WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 House Republicans on Tuesday approved two bills rolling back Energy Department efficiency standards on refrigerators and dishwashers.
Republicans called the Biden administration rules expensive and impractical, while Democrats defended them as a way for consumers to save money and reduce greenhouse gas pollution that contributes to .
A bill by Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa would curtail Energy Department rules on refrigerators. A separate measure by New York Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy would bar the administration from implementing or enforcing new efficiency rules if they are not 鈥渃ost-effective or technologically feasible鈥 and result in significant energy conservation.
The refrigerator bill was approved, 212-192, while the dishwasher measure was adopted, 214-192. Both bills now go to the Democratic-controlled Senate where they are unlikely to advance.
The White House said it strongly opposes both measures but stopped short of a veto threat if the bills reach Biden's desk.
The bills include 鈥渧ague鈥 and misleading language that "would add uncertainty to the implementation of these (efficiency) standards and create unnecessary hurdles for DOE in making future updates,'' the White House said in a statement.
Langworthy said his bill, the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards, or SUDS Act, would "put the brakes on the Biden administration鈥檚 relentless assault on efficient, affordable and reliable appliances for everyday Americans through overbearing regulations.''
The Energy Department and other agencies have 鈥渁bused and twisted鈥 a 1970s-era law aimed at energy conservation in order 鈥渢o serve the radical, woke, environmental agenda of the far left,'' Langworthy said during debate on the House floor. 鈥淲hy should Americans who are putting their groceries on credit cards be forced to deal with more out-of-touch expensive regulations?''
Miller-Meeks used similar language, saying the Biden administration has implemented "outrageous regulations that only serve to limit consumer choice, increase energy prices and control everything Americans are able to do on a day-to-day basis.''
New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said Republicans had it wrong. Instead of lowering costs, the proposals would increase home energy bills for American families, he said.
Energy efficiency standards 鈥渟ave Americans money on their energy bills, boost innovation by modernizing appliances for the future and reduce greenhouse gas pollution in our ongoing efforts to combat the climate crisis,'' Pallone said.
Current and planned actions by the Biden administration on energy efficiency will save Americans $1 trillion over the next 30 years and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.5 billion metric tons, Pallone said.
Pallone, who has served in Congress for 36 years, said energy efficiency "used to be a bipartisan issue, but not anymore. Extreme Republicans have decided that they鈥檇 rather do the bidding of corporate polluters as they continue to move forward with their polluters-over-people agenda.''
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state, the Republican chair of the energy panel, said modern appliances such as the home dishwasher and refrigerator 鈥渨ere not the result of aggressive government mandates or regulation, but of American ingenuity.鈥
"Sadly," she added, "the Biden administration鈥檚 war on American energy is now reaching inside Americans鈥 homes" to what she called 鈥渙ut-of-control appliance mandates.''
Rep. Katie Porter, D-California, said many Republicans who back the appliance measures don't even know how dishwashers work or how much they cost.
鈥淚 know a lot about dishwashers, because I鈥檓 a single mom and I load and unload and load and unload and rinse and buy detergent,'' Porter said.
She asked if Republican colleagues know how much it costs per month to run an average dishwasher. When no one replied, Porter answered her own question, saying typical costs are about $2 to $4 a month. 鈥淚n other words, about one-third of a frappuccino,'' she said.
Contrary to Republican claims that dishwashers often don't work correctly because of complicated federal rules, the most important factor to ensure clean dishes 鈥渋s loading it correctly,'' Porter said.
鈥淭his bill is ridiculous,'' she added. 鈥淚t is Congress at its worst. A bunch of people who haven鈥檛 unloaded a dishwasher ever telling the American people ... what kind of dishwashers they should or should not be able to buy.''
Seven Democrats supported both bills. Michigan Rep. John Moolenaar was the only Republican to oppose the refrigerator bill. No Republican voted against the dishwasher bill.
