Rising diesel prices have led Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa to call for an immediate federal response, as the fuel's cost weighs on drivers, farmers, and businesses that depend on shipping.
On X, the veteran Republican urged President Donald Trump to stop diesel exports, invoking the kind of embargo approach used in the 1970s as prices keep climbing.
Here's what to know
Grassley said Iowa diesel had reached $6.57 in his X post, while Raw Story reported that AAA recorded a national average of $6.49 per gallon and an Iowa average of $6.21.
W diesel $6.57 in Iowa why doesn't Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated. High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME #cornwatch #soybeanwatch
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 20, 2026
In that post, Grassley called on Trump to intervene.
"W diesel $6.57 in Iowa why doesn't Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated," he wrote. "High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME."
The surge carries consequences far beyond what drivers pay at the pump. Diesel powers farm machinery, trucking fleets, and much of the supply chain that moves food and goods across the country, meaning higher prices can squeeze business margins and eventually raise costs for consumers.
Raw Story noted that Politico reporter Meredith Lee Hill cast Grassley's request as evidence of the growing political strain in Iowa's increasingly competitive Senate race between GOP nominee Ashley Hinson and Democratic nominee Josh Turek.
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More background
In an agriculture-heavy state like Iowa, expensive diesel can hit farmers especially hard because it affects planting, harvesting, shipping, and nearly every stage of production.
Skeptics of an export ban say any relief could be brief. ABC News reporter Ben Siegel explained the downsides in an X post highlighted by Raw Story.
"One analyst told ABC News banning diesel exports would bring prices down in some gulf and midwestern states for a few weeks, before refineries cut production in response, causing prices to spike again," Siegel wrote. "It could also cool foreign investment in U.S. energy industry & production."
What can be done?
Grassley's post adds to the pressure on federal officials to respond, but quick policy fixes in fuel markets can be risky and temporary.
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