In June 2022 President Biden called for a three-month suspension of the federal gasoline and diesel tax. A suspension of the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax and 24.4-cents-a-gallon diesel tax through September would require congressional approval. U.S. gasoline prices began increasing in 2021 and surged to record levels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Proponents argue that a gas tax holiday would help the average American consumer by bringing down inflation, which reached 8.6% in May 2022. Opponents (including House Republicans and Democrat representatives Steney Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi) argue that the gas tax holiday would not guarantee that the retail price of gas would go down for the consumer and deplete funds available for highways, bridges and other infrastructure projects.
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