Rogers calls for end to war in Iran: ‘Michigan families can’t afford to wait’

Former Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.), the Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, on Monday said “Michigan families can’t afford to wait” for the Iran war to reach its conclusion, calling for an end to the conflict.

Rogers released a campaign ad on the social platform X showing him at a grocery store. He said that Michiganders are struggling with rising prices as a result of the conflict and that prices must go down.

“The war with Iran needs to end and end quickly,” he continued. “When it does, energy costs will plummet. But Michigan families can’t afford to wait for that to happen. We need to do something now.”

Rogers proposed suspending the state and federal gas tax of 70 cents a gallon and called for a temporary embargo on American diesel exports until the conflict is over. An increase in supply going to farmers and truckers will put “downward pressure” on the price of diesel.

“Diesel fuels the trucks that bring groceries to this store. It fuels the tractors that grow our food,” he said. “And when diesel costs more, it costs more to grow it, ship it, dock it and ultimately buy it.”

The Michigan Republican’s call to end the conflict follows Rep. Ashley Hinson’s (R-Iowa) remarks on X about how Iowans “shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran.”

Hinson, the nominee for Senate, called for suspending the gas tax, pausing diesel exports, loosening restrictions on gas with higher blends of ethanol and instituting a “diesel relief program to help our farmers and truckers being crushed by high costs.”

She noted that these measures should be implemented “ASAP, and the war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end.”

Iran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil is exported, has led to sharply rising gas and diesel prices. The national average for gas reached $4.48 as of Monday, $1.30 higher than last year’s average, according to AAA. The average for diesel costs $6.51 per gallon as of Monday.

Republicans have clashed over how to improve their weak polling numbers on the economy ahead of the midterms. Some GOP lawmakers approve of President Trump’s proposed idea to send out $5,000 dividend checks to American adults if the Republicans keep their control of Congress, with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) saying he would introduce a bill to do so.

But others have warned of the cost of that proposal and are calling for legislation that can alleviate concerns over high prices more quickly.

The president has said the conflict will not end before the midterms and that he is deciding on his next steps , including “ wiping Iran out , letting them rot economically or making a deal,” Fox News reported Sunday.