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Senators call for gas tax suspension to blunt rising prices

US Congress Gas Tax
Posted at 10:02 AM, Feb 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-09 12:02:26-05

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Democratic senators are calling for suspending the federal gas tax for the remainder of the year to help consumers struggling with rising fuel prices.

US Congress Gas Tax
FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2015, file photo, a person walks past pump jacks operating at the Kern River Oil Field in Bakersfield, Calif. Two Democratic senators are calling for suspending the federal gas tax for the remainder of the 2022 to help consumers struggling with rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

The bill announced Wednesday faces an uphill fight to become law. But the legislation from Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire could prove popular during an election year when the average price of gas nationally exceeds about $3.45 a gallon.

The price could go higher during peak driving season. The federal gas tax has been 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993. Over the years, lawmakers have visited the idea of suspending the gas tax but did not generate enough support.