The national average price of regular gasoline held steady at $4.52 a gallon for a second straight day, though prices remain 7 cents higher than a week ago as oil tops $100 a barrel amid the Iran conflict.
California drivers are paying the highest average price in the nation at $6.16 a gallon, while Oklahoma has the lowest average at $3.94.
The Trump administration is considering a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax to ease prices at the pump, but any gas-tax holiday would require approval from Congress.
Motorists are still feeling pain at the pump as gas prices continue to move higher. But according to data from AAA, the national average price of regular gas today is the same as yesterday.
AAA reports the average price is $4.52 a gallon. Though it's a fraction of a cent less than the previous day, it’s 7 cents a gallon more than it was a week ago.
Prices have continued to rise with the price of oil, which is now more than $100 a barrel, due to the war with Iran that has virtually stopped oil shipments from the Persian Gulf.
Price comparison
While $4.52 is the national average price of regular, motorists in some states are paying a lot more. Here are the five states where gasoline is most expensive:
California ($6.16)
Washington ($5.76)
Hawaii ($5.65)
Oregon ($5.32)
Nevada ($5.24)
Here are the five states where gas prices are lowest:
Oklahoma ($3.94)
Mississippi ($3.98)
Texas ($4.03)
Nebraska ($4.04)
Georgia ($4.04)
Gas tax pause?
The Trump administration is weighing a temporary suspension of the federal gasoline tax as officials search for ways to ease pressure on consumers facing sharply higher fuel prices driven by turmoil in global oil markets.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that the administration is “open to all ideas” when asked whether the White House would support a federal gas-tax holiday. The federal tax currently adds 18.4 cents per gallon to gasoline prices and 24.4 cents to diesel fuel.
“We’re open to all ideas, everything has tradeoffs,” Wright said during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” adding that the administration is looking at “all ideas to lower prices for American consumers and American businesses.”
The comments mark the clearest indication yet that the White House may support congressional action to suspend the tax amid a surge in gasoline prices tied to instability in the Middle East and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
While President Trump has not formally endorsed a tax holiday, he recently said the idea was “something we have in our pocket if we think it’s necessary,” according to reports.
However, a suspension of the federal gas tax would require congressional approval. Similar proposals have surfaced repeatedly during past spikes in fuel prices, but Congress has never enacted a nationwide federal gas-tax holiday.