These factors could influence Iowa Republicans to call for action to lower fuel costs

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — This week has brought a series of calls from Iowa Republican members of Congress urging their party to address rising costs for families. Why now?

With six weeks until the mid-term elections, it stresses the urgency of capturing voters’ support in the final weeks.

U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Zach Nunn have all called for the war with Iran to end and for Republican leadership in Washington, D.C. to take action to try to lower fuel costs.

And Democrats running against them -- Josh Turek, Christina Bohannan, and Sarah Trone Garriott -- have all criticized the Republicans for supporting Trump’s policies like the global trade war and war with Iran, which raised costs for American families and businesses.

Here are some factors that could push Republican candidates to press for action in the campaign’s remaining weeks:

• Hinson, Miller-Meeks, and Nunn all face competitive challengers, according to polls, and have heard from voters about the strain of increased prices.
• Diesel has never been this expensive with prices increasing nearly $3 per gallon since President Donald Trump took office last year.
• Gas prices have increased nearly $1.25 since Trump returned to the White House.
• Inflation is higher now than it was when Trump took office.
• National public opinion polls show that 60% of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction, according to RealClearPolitics’ average.
• The RealClearPolitics’ average of national polls shows that 60% of Americans disapprove of the job Trump has done as president.
• A CNN poll showed that 29% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of foreign affairs, which includes the war with Iran.
• A president’s party in power historically loses seats in Congress in the mid-term elections.