{"id":251,"date":"2026-05-08T08:09:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T08:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dallasrelocationhubs.com\/?p=251"},"modified":"2026-05-10T15:55:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T15:55:26","slug":"democrats-offer-plans-for-easing-pain-at-the-pump-as-they-eye-midterms-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dallasrelocationhubs.com\/?p=251","title":{"rendered":"Democrats offer plans for easing pain at the pump as they eye midterms"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON \u2013 Drivers are paying more at the pump than before President Donald Trump launched military operations against Iran over two months ago, as hostilities in the Middle East have disrupted oil supplies and driven up fuel prices.<\/p>

Read more Speaker Mike Johnson headlines Dallas fundraiser as Republicans fight to hold House<\/a><\/p><\/div>

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Sensing political opportunity, Democrats have embraced populist proposals to pause state and federal fuel taxes as a way of easing pressure on consumers.<\/p><\/div>

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State Rep. James Talarico of Austin, the Democratic Senate nominee, has called for suspending the federal gas tax of 18 cents per gallon, a move he said would provide immediate relief for consumers struggling with inflation.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u201cThe people who started this war in Iran don\u2019t feel it the way we do,\u201d Talarico said last month in promoting his plan. \u201cThey\u2019re not worried about the price of gas. They don\u2019t fill up the tank halfway and then stop because they see the price climbing.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

He said voters want their elected leaders to end \u201cforever wars\u201d and focus on affordability.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Talarico will face the winner of a May 26 Republican runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/p><\/div>

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Cornyn criticized the plan as misguided and downplayed the increase in gas prices. A Paxton representative declined to comment on Talarico\u2019s plan.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

High prices\u00a0<\/h2><\/div>

The national average price for gas was over $4.55 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA, up from $3.15 a year ago.<\/p><\/div>

In North Texas, gas continues to average over $4 in some counties. That has led to the talk about suspending the federal gas tax, which would require congressional action and would be unprecedented.<\/p><\/div>

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Asked about\u00a0Talarico\u2019s proposal, Cornyn described the gas tax as a \u201cuser fee\u201d that provides much-needed highway funding.<\/p><\/div>

\u201cWe’re $38 trillion in debt and the gas tax . . . helps pay for the highways and infrastructure and there’s not enough of it,\u201d\u00a0Cornyn told The Dallas Morning News<\/em>. \u201cHe’s a guy who doesn’t really understand how that all works, and he’s trying to be relevant, but it doesn’t compute.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Talarico has responded to such arguments by suggesting increasing taxes paid by billionaires could offset the highway funding lost by suspending the gas tax.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Cornyn said he is hopeful the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will improve soon. He noted gas prices climbed even higher under former President Joe Biden.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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AAA recorded the national average at just over $5 a gallon on June 14, 2022, during Biden\u2019s presidency.\u00a0<\/p>

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\u201cPeople have short-term memories,\u201d Cornyn said.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Election fallout\u00a0<\/h2><\/div>

Recent polling shows the conflict in Iran and the jump in gas prices have hurt Trump\u2019s approval rating and threaten GOP midterm election prospects.<\/p><\/div>

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Trump has highlighted U.S. domestic oil production and taken steps to mitigate the price spikes, including coordinating releases of oil from reserves and allowing the flow of sanctioned oil, according to the White House.<\/p><\/div>

“As the president continues to exert maximum leverage over Iran with the ongoing successful blockade to bring this conflict to an end, we will see global energy markets stabilize and gas prices plummet back to the multi-year lows Americans enjoyed prior to the start of Operation Epic Fury,\u201d White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Cal Jillson, a Southern Methodist University political science professor, said gas prices have been influencing Americans\u2019 views on society and politics for more than half a century.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u201cGas prices have always been important in elections because it\u2019s one of the most visible prices that people see,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Jillson said it\u2019s unlikely federal or state gas taxes will be suspended, but Talarico could score political points on the issue, particularly with voters who are not deeply engaged in politics but respond to a basic populist message.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u201cNot going to happen, but it doesn\u2019t hurt him to call for it because a lot of people are very sensitive to those prices,\u201d Jillson said.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

At the state level\u00a0<\/h2><\/div>

State Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, the Democratic nominee for governor, has highlighted other states that have moved to suspend their gas taxes and called on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to follow their lead.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

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Hinojosa this week posted on X a graphic showing average Texas gas prices.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

\u201cGas at $4 a gallon now in Texas. What are you waiting for, [Abbott]?\u201d she said in the post. \u201cSuspend the gas tax.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

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Catch up on the latest news and top stories from across North Texas, with updates in the morning and evening.<\/div><\/h2><\/div><\/div>