Report: Joe Manchin Will Vote Against Biden’s Proposed Gas Tax Holiday

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) will vote against President Joe Biden’s proposed gas tax holiday, the lawmaker’s office told WOWK 13 News on Wednesday.

The development comes after Manchin told ABC News that he has a variety of worries regarding the plan.

“I’m not a yes right now, that’s for sure,” the Virginia Democrat stated.

“Now, to do that and put another hole into the budget is something that is very concerning to me, and people need to understand that 18 cents is not going to be straight across the board — it never has been that you’ll see in 18 cents exactly penny-for-penny come off of that price,” he added.

Earlier Wednesday, Biden urged Congress to suspend federal gas taxes through the end of September as his administration struggles to fight sky high gas prices across the U.S.

“By suspending the 18-cent gas tax, federal gas tax for the next 90 days, we can bring down the price of gas and give families just a little bit of relief,” the president said.

“I fully understand that a gas tax holiday alone is not going to fix the problem, but it will provide families some immediate relief, just a little bit of breathing room as we continue working to bring down prices for the long haul,” he added.

Some economists have expressed skepticism about the proposal, including Jason Furman, who served in a senior economic role under President Barack Obama.

“Whatever you thought of the merits of a gas tax holiday in February, it is a worse idea now,” Furman wrote on Twitter. “Refineries are even more constrained now so supply is nearly fully inelastic. Most of the 18.4 cent reduction would be pocketed by industry — with maybe a few cents passed on to consumers.”