Senior Democrats in Congress are weighing whether to temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax in a bid to quash mounting consumer frustration that some fear could cost the party their narrow congressional majorities in November.
The Gas Price Relief Act was introduced last week by Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, two vulnerable Democrats seeking reelection. It would suspend through January 2023 the federal gasoline tax of roughly 18¢ per gallon.
To offset the lost tax revenue in the interim, the bill would require the Treasury Department to transfer general fund money into the Highway Trust Fund to keep it solvent.
