US President Joe Biden is expected on Wednesday to call for temporarily suspending the 18.4-cents a gallon federal tax on gasoline, a source briefed on the plan told Reuters on Tuesday, the news agency reported.

Biden said Monday he was considering whether to call for a pause in the tax, as the United States struggles to tackle soaring gasoline prices and inflation. A gas tax holiday faces significant opposition in Congress, including among many Democrats.

The White House, which said Biden will deliver remarks on gas prices at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, declined to comment.

High gasoline prices pose a significant political problem for Biden and congressional Democrats as they struggle to maintain their slim control of Congress in November's midterm elections.

Biden has pulled on numerous levers to try to lower prices, including a record release of barrels from US strategic reserves, waivers on rules for producing summer gasoline, and leaning on major OPEC countries to boost output.

Fuel prices have been surging around the world due to a combination of rebounding demand, sanctions on oil producer Russia, and a squeeze on refining capacity.

On June 11, the price of US gasoline averaged more than $5 a gallon for the first time, data from the American Automobile Association showed. It was $4.97 on Tuesday.

Adjusting for inflation, the US gasoline average was still below June 2008 highs of around $5.41 a gallon, according to US Energy Department figures.