Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said Sunday that rising fuel oil costs are adding to household energy bills and that President Donald Trump has not delivered on a promise to lower prices.
Smith posted the statement on X at 2:04 PM on Oct. 25, 2026. It read in full:
“The cost of fuel oil is up 74% in the last year, tacking onto energy bills across the country. President Trump promised to lower prices, yet families are having to foot higher prices.”
The Inflation Report
The post linked a New York Times report on the September Consumer Price Index, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Oct. 14. Prices rose 0.6% for the month and 3.7% from a year earlier. Gasoline prices rose 9.1% in September and are up 34.2% over the year, the report said, and accounted for more than half of the monthly increase.
Fuel oil, used for home heating in much of the Northeast, rose 15.3% in September and 74.2% over twelve months. That is the figure Smith cited. Energy prices overall rose 5.2% for the month and 20.4% for the year.
Other Inflation Details
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.3% in September and 2.6% over the year. The report said inflation reflects the Iran war, tariffs and costs tied to artificial intelligence investment. Real average hourly earnings fell 0.7% over the year, leaving them near where they stood when Trump took office a second time.
The report said a hot September reading adds pressure on the Federal Reserve to keep tightening. Traders expect a rate increase in December, and the 2-year Treasury yield rose to 4.88% after the release.
Heating Oil and Congress
Heating oil has drawn congressional attention. A Oct. 5 letter from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office addressed the rapidly rising cost of heating oil, which it attributed in part to the Iran war and to administration policies.
Smith’s post does not claim a specific White House response, and none was found for this article. On the “promise” point, his post characterizes Trump’s pledge; the sources reviewed do not include the original campaign statement.
Smith’s Record on the Iran War
Smith has opposed the war since its start and has tied it to costs. After voting for a House war powers resolution in March, he said Trump launched a “war of choice” without congressional authorization and had not given a coherent rationale or plan. He said Article I gives Congress the exclusive power to declare war.
After the House passed the resolution on June 3, Smith said Trump had failed to meet his stated objectives and that the war was driving up the cost of gas and groceries. Smith co-sponsored the resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks.
On a Sunday news program, Smith said the war was “a mistake in large part because of the cost,” and urged raising taxes to pay for it rather than a “credit card.” He also warned that voting for Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense request could amount to approving the war in practice.
Smith has not treated Iran as benign. In March he voted for a resolution calling Iran the largest state sponsor of terrorism, saying he agreed Iran is a bad actor while opposing the war.
Midterm Context
The CPI report described the midterms as centered on affordability. Polymarket listed Democrats at a 92% chance of winning the House and 66% for the Senate as of Sunday; those odds represent market pricing, not forecasts.