Biden Will Ask Congress to Pause Gasoline Tax Amid Record Prices

U.S. President Joe Biden on June 22 will call on Congress to pass a three-month suspension of the federal gasoline tax to help combat record pump prices, according to a senior administration official.

The president will also call on states to temporarily suspend state fuel taxes, which are often higher than federal rates, the official said, and he will challenge major oil companies to come to a meeting with his energy secretary later this week with ideas on how to bring back idled refining capacity.

Biden and his advisers have been discussing the issue for months amid increasing pressure to take action to address record-high gas prices that have weighed down the president’s poll ratings and cast a dark cloud over Democrats’ chances of retaining congressional power in November’s elections.