Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md., 1st) proposed a federal gas tax break, citing high gas prices for residents. Dan Schwartz, Harris' Democratic challenger, is calling the proposal a stunt leading up to the election.
The war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has effectively shut down tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world's oil supply.
Since, Americans have been struggling with gas prices sitting around $4 per gallon. The federal gas tax currently stands at 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel.
According to Harris, due to a lack of Republican support in the House of Representatives, the bill didn't come to a vote Wednesday and likely won't have movement until after the election in November.
Schwartz criticized Harris for the effort, referring to 2022, when Harris called a gas tax relief effort a "stunt" by Democrats.
"This is 100% a stunt, and when the Democrats attempted to do this four years ago, that's exactly what Andy Harris called it," Schwartz said in an interview. "He literally now, after his party has started a war, which he has voted to extend and has done absolutely nothing to to bring...