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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As gas prices continue to climb, at the capitol Congressional Members are looking for solutions. One proposal that is getting tossed around: suspend the federal gas tax.
The move could reduce the price of gas by roughly 18 cents per gallon. This gas tax helps funds our public transit and highway projects, and in this proposal, the Treasury Department would make up for the lost funds by transferring general funds into the trust fund usually financed by the tax.
Democratic Senator Bob Casey is open to the idea, but says this isn’t the only solution.
“We can take other steps, the President as you know has on several occasions now allowed for the release from the petroleum reserve,” said Casey. “That’s a good step to take.”
He’s advocating to extend the Child Tax Credit, which he says would help put additional dollars into families’ pockets.
“I think we should consider again those kinds of supports to the American people because they have been paying high prices for a long time,” continued Casey.
Republican Representatives Fred Keller and Tom Reed say this would only be a temporary fix.
“I think we can do better than that, it’s 18 cents a gall that goes to fund our infrastructure,” said Reed. “Obviously we just made a trillion-dollar infrastructure investment, so if there’s an opportunity like this to do it, maybe this is the time to do it, but I see it as a gimmick and the bigger problem is we have to drive down the cost at the pump.
They outline a few suggestions of their own to lower gas prices.
“For the long term solutions, get out of the Paris Climate Accords, drill on federal lands, let’s get pipelines approved, let’s get rid of really take the barriers away as for as regulatory environment to get things done in America,” said Keller.
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