One Month Into Iran War, Virginians Have Paid $254 Million for Gas

WASHINGTON - A new congressional analysis finds that Virginians have already paid $254 million more at the pump as a result of President Trump's war of choice in Iran, part of a broader nationwide increase in gasoline costs totaling an estimated $8.4 billion for American families. The report shows the national average price of gasoline has now risen above $4 a gallon, with fill-up costs reaching $145 for the top-selling pickup truck, $58 for the top-selling SUV, and $52 for the top-selling sedan.

"We've said it countless times: there was no imminent threat to the U.S. when President Trump entered this war with Iran. Trump went in with no clear plan, goals, or objectives, and now working families are stuck footing the bill," said U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA). "Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz was a predictable response that the administration was embarrassingly unprepared for. Now, Virginians are paying hundreds of millions more at the pump, while costs are rising for groceries, air travel, fertilizer, aluminum, and more. Even if the Strait reopened tomorrow, the chaos Trump has caused for global markets means these increased costs are here for the long haul."

To calculate gas cost changes, the analysis used AAA, Federal Highway Administration, and Energy Information Administration data in order to estimate the increase in gasoline spending since February 28 and data from Edmunds on the top-selling gas vehicles in the United States. It found that fill-up costs are now 35% higher, which means that:

1. The cost to fill up the top-selling pickup truck is now $144.65, an increase of $37.29
2. The cost to fill up the top-selling SUV is now $58.26, an increase of $15.02
3. The cost to fill up the top-selling sedan is now $52.23, an increase of $13.46

Trump campaigned on lowering the cost of gasoline and pulling the U.S. out of foreign wars. Instead, he has made the choice to enter the U.S. into a conflict that is dramatically spiking costs across the Commonwealth and country. Increased prices as a result of the war in Iran are hitting American households and businesses at a time when families are already struggling with rising health care, energy, and grocery costs due to Trump's senseless tariffs and chaotic economic policies.

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