Lawmakers in Washington are trading blame with officials from President Donald Trump’s administration as gas prices have continued to rise since the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran.
The average price of a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, was $4.36, according to AAA. That’s up from an average of $4.22 one week ago on Sept. 9, and $3.16 one year ago on Sept. 16, 2025, the group said. The average price of diesel fuel on Wednesday, Sept. 10, was $6.31, according to AAA.
Oil prices have spiked amid continued escalation in the war between the United States and Iran. Futures for Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, reached about $106 per barrel on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Futures for November delivery of West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, were trading at around $103 per barrel.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a post on X that gas and diesel prices are both expected to continue rising as the Iran war continues.
“We may set a new 2026 high for average gas prices by the weekend,” he wrote. “Currently $4.371/gal and climbing, previous high $4.566/gal. diesel average at $6.315/gal and climbing, could hit $6.50/gal in the next 48 hours.”
With that in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team took a look at what lawmakers and Trump administration officials were saying about the current gas prices and what Washington could realistically do to lower prices.
What Are Lawmakers Saying About High Gas Prices?
Democrats in Congress have pummeled the Trump administration over high gas prices since the administration launched the war with Iran, which resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the channel through which most gas from the region previously flowed.
Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, said in a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 16: “Americans and small businesses feel the pain of your reckless economic policy. They’re paying sky-high prices for beef, gas, electronics and really everything around the kitchen table.”
Brad Sherman, another California Democrat, said: “The war has driven up gas prices and has driven up interest rates. Last year, I urged the administration to fill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. They did not. As a result, we’ve not been able to respond to the Strait of Hormuz problem as effectively as we could.”
“Since the war started, gas prices are up 52%. Yes or no, are you aware of that?” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat from Massachusetts, asked U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the same hearing.
“I think that’s not a good number,” Bessent replied, then added: “They’re lower than they were during the Biden administration.”
How Has the Administration Tried to Lower Gas Prices?
In July, the White House touted the launch of 25 Freedom Fuel gas stations in the Northeast, all selling fuel at $3.47 a gallon, to great fanfare. But the stations were concentrated in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and they appeared to have little impact on prices at the pump in those states. The average price of gas in Pennsylvania on Sept. 10 was $4.45 per gallon, and the average price at the pump in New Jersey on Sept. 10 was $4.36.
Trump has also previously pressured gas retailers to lower prices at the pump, accusing them of price gouging at a time when oil barrel prices were starting to fall.
Trump has additionally been pushing Congress to pass legislation that would allow sales of higher-ethanol gasoline as U.S. lawmakers grapple with rising gas prices that have upset many Americans in an election year.
In an updated 2026 budget request sent to Congress on June 24, the White House requested a new law that would codify “the permanent, year-round sale” of E15 gas, which is gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. Doing so, the White House said, would amount to “an urgent and needed policy change that would expand consumer choice, support domestic fuel production, and provide additional flexibility in fuel markets.”
How Long Could Prices Stay Elevated?
De Haan said in a blog post that gas prices are likely to remain elevated as long as there is an ongoing military conflict in the Middle East.
“While most of the country transitions to cheaper winter-blend gasoline this week, the scale of ongoing geopolitical escalations makes meaningful price relief unlikely in the near term,” De Haan wrote. “Motorists should brace for continued volatility ahead.”
Average gas prices in the U.S. on Sept. 16 ranged from $3.75 in Indiana to $6.04 in California, according to AAA. Regional differences in gas prices can be explained by several factors, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The agency listed the following reasons for regional gas price differences:
- Differences in state and local gas taxes
- Distance from supply
- Supply disruptions
- Retail competition and operating costs
- Environmental programs
“Retail gasoline prices tend to be higher the further gasoline must be transported to the point of sale because transportation costs are higher,” the agency said.
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