Advocates Decry Proposed ‘Gas Tax Holiday’ — And Offer Alternatives to Ease Pain at the Pump
As President Biden urges Congress to give drivers a gas tax “holiday” that experts say won’t even significantly ease pain at the pump, advocates are urging him to give Americans emergency relief from car dependency instead.
On Wednesday, sources revealed that the White House plans to request Congress to authorize a three-month suspension of the already rock-bottom 18.4-cent federal tax per gallon of gasoline, as well as the 24.4-cent per-gallon tax on diesel, while simultaneously urging states to suspend their own fuel taxes over the same period. Energy advisor Amos Hochstein told CNN that those two moves, together, could save Americans an average of 50 cents a gallon, though advocates were quick to point out that savings would almost certainly be much smaller if gas station owners pocketed any of the difference, or if governors declined to participate in the plan.
More important, though, experts say the President’s proposal would exacerbate ongoing challenges for the entire U.S. economy, quickly eclipsing any modest short-term benefits for people who drive gas-powered cars — all while further reinforcing a car-dependent transportation system the country couldn’t sustain before prices climbed above $5 a gallon.
Casale’s suggestions, of course, aren’t an exhaustive list. A handful of communities around the world are already trying even more novel strategies to ease the sting of the latest oil shock, like offering ultra cheap monthly fares for long-distance train travel; others need only turn back a few pages in the quarantine-era transportation playbook to learn how to rapidly build pop-up bike lanes, sidewalks, and other open spaces where people can safely travel without an automobile.
Whatever strategies U.S. communities ultimately adopt, advocates say it’s critical that they act now, and act big.
“The current gas price spike is just the latest reminder that our dependence on oil leaves us all over a barrel,” Casale added. “To really help consumers, we need more than a gas tax holiday — we need real transportation solutions that do not further deepen our dependence on cars and oil over the long haul.”
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