# Diesel Prices Hit Record Highs, Straining Farmers Ahead of Midterms

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/diesel-prices-hit-record-highs-straining-farmers-ahead-of-midterms
- Published: 2026-09-25T19:12:41.868648+00:00
- Topics: diesel-prices, inflation, energy-policy, agriculture, midterm-elections

## What the left says
- The war in Iran, a war of choice, is a direct driver of the diesel spike, with one estimate putting the cost to U.S. consumers at over $100 billion in higher energy prices.
- Farmers, food banks, and small businesses are absorbing devastating costs that translate directly into fewer meals delivered and higher financial strain on family farms and Black farmers already at risk.
- The administration's deregulatory push and refining capacity excuses deflect responsibility for a crisis tied to its own foreign policy decisions.
- Proposed fixes like a diesel export ban risk compounding the problem according to experts, suggesting the administration lacks a coherent plan to protect consumers.

## What the right says
- Farm-state Republicans are taking decisive action, demanding Congress return to session to pause diesel exports, suspend the gas tax, and create direct relief programs for farmers and truckers.
- The administration frames the pain as a necessary short-term cost of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a long-term security goal worth the sacrifice.
- Officials are pursuing concrete solutions, including invoking the Defense Production Act and pushing infrastructure investment to expand domestic refining capacity.
- Republican governors like Louisiana's Jeff Landry are stepping in with emergency declarations to deliver immediate relief to farmers hurt by the price spike.

## Common ground
- Diesel prices have hit unprecedented levels, surging from around $3.69 a year ago to over $6.50 a gallon.
- Farmers, ranchers, truckers, and food banks are facing real and substantial financial strain from the price increase.
- Instability tied to the Iran conflict and strained global refining capacity are recognized as key factors behind the surge.
- There is broad agreement that the situation demands some form of government response, whether through export policy, tax relief, or emergency declarations.

## Sources
- [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-diesel-prices-squeeze-schools-farms/) (Lean Left)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-25-0700/energy-soaring-diesel-prices-pose-latest-economic-headache-gop) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-24-0700/energy-farm-state-republicans-feel-pressure-rising-diesel-prices) (Center)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/22/trump-high-gas-prices-refining-capacity) (Lean Left)
- [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/iowa-farmer-record-diesel-prices-trump-war_n_6ab4f96fe4b07f5e6ae0d9a2) (Left)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-the-diesel-price-spike-is-rippling-through-nearly-every-part-of-the-economy) (Lean Left)

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