Group Temporarily Lowers Prices at Pumps to Remind Americans What Affordable Gas Felt Like 

Retouch man / shutterstock.com
Retouch man / shutterstock.com

Americans for Prosperity, a fiscally conservative advocacy group, is determined to remind Americans what buying affordable gas was like under former President Donald Trump’s policies.  

Akash Chougule, AFP vice president of government affairs, stated that Joe Biden’s top-down policies, including shutting down the Keystone Pipeline and banning energy leases on federal land, have stifled the country’s energy resources and increased costs, even for simple activities like family road trips. This week, they are highlighting what gas prices could be with policies that fully utilize the nation’s energy potential. 

On Monday, the group launched the first in a series of events to temporarily reduce gas prices nationwide, offering a “pre-Bidenomics break at the pump.” Over 20 gas stations will participate this week, lowering prices to as low as $2.38 per gallon, the average cost per gallon when President Biden took office. 

Under Biden’s administration, gas prices soared because of high inflation rates, which peaked at 9% in 2022 before dropping to 3.4%, still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. As of Monday, the national average price for a gallon of gas was $3.59, over 50% higher than when Biden assumed office in January 2021. 

According to GasBuddy data, which compiles over 12 million individual price reports from 150,000 gas stations nationwide, gas prices fell for the third consecutive week to a national average of $3.58 per gallon last week. The “lower” price remains more than a dollar higher per gallon than when Biden took office. 

Andrew Gross, a spokesperson for AAA, stated that the slow decline in gas prices is expected to continue unless an unexpected event occurs. He noted that seven states currently have county gas averages below $3 per gallon, and this downward trend is likely to speed up as more gas stations east of the Rockies lower their prices. 

However, a desperate Biden might hasten the decline of fuel prices by hitting the Strategic Petroleum Reserve again. 

In past efforts to manage gas prices, Biden has tapped the SPR to temporarily relieve his out-of-control gas prices. In 2022, the White House released 180 million barrels from the SPR. This action has significantly depleted the reserve to about 365 million barrels, its lowest level in decades. 

White House senior adviser John Podesta suggested that Biden might consider releasing additional barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if gas prices rise significantly before the election. While not confirming the potential for another SPR dump, Podesta said last month, “The president did it (release oil from SPR) before… and I think he wants to keep the price of gasoline affordable, and he will do what he can to make sure that happens.” 

The first AFP gas rollback began at 11 a.m. on Monday at a Sunoco station in Pittsburgh. These events will run until May 29, ending at a gas station in Oregon situated at 13488 SE Hwy 212. AFP anticipates that at least 4,000 drivers will line up at gas stations this week to take advantage of the discounted fuel prices. 

Adding to the fun, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) will be pumping gas at one of the events in her state this week. Lummis highlighted the financial strain on Wyoming residents since President Biden assumed office, stating that they now pay nearly $1200 more monthly for essential goods and services. She expressed anticipation for participating in the gas rollback event with Americans for Prosperity of Wyoming, emphasizing that it not only offers savings at the pump but also serves as a reminder of the tangible effects of the Biden administration’s policies on people’s finances. 

It’s a genius move by the libertarian organization. It will make Americans reminisce about the good old days of 2020 when the United States was led by someone with his finger on the pulse of the nation’s needs. If the AFP could return prices in dollar stores to a dollar again, they’d be unstoppable.