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Gas Price Relief Answers Leave Lawmakers Wanting More
Clear Facts:
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced intense questioning from Congress about when gas prices might ease.
- President Trump pushed back on claims that fuel relief could be delayed until 2027, calling those assessments incorrect.
- National gas prices are averaging more than $4 per gallon, well above the $2.90 average seen before the current conflict.
Federal Officials Hedge on Fuel Timeline
Trump administration officials struggled to give a firm date for when Americans will see relief at the pump during Wednesday hearings.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright denied saying prices would stay high until next year, though he had previously suggested $3 gas might not return until 2027.
“I never said gas prices wouldn’t go down until next year,” Wright told lawmakers. “Never, never said such a thing.”
“I don’t know. That could happen later this year. That might not happen until next year,” Wright added.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also declined to commit to a timeline during a Senate Appropriations Committee session.
He said lower costs depend heavily on the end of active warfare and greater regional stability.
“That is path dependent on when the war and the conflict end,” Bessent said.
Republican lawmakers backed the administration’s foreign policy but warned officials against making speculative predictions.
Senator John Kennedy urged them to avoid guesswork about how quickly gas prices might fall.
“My advice to you is to stay away from this business of how fast the price of gas is going to come down,” Kennedy stated. “The safest thing to say is ‘soon,’” he added.
Meanwhile, Senator Lisa Murkowski said Alaska residents are feeling real anxiety over rising fuel costs.
She noted that remote villages are especially vulnerable because they rely on diesel shipments for essential power generation.
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