Gas price surge sparks US political row

Washington, March 10 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Democratic lawmakers in the United States sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s war with Iran as gasoline prices surge nationwide, urging the White House to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ease pressure on American families.

Oil prices have climbed into triple digits for the first time in four years, with crude nearing $120 a barrel amid disruptions to energy flows from the Middle East. The spike has pushed fuel costs sharply higher nationwide.

Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the rising costs were directly affecting families already struggling with living expenses.

“Because of President Trump’s war in Iran, the average price per gallon in Illinois has soared by nearly fifty cents in just the past month. President Trump might say this is a ‘very small price to pay,’ but families struggling to fill their tanks disagree,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“By now it’s clear that the President started this war with no strategy, no plan to end it, and no concern for its impacts on hard-working Americans,” he added.

Krishnamoorthi called on the administration to immediately release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to help stabilise fuel prices.

“Today, I am calling on the White House to immediately tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reduce the price of gas. President Trump’s failure to tap the Reserve — which we did most recently when the war in Ukraine began — is inexplicable,” he said.

Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens also criticised the administration, saying American families were bearing the financial consequences of the conflict.

“From the start, the Trump Administration has been a disaster for American families. From his erratic tariffs to his reckless war, it’s clear that Trump’s agenda only causes chaos throughout the world while making life more unaffordable for Americans here at home,” Stevens said.

“America cannot afford the $1 billion a day we’re paying for this war, and American families cannot afford the price hikes for oil and gas we’re seeing because the Trump Administration didn’t anticipate Iran’s response,” she added.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also urged the administration to release oil from the reserve, warning that the conflict with Iran was already pushing energy costs sharply higher across the country.

“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve exists for moments exactly like this,” Schumer said. “When wars and global crises disrupt energy markets, the United States has the ability to act, but President Trump and his administration are refusing to do so.”

Gas prices have risen by about 43 cents per gallon since the conflict began on February 28, reaching roughly $3.41 per gallon nationwide — a 14 per cent jump in a single week and the highest levels seen since 2024.

Disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have cut off roughly one-fifth of global oil supply, amplifying volatility in energy markets and pushing fuel costs higher.

Schumer said the administration should act immediately.

“Trump should release oil from the SPR now to stabilize markets, bring prices down, and stop the price shock that American families are already feeling thanks to his reckless war,” he said.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin also criticised the administration’s handling of the conflict.

“President Trump has tried to position himself as the ‘Peace President,’ but his actions tell a different story,” Durbin said. “With Iran, he (has) spiked gas prices, American lives lost, and [he created] risk and uncertainty in a difficult region. All, I worry, without a clear strategy or end game.”

Durbin warned that wars carry heavy human and economic costs.

“I will never forget the rows of beds of young men and women with terrible injuries from roadside bombs and IEDs in the Iraq War,” he said. “That is the real cost of war—a war that this Administration cannot explain.”

The Democratic National Committee also criticised the administration, saying rising fuel prices were the latest economic strain facing American families.

“Donald Trump is out of touch with everyday Americans,” said DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer. “Working families are scraping the bottom of their bank accounts just to afford basic necessities, from gas to groceries to health care.”

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