LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — In response to rising gas prices from Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Governor Gretchen Whitmer along with the governors from Colorado, Minnisota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are banding together to give Americans some relief at the pump.
Whitmer, along with Tony Evers (WI), Tim Walz (MN), Jared Polis (CO), Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), and Tom Wolf (PA) on Tuesday sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to pass the Gas Prices Relief Act to suspend the federal gas tax.
So far, the legislation is getting support from U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and U.S. Representatives of Michigan Elissa Slotkin and Dan Kildee.
The Gas Prices Relief Act would stop the 18.4 cents per gallon gas tax levied by the federal government through the end of 2022.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, and Leader McConnell,
As Congress looks to relieve Americans of the financial stress caused by increased gas prices amid international crises and rising inflation, we support federal legislation to address rising gas prices by suspending the federal gas tax until the end of the year.
According to the American Automobile Association, the national average gas price price in the United States is $4.173, up more than a dollar from 2021. The Gas Prices Relief Act as introduced in the House and Senate – H.R. 6787 and S. 3609 respectively – would alleviate the consumer cost of rising gas prices while protecting the federal government’s capacity to make infrastructure investments.
First, it saves Americans at the pump by suspending the federal gas tax for the rest of the year. Money saved at the pump translates into dollars back in consumers’ pockets for groceries, childcare, rent, and more.
But importantly, the legislation would also ensure the Highway Trust Fund stays solvent. The bill would authorize the U.S. Department of Treasury to transfer general fund dollars to replace the temporarily lost revenue of a halted federal gasoline excise tax. Furthermore, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) dedicated an additional $118 billion to the Highway Trust Fund, and the Trust Fund’s capacity to finance the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and highways across the country would not be diminished by the legislation. For these reasons and more, we know it is possible to invest in infrastructure and also provide meaningful relief to consumers at the pump.
At a time when people are directly impacted by rising prices on everyday goods, a federal gas tax holiday is a tool in the toolbox to reduce costs for Americans, and we urge you to give every consideration to this proposed legislation.
Sincerely,
Gretchen E. Whitmer Governor Jared Polis
Governor of Michigan State of Colorado
Governor Tim Walz Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
State of Minnesota State of New Mexico
Governor Tom Wolf Governor Tony Evers
State of Pennsylvania State of Wisconsin
