President Donald Trump proposed pausing the 18.4-cent federal gasoline excise tax to lower pump prices during the war with Iran [1].
The proposal seeks to provide immediate financial relief to consumers as fuel costs rise due to the ongoing conflict. However, the move has sparked debate in Congress over how to maintain critical infrastructure funding without these tax revenues.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) and Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) discussed the plan during a C-SPAN broadcast on Friday [2]. The proposal was first announced by the president on May 12, 2026 [1].
Stutzman expressed concern regarding the stability of the Highway Trust Fund, which relies on the excise tax to maintain national transit systems. "My biggest concern is the highway trust fund," Stutzman said. "Roads, bridges, infrastructure—we need to commit those dollars to being sure that we can repave roads, fill the potholes…There has to be an offset somewhere else" [2].
President Trump said that the pause is intended to ensure Americans see lower prices at the pump while the U.S. deals with the war in Iran [1]. The 18.4-cent per gallon tax is a federal levy, though some reports have confused the proposal with state-level sales tax pauses [1].
Democratic leadership has questioned the longevity of the plan. An unnamed DCCC Chair said that a pause on the gas tax is a short-term fix and argued that the administration should also move toward ending the war and investing in green energy [3].
Lawmakers remain divided on whether the immediate relief for drivers outweighs the long-term risk to infrastructure. Stutzman said that any suspension of the tax would require a replacement funding source to prevent the decay of roads and bridges [2].
“"There has to be an offset somewhere else."”
The proposal highlights a tension between short-term economic relief and long-term infrastructure maintenance. Because the Highway Trust Fund is primarily funded by the federal gas tax, a suspension without a dedicated offset could lead to a funding gap for national road and bridge repairs, potentially shifting the cost of infrastructure to other budget areas or delaying critical maintenance.
