The Democratic-led states of California, Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New York have the highest gas prices in the country.
Gas prices that were already skyrocketing due to inflation and supply chain issues have accelerated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago. President Biden announced during his State of the Union address that he was releasing 30 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but it has done little to assuage the rising prices – the U.S. national average hit $4.213 on Tuesday, smashing records previously hit during the 2008 recession.
While Republicans have called for expanded domestic oil production as a solution, Democrats have openly opposed the idea. Instead, politically vulnerable Democrats in multiple states are calling for a pause on the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon through the midterm elections in November. President Biden has said he’s considering all options for lowering gas prices.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.