Gasoline prices soar at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gas prices soar as the war with Iran continues.
Frederick J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
Rising gas prices and the lack of a clear end to the Iran war are clashing with Republicans’ plans to win the November election on an affordable message.
Republican U.S. House members are gathering in Miami this week to consider the legislative agenda and interim message focused on lowering prices and new tax cuts.
Some lawmakers at the rally acknowledged that high gas prices (up more than 60 cents from a month ago, according to AAA) are painful, but said they remained confident in President Donald Trump’s promise that the Iran conflict will soon end and gas prices will fall again.
The morning after President Trump reassured both lawmakers and the market that the war was moving ahead of schedule and would be over soon, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) agreed, saying the war was “almost complete” and “then gas prices will readjust.”
“The Strait of Hormuz has been closed by the regime, but it will reopen. It will take several weeks, but petrol prices will return,” Johnson told reporters at a Republican rally.
Many lawmakers said they are holding out hope that the war will end in the coming weeks, gas prices will fall and they won’t have to deal with political headaches closer to November’s voting day.
But other members privately expressed concerns that the impact of gas prices and uncertainty surrounding war could overshadow the policy-focused agenda. Republicans control the House by a narrow margin of 218-214, with three seats open. A special election will be held Tuesday for Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has resigned.
“Is the objective clear? Are other allies involved? What will happen to energy prices? All the relevant questions are not answered at this point,” said one Republican lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity to counter party policy. The Strait of Hormuz needs to be “reopened”.
Another Republican, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, called rising gas prices a “problem” but added, “I hope they come down by Election Day.”
Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said rising gas prices need to be addressed, noting that people are already paying more at the pump.
“We’re definitely seeing a short-term surge, and that’s concerning,” he said in a brief interview at a Republican convention.
Guthrie added that Republicans should make the case for why attacking Iran is necessary in the first place, which he defined as stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and preventing the United States and its allies from being attacked first.
“I think people need to understand why,” Guthrie said. “We need to explain exactly why[President Trump]is doing this in Iran. And I know he’s talked about it, but I think it needs to continue because people need to keep listening.”
The war remains politically unpopular, with numerous public opinion polls showing that a majority of Americans do not support it. About 29% of Americans support war with Iran, and a majority expect gas prices to continue rising, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Florida Republican Rep. Aaron Bean said he has heard from constituents concerned about rising oil prices. In response, he argued that the pain will be worth it once Iran is under the leadership of a new government.
“I liken it to road repair. It’s always a hassle when you have to repair a road, especially your own street. There’s also traffic jams and things like that,” he said. “But the day they release the cones and stuff like that, it’s smoother and easier and wider and safer, and that’s what’s happening.”
