On Monday, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to suspend the gas tax. The legislation comes after President Trump announced support for pausing the 18 cent federal gas tax for a period of time.
“President Trump has proposed to suspend the federal gas tax and he’s exactly right,” said Senator Hawley. “American workers and families deserve immediate relief and this legislation will do just that.”
While some of the biggest corporations in the world are seeing record profits, the national average for regular gasoline now surpasses $4.50 per gallon. The national average for diesel fuel is nearly $5.70 per gallon. In the State of Missouri, the average price of regular gasoline today sits at over $4 per gallon—a 47% increase from one year ago—and the average price of diesel fuel sits at more than $5.20 per gallon—a 65% increase from one year ago. Senator Hawley’s new legislation would provide immediate relief from these prices by suspending taxes on gas and diesel for at least 90 days.
The Gas Tax Suspension Act will:
- Temporarily suspend the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on gasoline for 90 days after enactment.
- Temporarily suspend the 24.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on diesel fuel for 90 days after enactment.
- Allow the President to extend the suspension for an additional 90 days if he determines that economic conditions merit an extension.
Read the bill text for the Gas Tax Suspension Act here.
