BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — With exactly five weeks until Election Day, rising energy costs are becoming a major political issue as Western New Yorkers and people across America face higher prices at the pump and prepare for potentially expensive heating bills this winter.
The Western New York average for gasoline climbed to $4.43 a gallon Tuesday, while diesel prices reached another record high at $6.38. New York's statewide average home heating oil price recently reached $6.27 a gallon, according to NYSERDA data.
The energy issue is putting both parties on the defensive, with Democrats blaming President Donald Trump's handling of the war in Iran, while Republicans argue prices would be even higher under Democratic policies.
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has repeatedly tied the increase in fuel prices to the conflict in Iran.
"Because of Donald Trump, New York families, small businesses, and farmers will be paying record high prices," Gillibrand said in a recent statement. She said the president's "reckless war in Iran" is driving up costs.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has made a similar argument, saying Americans have already been paying billions of dollars more because of rising energy costs and calling for action to bring prices down.
"Trump continues to drag America through the mess he's made in Iran," Schumer said this week from the floor of the U.S. Senate.
WATCH: High energy prices become political flashpoint five weeks before election
Republicans in the U.S. House, meanwhile, point to a lack of congressional action in the Senate, where many bills lack enough support to surpass the fillibuster's 60-vote threshold.
Western New York Congressman Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., said he is working on a plan for President Trump, who he believes could act on his own.
"We're working on trying to send a proposal over to the White House because I think this should be done through emergency powers," Langworthy said. He also called for more refining capacity in the United States.
Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., argues the alternative would be even more expensive.
"Could you imagine if we didn't have exploration and all the things we're doing now and we were continuing under the Green New (Deal) policies of Joe Biden?" Tenney said on Fox Business. "The price of gas would probably be $6 or $7 a gallon."
Gas prices did reach historic levels during the Biden administration following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the national average had fallen to about $3.10 a gallon by the time Biden left office. At current prices, the national average is 44% higher.
The debate comes as Americans head toward an election in which affordability remains a central concern. A recent poll from Ipsos found 89% of registered voters were concerned about gasoline prices.
