US Senator Kelly proposes suspending federal gas tax through October 1

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March 6, 2026 6:09 PM EST

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) speaks at a press conference with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Senate Democrats on U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming State of the Union speech on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.,

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - ‌Democratic U.S. ​Senator Mark ​Kelly proposed on Friday suspending the 18.4-cent-per gallon federal gasoline tax through October 1 in a bid to help Americans who ‌face rising prices at the pump due to the U.S.-Israeli war ⁠with Iran.

Gas prices have risen by 35 cents per gallon to an average of $3.32 nationally over ‌the past week, according to ‌AAA, a U.S. travel organization that tracks fuel prices. Political analysts have said a persistent rise in gas prices could hurt President Donald Trump's fellow ​Republicans in the November midterm elections as they seek to maintain control of Congress.

Kelly's proposal, first reported by Reuters, comes in the form of ⁠legislation due to be introduced in the Senate next week. The legislation, if enacted, would direct the U.S. ​Treasury Department to monitor the tax suspension in a bid to ensure that the savings are passed on to consumers ​as lower gasoline prices.

"Suspending the federal gas tax ‌would help bring prices down and give families some much needed relief," Kelly said.

The White House did not immediately respond ⁠to a request for comment.

Trump told Reuters in an interview on Thursday that he is not concerned about rising U.S. gasoline prices linked to the conflict, saying "if they rise, ⁠they rise."

Reuters reported this week that the Trump administration is considering actions aimed at combating ​rising energy prices in light of the war, as U.S. officials race to blunt the political and economic impact of rising fuel costs.

U.S. crude futures have jumped 35% since the ‌war with Iran started on February 28, as the spreading conflict disrupts Middle East supplies.

In 2022, then-President Joe Biden called ‌for a three-month suspension of the federal gasoline tax to combat record prices related ⁠to the COVID pandemic, but ‌Congress never acted. Five states ​including Georgia, New York and Florida temporarily suspended state gas taxes in 2022.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Franklin Paul and ‌Will Dunham)


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