Government Oversight of Unpatriotic Greed in Energy Act or the GOUGE Act
This bill allows an exemption from the excise tax on gasoline, other than aviation gasoline, and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund financing rate, for the period beginning on the enactment of this bill, and ending on December 31, 2022 (gasoline tax holiday). It provides full reimbursement to states for any revenues lost due to the gasoline tax holiday.
The bill also imposes an excise tax equal to 50% of the windfall profit of certain large oil and gas companies, beginning in 2022.
The bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue regulations prohibiting any sellers of crude oil, gasoline, or other petroleum distillate from engaging in price gouging. The FTC must investigate whether any oil company violated such prohibition during 2022, particularly during the period leading up to and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and impose specified civil penalties.