In his U.S. Senate campaign, state Rep. James Talarico is building on his agenda to support working-class families across Texas.
Standing outside of a gas station in Austin, Talarico announced his plan to lower fuel costs as prices at the pump continues to soar after President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Talarico’s announcement on a plan to tackle fuel costs comes just over a week after he vowed to close tax loopholes for billionaires.
“In the last election, Americans were promised lower prices,” Talarico’s campaign said in a news release. “But now everything is more expensive — especially gas. Average gas prices nationally are now around $4.02 per gallon — a jump of about $1 since February 2026.”
“Every day, families are choosing between putting gas in the tank or putting food on the table,” the release continued.
Talarico noted that gas prices are expected to cost the average American household an additional $740 this year. That number does not include diesel costs, which have risen $1.68 since February to an average of $5.40 per gallon — with diesel fuel behind farming and shipping, the cost of everyday items continue to rise.
“Politicians say we don’t have the money to make gas, or groceries, or utilities, or health care, or childcare cheaper,” Talarico’s campaign said. “But there’s always enough money for a new forever war. To put money back in Texans’ pockets, James is proposing a full suspension of federal gas and diesel taxes and an end to the war in Iran.”
What’s in the plan?
Following is a breakdown of Talarico’s plan to lower fuel costs:
Cornyn opposes Talarico plan
Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn — who is currently locked in a tight Republican primary runoff battle against Attorney General Ken Paxton to face Talarico in November — was quick to dismiss the plan.
“I think that’s a short-sighted solution,” Cornyn said. “It’s not really a solution. It actually will make things worse.”
For his part, Talarico was quick to respond, noting that Cornyn has repeatedly supported the war in Iran — a root cause of the crippling price Americans are currently paying for gas — and has done little to support working Texans.
“John Cornyn has had the last 40 years in public office to develop solutions that lower costs for Texans,” Talarico said in a statement. “Instead, he’s supporting another war in the Middle East that’s driving up prices, and he’s opposing efforts to suspend taxes for Texans trying to make ends meet. This is exactly what we’re running against: a broken, corrupt political system in Washington that starts wars and drives up gas prices then rejects any effort to help working people in Texas.”
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: James Talarico unveils plan to lower fuel prices in Texas’ US Senate race
Reporting by Adam Powell, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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