How Long Will We Be Stomaching These Gas Prices? ‘As Long As It Takes’

During a press conference at the NATO Summit, President Joe Biden was asked how long Americans will have to continue to stomach these high gas prices and his response wasn't exactly what we wanted to hear. While this is a problem nationally, it's hitting us even harder in Idaho. California, and Utah.

The President responded by saying, "As long as it takes, so Russia cannot defeat Ukraine and move beyond Ukraine." President Biden went on to say, "The reason why gas prices are up is because of Russia, Russia, Russia."

The national average just passed $5 a gallon, a new record. Here in Idaho we are paying significantly more than the national average. Our average currently sits closer to $5.25 per gallon, with Camas County being hit the hardest with an average of almost $5.70 a gallon. The state of California is currently averaging roughly $6.42 a gallon, the highest average in the country. Our whole region has been deeply impacted by gas prices. The five states paying the most per gallon are California, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

These gas prices have been a catalyst of inflation, which has been another headache all on its own. The President has said he will be asking our Allies in the Persian Gulf to boost their oil production to help give some relief from dependence on Russian oil.

The White House has been working to show that they are trying to tackle the inflation issue by improving supply chain snarls, releasing extra barrels of oil from a strategic petroleum reserve, and by lifting a ban of E15 gas in the summer.

Biden has called upon Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months. However, that proposal was not entirely supported by key Democratic lawmakers. All of this comes at a difficult time with important midterms coming up this year. You can expect this to be a hot button issue at the forefront of the election and campaign trails. It's time for solutions.

Since gas prices won't be going down anytime soon, here are some tips to help you save on gas, in the meantime.

More helpful tips below!