By Hank Russell
As New Yorkers are starting to pay more at the pump as gas prices continue to increase, Governor Kathy Hochul said the blame lies with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans during a press conference in Tonawanda.
Since President Trump launched the War in Iran on February 28, average gas prices across New York have increased by 62 cents per gallon, or roughly 21%, according to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Diesel prices have increased statewide by $1.13 per gallon, or 28%, since the war began and surpassed $5.00 per gallon on March 13.
Just this past weekend alone, statewide gasoline and diesel prices jumped eight cents per gallon and eleven cents per gallon, respectively, from March 13 to March 16.
“President Trump promised to lower energy prices, but instead, he and his administration have driven up costs for New Yorkers with illegal tariffs — and now they’re driving up gas prices with the War in Iran,” Hochul said. “As Republicans in Congress ignore these gas price hikes, I’ll keep working to tackle rising energy costs by protecting consumers, holding utility companies accountable and building more of the energy sources our state needs.”
In response, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, “Under President Trump’s American energy dominance agenda, oil and gas production has hit record highs and prices at the pump had dropped to multi-year lows. President Trump has been clear that these are short-term disruptions.”
Trump anticipates the war to end in a few weeks. “Ultimately, once the military objectives are completed and the Iranian terrorist regime is neutralized, oil and gas prices will drop rapidly again, potentially even lower than before the strikes [began],” Rogers said. “As a result, American families will benefit greatly in the long term.”