Republican Party of Virginia Statement on Governor Youngkin’s Proposed Gas Tax Holiday
RICHMOND, VA – March 16, 2022
Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin took decisive action to ease the pain of rising costs at the pump by proposing a three-month Gas Tax Holiday, which he will introduce as a Governor’s bill during the upcoming legislative special session. Under Governor Youngkin’s plan, Virginia’s gas tax would be suspended for May, June, and July, and then phased back in August and September.
Last month, Senate Democrats blocked legislation that would have lowered the gas tax amid rising prices. Thanks to Governor Youngkin’s leadership, they will now have a chance to correct that mistake. Democrats should bear in mind that a vote against the Gas Tax Holiday is a vote against working families, and now is no time to play petty partisan games. Every member of the House and Senate should vote in favor of this much-needed relief.
Democrats must also cease their shameless attempts to rewrite history by blaming Russia and Vladimir Putin for high gas prices. Thanks to President Biden’s war on American energy, gas prices had already risen more than 40% from the time Biden took office until Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine. Democrats at the state and federal level should immediately end their capitulation to radical environmental groups and prioritize a return to American energy independence as a matter of both sound economic policy and national security.
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