Even if Congress approves a proposal to temporarily lift the federal gas tax, a variety of other factors and transportation and processing delays would mean American consumers would see little difference at the pump.
Experts say pausing the federal gas tax would do little to save U.S. consumers money this summer, reports Molly Taft in Mother Jones.
The federal gas tax, which adds 18 cents per gallon, would require an act of Congress to suspend. A pause on it would be unlikely to significantly lower prices at the pump, Taft notes. However, it would have a dramatic effect on federal revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, which already faces insolvency. "Cutting off revenue, even temporarily, would only exacerbate the problem. There’s also a possibility that a temporary break could be extended indefinitely, given the political risks of reinstating it, particularly as midterms near."
According to Taft, "Even if the Strait of Hormuz immediately opens up tomorrow, the effects of the new supply could take a while to reach consumers—likely a month or more as tankers travel to customers and production facilities start back up again."
FULL STORY: Why a Federal Gas Tax Holiday Is a Terrible Idea
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New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
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Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
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EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association