Everywhere you look, the cost of living keeps climbing. Groceries are more expensive. Housing is more expensive. Insurance is more expensive. And every single trip to the gas pump reminds hardworking Americans just how badly Washington’s economic failures are hitting everyday people.

In a state like Alabama, fuel is not optional. Folks drive to work. They drive to church. They drive to school, ballgames, doctor appointments, and job sites. Farmers depend on diesel. Truckers depend on diesel. Small businesses depend on fuel to survive. When gas prices rise, everything else rises with it.

That’s why I support serious efforts to suspend or reduce both the federal and state gas taxes to provide immediate relief to Alabama families.

The federal government currently takes 18.4 cents per gallon in gasoline taxes and 24.8 cents per gallon on diesel. Alabama adds its own gas tax on top of that. Those costs add up quickly for working families already trying to stretch every paycheck.
The truth is simple: government should not profit while the American people struggle.

At a time when inflation continues to hammer families, Washington should be looking for ways to let people keep more of their hard-earned money, not finding new ways to take it. Suspending the gas tax would provide immediate relief without creating another bloated government program or another layer of federal bureaucracy. Families would simply pay less every time they filled up their tank.

Now, roads and infrastructure matter. Alabama is growing, and we need strong roads and bridges to support our communities and economy. But government exists to serve the people, especially during times of economic pressure.

There are responsible ways to address transportation funding while still helping families now. Relief measures could be temporary and tied to inflation or fuel-price benchmarks. Existing surplus revenues and unspent federal dollars could help bridge the gap. And frankly, Washington should both spend more time cutting waste before asking taxpayers for another dime.

Conservatives should also recognize an important principle here: when inflation drives prices higher, government often collects more tax revenue automatically while working families absorb the pain. That’s backwards. During difficult times, government should stand with the people not quietly benefit from their hardship.

Of course, suspending the gas tax alone will not fix America’s economic problems. We must restore true American energy independence. We need to unleash domestic energy production, strengthen our supply chains, support American workers, and stop burying businesses under unnecessary regulations.

But families need help right now.

A temporary gas tax suspension would send a message that leaders actually understand what ordinary Americans are going through. Too many politicians talk about economic statistics while families are sitting at kitchen tables wondering how they’re going to afford groceries, gas, and bills at the same time.

In Alabama, this issue affects everyone. It affects farmers. It affects truckers. It affects construction workers. It affects parents driving to work every day. Rural Alabama depends on affordable fuel, and the people who keep this country running deserve some relief.

At the end of the day, this comes down to priorities.

Government should make life easier for hardworking Americans, not harder. And right now, helping Alabama families keep more of their own money is simply the right thing to do.

Jared Hudson is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of Covenant Rescue Group, a nonprofit combating human trafficking. Jared is a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, running to put Alabama First in Washington.