.com
theguardian.com