How would a federal gas tax holiday affect North Dakota?

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The Biden Administration and Congress have an opportunity to temporarily lower gas prices, but many are skeptical about it.

President Joe Biden has said he’ll do everything in his power to help consumers at the pump, and this week, that included asking Congress to pause the federal gas tax. But some people in North Dakota aren’t convinced that’s the right way to go.

President Biden has a plan to lower gas prices.

“Today, I’m calling on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for the next 90 days,” said Biden.

Some North Dakotans believe there’s something the president can do about it, but alternative methods would be preferred.

“Increase exploration, increase production, increase refining, those are things that have to happen in our part of the world and they have to happen, and it could be feasible it’s cheaper for everyone,” said Mitch Barta of Bismarck.

Mitch’s concerns have been echoed by North Dakota’s senators.

In a statement, Senator Kevin Cramer said: “Suspending the gas tax is nothing more than a knee-jerk political stunt providing minimal relief while blowing a hole in our infrastructure funding.”

Based on the White House’s proposal, a three-month suspension would cost the country about $10 billion, but wouldn’t negatively impact North Dakota’s Highway Trust Fund, since the plan is to ‘make the Highway Trust Fund whole’ by using other revenues, but the administration didn’t specify where that money would come from.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation declined to comment, since the proposal hasn’t yet been passed or even finalized.

The federal gas tax has never been lifted for any period of time.

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