The White House considered sending Americans gas cards to help offset the high costs but failed to convince congressional committees of the plan's viability or effectiveness, Axios reports.
"There's a variety of ideas being discussed to ensure that the costs American families are feeling at the pump are as minimal as possible," White House spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
"However, gas cards being sent to the American people is not seriously under consideration. It is not an administratively feasible solution and the Biden Administration is not considering this as a serious option to help American families."
House Democrats on Wednesday issued a list of reasons why sending Americans gas cards would be a bad idea; they include:
- It would be too expensive and poorly regulated.
- It could worsen inflation and would not do much to offset prices.
- Requesting the IRS to send the cards in the middle of tax filing season could delay people's returns.
Currently, the Biden administration is feeling the political pressure to rectify gas prices, among other consumer demands, as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that high inflation could persist into midterm elections.
According to the Fed's quarterly projections, inflation levels will remain elevated with 2022 ending at 4.3%.