A driver pays at a fuel pump at a gas station in Columbus, Ohio. (Brian Kaiser\/Bloomberg)<\/p>\n
\n May 12, 2026 4:00 PM, EDT<\/p>\n
Speaker Mike Johnson called suspending the federal gas tax \u201can intriguing idea\u201d but didn\u2019t commit to a timeline as momentum builds in both chambers to take action.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to look at any unintended consequences and evaluate all that, so I\u2019m not yet ready to project it,\u201d Johnson told Bloomberg Government on May 12. \u201cBut I certainly find it to be an intriguing idea.\u201d\n \t \t\t<\/p>\n
Both Republicans and Democrats are pushing for a gas tax freeze to bring down prices at the pump.<\/p>\n
Major trucking groups oppose President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to suspend the federal gasoline tax to counter rising prices at the pump, as the\u00a0cost of oil soars<\/a>\u00a0while the war with Iran drags on.\n \t\t<\/p>\n On May 11,\u00a0American Trucking Associations<\/a>, Truckload Carriers Association and National Tank Truck Carriers released a statement detailing their opposition<\/a> to such a proposal.<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0Kentucky Gov. Beshear to Cut Fuel Taxes by 10 Cents<\/a><\/p>\n Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said he hasn\u2019t supported previous suspension measures in the past, but \u201cif the president wants to make that case, I think we\u2019re all willing to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Senate majority leader noted suspending the tax has implications for the Highway Trust Fund and questioned if the benefits would get passed on to consumers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a conversation that we\u2019re willing to have,\u201d Thune said at a May 12 news conference.<\/p>\n RELATED: Georgia Gov. Kemp Suspends Motor Fuel Taxes for 60 Days<\/a><\/p>\n As midterm elections approach, U.S. gas prices have surged to $4.50 a gallon this week, according to\u00a0American Automobile Association data<\/a>. Trump\u00a0told CBS News\u00a0on May 11 that he wanted to suspend the 18.4-cent gas tax \u201cuntil it\u2019s appropriate.\u201d The measure could save consumers 10 to 16 cents a gallon when they fill up but remains controversial because the tax funds roads and bridges and hasn\u2019t kept pace with inflation.<\/p>\n Headline: “Trump calls for federal gas tax suspension”<\/p>\n But this comes at a cost…<\/p>\n The U.S. federal gas tax currently imposes an 18.4 cent-per-gallon levy on gasoline and a 24.4 cent-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel. These taxes are a major source of funding for the federal\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/5JLwlYjZyn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 OilPrice.com (@OilandEnergy) May 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced\u00a0legislation<\/a>\u00a0to suspend federal taxes on gas and diesel for 90 days shortly after Trump backed the idea. The bill would allow the president to extend the suspension for an additional 90 days.<\/p>\n