Rock Island Today

As gas prices in Illinois and across the country continue to rise, state Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) has called on the Biden administration to find ways to fix the problem and bring some relief to families.

In a Tuesday Facebook post, Swanson highlighted the details of his call for action under House Resolution 719.

"Gas prices continue to rise, and Illinois families, farmers and businesses are feeling major pain at the pump," Swanson wrote in the post. "It has become an urgent national concern. That's why I introduced House Resolution 719 which calls upon President Biden and the federal government to halt their current policies and put into place solutions that will lower gas prices and bring America back to energy independence. I will always have the interest of District 71 and my constituents in mind."

House Resolution 719 was introduced on March 8. The bill makes energy independence a national priority. It calls "upon the federal government and President Joe Biden to reverse current anti-production policies and to take all possible steps to maximize immediate U.S. oil and gas production, including from U.S. federal lands and waters."

In March, the Journal Star said that there are several reasons behind high gas prices in Illinois, including state-related fuel taxes on top of the federal gas tax.

As of June 7, the average cost for a gallon of gas in Illinois was $5.453, which was 53.4 cents higher than the national average, AAA data reported.