In an exclusive press statement obtained by The Tennessee Star, TN-5 Republican primary candidate and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles called for the Democrat-controlled U.S. House and U.S. Senate to immediately pass a 90-day moratorium on federal gasoline and diesel taxes.
“The absurd and destructive energy policies of the Biden Administration and the Democrat-controlled House and Senate, are producing the highest gas and diesel prices in history!” Ogles said. “As Democrats refuse to consider returning to the pre-Biden energy policies that had gas prices in the $2.20 range, the least they can do is give families a break this summer as we struggle with the Biden-flation caused by his inept and misguided energy and economic policies.”
“Earlier this year, Democrats in the Tennessee Legislature sought a moratorium on the state gas and diesel taxes, but they failed to address the federal fuel taxes that Democrats in Washington could immediately freeze,” Ogles pointed out. “Let’s do both! And maybe Democrats across Tennessee and the rest of the country will finally summon the courage to demand that their party return to Trump-era energy policies. Clearly, Democrats would rather continue to be captive to the irrational and harmful dictates of their leftist Squad members while leaving hard-working American families to suffer.”
The statement goes on to say that Ogles, as state director of Americans for Prosperity, “led the fight against the 2017 gas and diesel tax increase here in Tennessee, which raised gas taxes 6 cents per gallon and diesel by 10 cents. He brought hundreds of grassroots activists to the state legislature to meet with their representatives, spearheaded a state-wide awareness campaign, and even drove a 15ft x 8ft sculpture of a pig around the capital to protest pork spending.”
“Eliminating the state gas tax increase for 90 days would be a small but helpful step for Tennessee drivers. But a moratorium on the full 24.4 cents per gallon overall Tennessee tax on gasoline would put about $225 MILLION into the pockets of Tennesseans this summer,” added Ogles.
He also indicated that he hopes Tennessee state leaders will take action that includes a special session, if necessary, to give Tennesseans some relief.
“Americans are suffering bipartisan pain at the pump, and immediate bipartisan support to declare a state and federal moratorium on gas taxes can give American families relief that we desperately need,” Ogles said. “The better long-term solution is to return to producing and exporting American oil and natural gas, restoring the drilling and pipeline developments that the Biden Administration has blocked, and pursuing rational, common sense energy policies that were working well until January, 2021. Sadly, the mid-term elections will have to occur before that approach can begin in earnest, so in the meantime we can only try to achieve small steps that can help families that do not deserve the impact that the Democratic Party policies are imposing on them.”
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Andy Ogles” by Andy Ogles. Background Photo “Texaco Gas Station” by Chris Yarzab. CC BY 2.0.
