President Joe Biden (click here) will call on Congress in a speech Wednesday to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes until the end of September, senior administration officials said, framing the move as necessary to provide relief to American consumers but itself not enough to resolve the problem of surging energy prices.
Biden will also call on states to take steps removing their own taxes on gas and diesel. And he’ll tell oil refining companies to increase their capacity ahead of their planned meeting this week with administration officials.
Combined, the senior administration officials claimed, the steps Biden will call for could reduce the price per gallon of gas by $1. Yet that figure relies on a number of steps entirely out of the President’s control — not least of which is convincing a skeptical Congress to approve his plan....
The measure is needed. At this point there is no telling how much price gouging benefits the gas station vs. it's supplier. It would be prudent to examine the cause of high gas prices and document for Congress' reading and assessment.
However, today emergency relief is important to the people of the USA. State and federal taxes can be near $2.00 per gallon in some cases.
The emergency bill needs to focus on the consumer and the relief Americans and vacation consumers can receive immediately. Within this emergency relief there will be tempation by gas station owners and distributers to enjoy the relief themselves without passing on the support to the consumer. In that is price gouging and law enforcement has to take it on. Legislators might want to allow a small percentage of 5% to the relief to the gas station and distributors. But, the consumer of gasoline and methane for home use, should receive 90% of the relief and soon.
All fifty states rely on tourism for their economic viability. The current cost of gasoline is prohibitive even to staycations in visiting local amusements.
