Key facts
- Representative Russell Fry plans to introduce legislation to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax.
- The federal government collects an 18-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and a 24-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel.
- President Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright support suspending the gas tax.
- A one-month suspension of the gas tax would cost the federal budget $3.4 billion.
- A full-year suspension of the gas tax could cost $41.0 billion and push the Highway Trust Fund insolvency up by 18 months.
- A household using 50 gallons of gasoline per month would save $9.20 from a one-month suspension.
U.S. Representative Russell Fry announced on September 14, 2026, that he will introduce legislation to temporarily suspend the federal gasoline and diesel taxes. The move aims to provide relief to American families facing high fuel prices, which Fry stated impact parents, farmers, ranchers, and small business owners.
Under current law, the federal government levies an 18-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and a 24-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel. Fry's proposed legislation would temporarily suspend both.
President Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright have expressed support for efforts to lower fuel prices and have called on Congress to temporarily suspend the gas tax. The legislation is expected to be formally introduced in the coming days.
According to the American Action Forum, a one-month suspension of the gas tax would cost the federal budget $3.4 billion, a three-month suspension $10.3 billion, and a full-year suspension $41.0 billion. Such a holiday could also push the insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund back by several weeks to 18 months. For consumers, the benefits are described as modest; a household using 50 gallons of gasoline per month would save $9.20 from a one-month suspension. The forum also noted that a gas tax holiday could create economic distortions, undermine incentives for fuel efficiency, and is an ineffective anti-inflation strategy as fuel prices are primarily driven by crude oil markets and geopolitical conditions.