By Obah Sylva
US President Donald Trump has said his administration is considering suspending the federal gasoline tax as rising fuel prices put pressure on American consumers and Republicans face a closely watched midterm election campaign.
Key Highlights
- Donald Trump said the US administration is considering suspending the federal gasoline tax.
- The federal gasoline tax currently stands at 18.4 cents per gallon, while diesel is taxed at 24.4 cents.
- The tax generates more than $23 billion annually for highways and public transit.
- US gasoline prices have risen sharply amid geopolitical tensions and attacks on energy infrastructure.
- Trump also said he expects to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia.
- US and Russian authorities say there is currently no confirmed evidence of a wider pneumonic plague outbreak.
Trump Considers Temporary Gas Tax Suspension
Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters on Tuesday after he was asked whether the federal gasoline tax should be suspended.
“We’re thinking about that,” Trump said, without providing details on when a suspension could take effect or how the proposal would be implemented.
Trump has previously expressed support for temporarily suspending the federal gasoline tax as a way of easing pressure on motorists facing higher fuel costs.
However, the White House cannot suspend the tax unilaterally. Any change would require legislation from Congress, with lawmakers already away from Washington campaigning ahead of the midterm elections.
How Much Is the US Federal Gas Tax?
The federal government currently imposes a tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel.
The gasoline tax has remained unchanged since the early 1990s and provides more than $23 billion annually to fund highways and public transportation infrastructure.
A suspension of the gasoline levy would therefore provide some relief to consumers, although the reduction would represent only a fraction of the overall price motorists pay at the pump.
The national average price for regular gasoline stood at about $4.37 per gallon early this week, according to AAA, more than $1 higher than the level recorded a year earlier.
Rising Fuel Prices Put Pressure on Republicans
Trump’s comments came a day after he signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel, an initiative he had previously discussed during a campaign rally in Nebraska.
Fuel prices have risen amid heightened geopolitical tensions, including the US-Israeli war on Iran and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with attacks on refineries contributing to concerns over energy supplies.
The increase in living costs has also emerged as a major political issue ahead of the US midterm elections.
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed Monday put Trump’s approval rating at 32 percent, with the cost of living identified as the leading concern.
Asked about the upcoming midterms, Trump said he expected Republicans to “do very well.”
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Trump to Speak With Putin Over Russian Laboratory Death
Separately, Trump said he expects to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon” over the death of a laboratory worker in Siberia.
Trump said the two countries were engaged in “very deep discussions” and indicated that more information could be released shortly.
The development follows Trump’s offer on Monday to provide US assistance following reports surrounding the laboratory worker’s death.
Russian Researcher Dies After Pneumonia
The worker, identified in Russian reports as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova, was employed at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Shelekhov.
She died last week after developing what Russia’s public-health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, described as pneumonia of unknown origin.
Some Russian media reports claimed Shipilova had broken a test tube containing the pneumonic plague pathogen on September 25.
However, regional officials and Rospotrebnadzor have said post-mortem testing did not detect plague organisms linked to her work.
Russian authorities have also urged the public to disregard rumours surrounding the case.
US Seeks More Information From Russia
Reports of hospital quarantines and medical observation of people who may have had contact with the deceased researcher have circulated, although Russian authorities have played down concerns about a wider outbreak.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had received only limited information about the incident and that Russia should provide additional details.
The US State Department has formally requested further information and is maintaining contact with other governments.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is monitoring reports of a suspected pneumonic plague death in Russia’s Irkutsk region but currently sees no indication of a broader threat to the United States unless an infected person travels.
The research institute where Shipilova worked also handles other dangerous pathogens, including cholera, anthrax and brucellosis.
US officials have stressed that it remains unclear whether Shipilova died from plague or another infection.
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