Republican lawmakers are running out of time to soothe voters frustrated by rising costs, with a final round of finger-pointing unfolding on Capitol Hill. Many view this issue as the party's biggest political liability heading into the midterm elections. Diesel, the primary fuel for trucks and agricultural machinery, has seen its price surge, hitting rural areas and red states particularly hard. In places like Iowa and Nebraska, Republicans are facing tougher races than anticipated as they fight to hold onto their seats.
Some strategists and legislators worry that if voters take out their anger on GOP candidates, the party could face a disastrous election outcome. "Voters are upset, and we're the ones in charge," warned Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana. Lawmakers have floated several ideas, including suspending the federal gas tax and imposing a fuel export ban, while acknowledging various practical constraints to such measures.
The conflict that began in February has become a vulnerability for President Trump and his party. Trump had previously promised no more endless overseas wars and vowed to lower prices. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said last week he was open to discussing a diesel export ban, but later added that the Trump administration should be the one to address the shortage of tanker capacity. "That would ease the pressure," Thune said.
Over the weekend, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley urged Trump to implement an export ban, drawing parallels to the agricultural export restrictions of the 1970s. "High diesel prices are destroying farmers' bottom lines," he wrote on social media platform X. A spokesperson for Representative Ashley Hinson, who is running for Iowa's open Senate seat, said she also supports pausing diesel exports.
With only two weeks of Senate session left before the election, there are currently no plans for a vote on suspending the gas tax or other measures aimed at lowering fuel prices. Even if senators passed such legislation, it would be difficult to get it to the president's desk quickly, as the Republican-controlled House has already adjourned for the week. Some Republicans are simply avoiding the topic altogether. When pressed by reporters on what Congress and the administration could do about high diesel prices, Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso of Wyoming responded, "We'll talk about that later." On a Sunday program, when asked if he supported an export ban, Barrasso said, "The president is looking at a number of different options he can take."
Others believe the likelihood of substantive policy action is minimal. "I think with 48 days until the election, we're not going to see a dramatic drop in oil prices," said outgoing North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who is not seeking re-election, when asked about the possibility of measures to stabilize prices. When asked if Republicans would pay an electoral price, Tillis remarked, "Elections are always about the pocketbook, aren't they?"
On Monday, Trump took to social media to express his displeasure with diesel prices, blaming the Russia-Ukraine conflict for crippling much of Russia's diesel refining capacity. "This ridiculous, endless conflict must end," he wrote. At a rally in North Carolina last week, Trump said that paying high fuel costs for a war with Iran was "not a high price," and that oil prices would eventually come down "like a reverse rocket." Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, speaking at a G20-related event in Houston, said the administration would consider an export ban if it were truly expected to lower prices, but he believed that was not the reality. A senior official said Sunday that the proposal does not have support within the administration.
Earlier this month, U.S. diesel prices broke through $6 per gallon for the first time and have continued to climb since. According to AAA data, the national average diesel price reached $6.51 per gallon on Sunday, compared to just $3.70 a year ago. Retail gasoline prices have also hit record highs for this time of year, averaging around $4.48 per gallon on Sunday, versus $3.19 last year.
Kennedy traveled to Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa this weekend to raise money for struggling Republican candidates. Trump won all three states by double digits in the 2024 election. Kennedy said he believes Republicans will ultimately prevail, but the races will be extremely close. "If someone had told me six months ago that I'd be spending a lot of time in these three states, I never would have believed it," Kennedy said. "These are states that should be safely in our column."
Nebraska Republican Senator Pete Ricketts, who is facing independent candidate Dan Osborn, acknowledged that rising fuel prices are putting enormous pressure on farmers and ranchers in his state. But he said these mostly Republican-leaning agricultural voters understand that Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Close Trump allies say voters should direct their anger at former President Joe Biden. Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt said, "Look, this is just a temporary situation. The Biden administration was determined to phase out the internal combustion engine, and gas prices were bound to rise endlessly because they don't want people driving cars or using diesel trucks."
Democrats, meanwhile, are mocking Republican attempts to pin high fuel prices on Biden. Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch said, "The facts are clear. Donald Trump unilaterally decided to start this war, foolishly thinking it would be over in a few days." House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland, a Republican, pushed for a vote on gas tax relief before the House recessed on Wednesday. But the proposal faced opposition from some Republicans, who worry that suspending the gas tax would drain the Highway Trust Fund, which relies on fuel tax revenues. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley warned that lawmakers would be making a serious mistake if they do nothing about fuel prices before the election. Hawley believes the Highway Trust Fund could be supplemented with other funding sources later. "Candidates go back to their districts to campaign, and voters ask, 'What did you do to lower energy prices?' I really don't know how these candidates are going to answer that," he said.
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