LITTLE ROCK—A summerlong suspension of the federal gas tax may be the brainchild of former Arkansas first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, but the idea is resoundingly opposed by the state’s governor and congressional delegation.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe and nearly all of the state’s congressional delegation said they don’t think a “holiday” on gas taxes at the federal level will solve the problem of rising gas prices. U.S. Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., said Wednesday he’s open to the idea of a temporary suspension of the 18.4 cents a gallon tax for three months.

Beebe said he didn’t believe consumers would benefit from a temporary lifting of the tax. Beebe, a Democrat, has backed Clinton’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“I suppose every little bit helps, but our problems are so much deeper than that,” Beebe said. “That’s not going to solve the problem. Certainly, you need money for highways. While I’m sympathetic to the needs of our people, that doesn’t help them very much.”

The average price of a gallon of gas in Arkanas was $3.49, compared to $3.62 nationally, the AAA said Wednesday.

Both Clinton and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain have proposed suspending the federal gas tax for three months. Democratic candidate Barack Obama has opposed the idea.

Beebe also said he’s opposed to suspending the 21.6-cent state gas tax over the summer, citing the state’s road construction and maintenance needs. The state levies a 22.6 cent per gallon on diesel.

Clinton, who served as the state’s first lady for 12 years, has backing in her run for the presidency from the state’s top elected Democrats, including Beebe, U.S. Reps Berry, Mike Ross and Vic Snyder. U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both Democrats, have also endorsed Clinton.

Berry was the only member of the congressional delegation who didn’t outright pan the idea of a gas tax holiday.

“The federal gas tax holiday proposal is an idea I’m willing to consider on the condition that we are still able to address our highway maintenance needs as well as ensure that the relief benefits taxpayers, not oil and gas companies,” said Berry, who said attention should also be paid to increasing domestic fuel supply and investigate possible price gouging.

Rep. John Boozman, the sole Republican in the congressional delegation, also said that he’s opposed to a gas tax holiday and said opening up off-shore drilling had the best potential to ease the pain that motorists are feeling from higher prices. Ross and Snyder also said they were opposed to a gas tax holiday.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday ignored the call for a suspension of the fuel tax and instead proposed a windfall-profits tax on oil companies and a rollback of $17 billion in oil industry tax breaks as part of an energy package. The proposal also would impose federal penalties on energy price gouging and calls for stopping oil deliveries into the government’s emergency reserve.

Lincoln and Pryor both said Wednesday they were opposed to a temporary suspension of the tax.