Beyond the Dome

John McCain's call today for a “summer gas tax holiday” wasn't exactly an instant hit among Republican leaders in Congress. Maybe it will just take a while for them to warm to the idea.

In a speech in Pennsylvania this morning on his long-term economic strategies, McCain proposed suspending the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and the 24.4 cent diesel tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day as a way to help families who are struggling with rising gas prices.

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio was open to the idea, reports CQ's Edward Epstein.

“I think it's frankly worth consideration. It's worth taking a look at,” said Boehner. Over the long run, though, the nation still needs to conserve more, develop other energy sources such as biofuels and nuclear power, and “go get those natural resources that are in the United States and go produce them,'' he added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, however, was a bit more lukewarm.

“I just heard about it,” McConnell said when asked about McCain's idea at a press conference this afternoon. “We'll be thinking about it, and we'll see if it has any merit.”