House Republicans passed a bill on Wednesday that would allow nationwide year-round sales of E15, a blend of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol, which refiners and retailers normally cannot sell during the summer in half of the country to prevent air pollution.
The H.R. 1346 bill, or the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, passed the House with a vote of 218 to 203, but still need to be approved by a 60 percent majority at the Senate to move forward to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Lawmakers hope that the measure would give relief to drivers at the pumps ahead of the busy summer season, when demand for fuel normally goes up, after national average gas prices have soared above $4.50 per gallon since the start of the Iran war.
As of Thursday, the national average gas price was $4.53 per gallon, up by roughly $1.50 since late February, when gas prices in the country were just below the $3 mark, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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