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Numbers of the Day May 11, 2026 · 3:42 pm ET Source: CBS News Politics

18 Cents Off, Half a Billion a Week, Zero Votes

18.4¢
per gallon — the federal gas tax Trump wants suspended

Gas has hit $4.52 nationally (AAA, Sunday) — up more than 50% since the Iran war started Feb. 28, with the Strait of Hormuz still blocked. Trump told CBS News: "We're going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we'll let it phase back in." The play is real-pain relief theater: 18.4 cents per gallon costs the Highway Trust Fund roughly $500 million a week, requires an act of Congress he doesn't control, and Democratic lawmakers have already introduced competing bills — meaning Republicans either hand Democrats a shared win or block their own president's ask. The beneficiary of the delay isn't the driver; it's the pump.

Source: CBS News Politics · link EconomyAffordabilityAppropriationsArticleI
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