Gasoline prices are advertised at a Chevron station as rising inflation and oil prices affect consumers in Los Angeles, California, June 13, 2022.
Lucy Nicholson | Reuters
President Joe Biden said Monday that he is seriously considering a pause in federal gas tariffs as the White House considers taking steps to reduce pumping costs ahead of the July 4 holiday.
White House officials say the weekend of July 4, when tens of millions of Americans are expected to take to the streets, is the target to announce new measures to help bring down record gas prices.
On Monday, Biden said he could make a decision to pause the federal gas tax later this week. “I hope I make data-driven decisions,” he told reporters traveling with him in Rehoboth, Del.
Reducing the gas tax will require congressional action, and a White House official acknowledged it would be a challenge. “Republicans don’t want gas prices to go down,” the official said. “They want Biden to suffer.”
The official pointed to Senator Rick Scott’s remarks, R-Fla., about The Wall Street Journal Last November said that rising gas prices and inflation were “a gold mine for us.”
Other possible steps the administration is considering include lowering gas prices, although a White House official dismissed the idea as “a stretch” and said it was “not serious.” While the gas tax holiday seems to be getting more attention, officials say among the unanswered questions is how long it will last.
The effort to announce the new measures comes ahead of a meeting Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm plans to meet with refining executives, a source familiar with the matter said is expected on Thursday, June 23. The meeting comes amid rising tensions between the White House and the US oil industry.
Granholm noted on CNN on Sunday that if the administration moves to halt the federal gas tax, some federal funds could stop progressing on road projects as part of infrastructure legislation Biden signed. last year.
“If we get rid of the gas tax, that takes away the funding that just passed Congress to be able to do that,” she said. “So, you know, that’s one of the challenges, but I’m not saying that’s off the table.”
