The House of Representatives has passed two pieces of legislation aimed at addressing the energy affordability crisis in the United States. The bills, H.R. 7637, known as the Refrigerator Freedom Act, and H.R. 7700, the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act, seek to halt what supporters describe as overreach by the Department of Energy (DOE) in its rulemaking.
According to proponents, new standards set by President Biden’s DOE could limit consumer choice for appliances and increase costs for products such as clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and dishwashers.
AFP Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner commented on the passage: “On behalf of taxpayers and consumers across the country, AFP thanks Reps. Miller-Meeks and Langworthy for introducing common sense legislation to stop the Biden Administration’s runaway regulatory regime."
Gardner added: "While Americans are asking for more choice and affordability for critical everyday home products, the Biden Administration continues to release senseless energy rules that make refrigerators, dishwashers, stoves and other home appliances unaffordable, less reliable, and in some cases unfeasible for manufacturers to make."
He further stated: "Americans continue to suffer under the effects of ‘Bidenomics’ as energy costs have risen to historic highs. Unfortunately, Biden’s allies in Congress refuse to take responsibility for their part in Americans’ pain and continue to back the President’s policies despite calls from their constituents to stem the bleeding and correct course.”
Gardner concluded with a call to action: “AFP urges on the U.S. Senate to take up this legislation prior to adjournment this fall to prevent DOE from further meddling in the appliance market and slow the President’s war on consumer choice.”
Background information indicates that recently finalized DOE rules under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act have led to higher prices and longer appliance run times with negligible savings for consumers. These new standards will apply broadly across various household appliances if left unchanged.
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