Sen. Rick Scott supports Trump’s call to suspend the federal gas tax, as Iran tensions roil prices and Florida rejects state relief.
Gas prices are climbing again, and Sen. Rick Scott is urging the federal government to pull a lever he believes could quickly lower the pain at the pump: a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax.
Scott. a Naples Republican. threw his support behind President Donald Trump’s suggestion as the administration moves toward the end of negotiations tied to the conflict with Iran. a dispute that has helped roil petroleum markets.. In an interview with Scott Jennings. Scott said the idea is consistent with his record of cutting taxes and fees while serving as governor. when he pushed changes that reduced the overall tax structure in Florida.
“Good idea. ” Scott said. adding that he believes lawmakers should “do everything we can to reduce the cost to consumers.” His endorsement frames the gas tax suspension as a direct effort to deliver savings to drivers rather than relying on indirect price pressure that can disappear at the retail level.
Trump told CBS News that the federal government “was going to take off the gas tax for a period of time. ” and that when gas prices fall. the tax would be allowed to phase back in.. Whether that schedule can be carried out depends on congressional action. since suspending the federal gas tax would require legislation rather than an order alone.
Florida’s situation underscores the political friction around gas-tax relief.. Gas prices in the state have been hovering near recent highs. at $4.40 a gallon as of Monday morning. according to AAA — The Auto Club Group.. That figure is down a dime from Thursday’s recent peak. but it still reflects a broader upward trend compared with the prior week. the prior month. and last year.
While drivers may look to Washington for help, Gov.. Ron DeSantis has signaled he wants no state-level cut.. Florida’s levy is described as roughly 38 cents per gallon. made up of a 22-cent base tax plus other related duties. including a 9.9-cent per gallon State Comprehensive Enhanced Transportation System tax and additional local option taxes.
DeSantis dismissed calls for relief as “really marginal. ” arguing that the effect would be largely erased if prices simply rise to match the new baseline.. He previously contended that a tax cut can be pointless if gas stations “just raise it to the same price anyway. ” which. in his view. means “no one’s really benefited from that at that point.”
Instead of cutting taxes. DeSantis’s argument is that Floridians “have to shoulder higher fuel costs when fuel spikes.” That stance sets up a contrast with Scott’s approach. which emphasizes reducing taxes and fees in hopes that the savings show up for consumers rather than getting absorbed elsewhere in the pricing chain.
The last major attempt at state-level relief came in 2022. when a gas tax holiday was subsidized with money drawn from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.. That proposal was originally intended to last indefinitely. but it ultimately ended as a one-month reprieve. illustrating how quickly such measures can change when funding timelines and political constraints collide.
With Trump’s proposal now in play and Scott backing it. the immediate question for Florida drivers is whether federal action can realistically happen in time to matter at the pump.. Even if the White House seeks a temporary suspension. Congress would still have to agree to unwind the tax structure. and there is no guarantee that a phase-in plan could match market volatility as the Iran negotiations continue to wind down.
Meanwhile. the debate over whether tax relief changes what consumers actually pay remains central to the fight between Washington and Tallahassee.. Supporters of suspension argue the policy can lower costs quickly. while DeSantis’s concern is that retail prices may not move in lockstep with taxes. effectively neutralizing the intended benefit.
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