A Look at the (Very) Unpopular Federal Gas Tax

We are feeling the pain at the pump. According to AAA, the national average gas price is $3.498. A year ago, it was $2.507.

And the price of gas isn’t the only thing that’s going up. Americans are feeling the impact of record inflation, which is reportedly costing the average household an additional $276 per month. Everything, it seems, from food to furniture, costs more.

To stop some of the bleeding, Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced legislation for a federal gas tax holiday—a temporary suspension of the federal tax through Jan. 1, 2023. The proposal met with skepticism, with Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) suggesting Republicans are unlikely to support it.

For a look at the evolution of the unpopular tax, see Rising Prices Fuel Discussions on Future of the Federal Gas Tax.