President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration is evaluating a suspension of the federal gasoline tax.
The move comes as elevated fuel costs fuel voter dissatisfaction ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
A tax holiday at the pump would require approval from Congress, since executive authority does not allow a unilateral suspension of federal fuel levies.
The proposal targets an 18.4 cent per gallon federal tax on gasoline and a 24.4 cent per gallon tax on diesel.
Those levies currently generate over $23 billion annually for public transit and highway infrastructure.
Rising Prices and Political Pressure
National average prices for regular gasoline reached $4.3685 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA data.
That marks an increase of more than one dollar compared to the previous year.
Trump previously floated the tax relief measure in May, when conflict involving Iran initially triggered a surge in energy prices.
A complete elimination of the federal duty would reduce consumer prices at the pump by approximately 4 percent based on current national averages.
"We're thinking about that," Trump said.
Addressing the potential impact of economic pressures on the upcoming congressional races, the president expressed confidence in his party's political outlook while attributing recent price trends to foreign conflict.
"Prices are now coming way down," Trump said.
The administration did not outline a legislative strategy for securing congressional approval or provide a timeline regarding the resolution of the war.
"And oil, as soon as the war is over, which will be soon, will be coming way down," Trump said.
Trump also highlighted his ongoing public campaign events, asserting that increased voter outreach is positively shifting public perception ahead of the elections.
The president added that campaign rally attendees were responding positively after hearing details regarding legislative achievements by congressional Republicans.
