PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELATING TO "ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM: ENERGY...

On 2025-03-26, Representative James R. Baird (R-IN-4) delivered a floor speech titled "PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, D" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered climate policy, the environment. It referenced legislation including HRES242, HJRES75.

PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELATING TO "ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM: ENERGY...

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 55 (Wednesday, March 26, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 26, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1284-H1290] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELATING TO ``ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM: ENERGY CONSERVATION STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATORS, FREEZERS, AND REFRIGERATOR- FREEZERS'' Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 242, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 75) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 242, the joint resolution is considered read. The text of the joint resolution is as follows: H.J. Res. 75 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Office of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers'' (90 Fed. Reg. 7464; published January 21, 2025) and such rule shall have no force or effect. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The joint resolution shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees. The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie). General Leave Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 75. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky? There was no objection. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. [[Page H1285]] Mr. Speaker, as President Trump took office in January, the Biden- Harris Department of Energy finalized amended energy efficiency standards for commercial refrigeration equipment. H.J. Res. 75, introduced by Representative Goldman of Texas, a new member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, repeals this final rule. New standards for this equipment, which included a variety of products, became effective just 3 years ago. Yet the Biden administration moved ahead with implementing burdensome new standards. In fact, these standards will require energy reductions up to 60 percent on top of the previous standards, pushing the price of this equipment higher than ever before. The Department of Energy itself estimates the final rule will cost $8 billion. However, it substantially underestimated compliance costs throughout the rulemaking process. The Department of Energy, despite feedback from stakeholders, did not account for the significant ongoing capital investment manufacturers must make to shift to new refrigerants. When amending energy efficiency standards, the Department of Energy must prove that new or amended standards are economically justified, as well as technologically feasible, and that they result in significant savings. Not only is it unclear if compliance with the DOE's final rule is technically feasible but it is certainly clear that the rule is not cost-effective. For example, one popular refrigerator design covered by this rule, vertically closed transparent commercial refrigerators, is estimated by the Department of Energy to have a payback period of almost 94 years under the amended standards. For retailers, many of which are small or family-owned businesses, it makes no sense to purchase equipment that will take nearly 100 years to recoup the cost on, especially when the average lifetime of this product is 14 years. This will result in less efficient equipment being used beyond its recommended lifetime or a significant capital expenditure which will have to be passed down to American families in the form of higher prices. This is a lose-lose situation for small business owners and clearly violates the letter of the law. We must pass H.J. Res. 75 to repeal this midnight rule and provide certainty to American manufacturers and small retailers. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Goldman) for his leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.J. Res. 75, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution. Week after week, I find myself here on the House floor, not debating things that are important to American families like protecting Medicaid or Social Security. Instead, we are debating standards for appliances. We have got refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines. This one isn't even something for use in a household. It is for commercial use. Again, House Republicans have chosen this time to ignore the pressing issues that Americans face and to instead march forward with their anti-efficiency agenda that drives up energy costs for American businesses and consumers. Democrats, on the other hand, are here to defend these commonsense energy efficiency standards and the very real savings they provide Americans. My home State of New Jersey was recently recognized among the top 10 States doing the most to advance energy efficiency, and I am pleased by my State's progress and want to make sure that Americans in all States benefit from similar efforts. Today's resolution, like all the other anti-efficiency resolutions that we have seen recently from the Republicans, did not go through any regular order. I want to stress why that is important. We never received any expert witness testimony on the impact of the standards or on the impact of repealing them. Instead, we are left to trust a Republican Party that is decidedly antiscience on the impacts of energy conservation standards. Let me stress this. What do I mean by regular order? Well, a bill is introduced. We have a subcommittee hearing in Energy and Commerce. In this case, the Department of Energy would come in and show how there are so many savings and why these standards lead to more efficiency. Then if the Republicans disagree, they can bring in experts that say the opposite. Of course, they don't want to do that because there aren't any experts that are going to say the opposite. They are just making this stuff up. Today's resolution, H.J. Res. 75, targets a recently finalized energy conservation standard for commercial refrigerators and freezers. Again, this isn't even for households. These are commercial refrigerators and freezers. These are products that are primarily used in grocery stores and convenience stores. Now we are debating whether or not the refrigerators in grocery stores should be energy efficient. I can't imagine more of a waste of floor time. When there are so many other issues that have to be discussed here today, we are doing this instead. The energy conservation standard targeted by this resolution would save businesses $4.6 billion over 30 years. Republicans have already taken away options for households to save money on their energy bills. Now they are going to strip businesses of these options as well. Repealing these standards would also raise costs and increase demand on the electricity grid. It is also not necessary because two-thirds of the products on the market today already meet these new efficiency standards. The payback period for any up-front costs of the more efficient products is about 3.5 years, while the products themselves last for 12 to 14 years. To argue that there is some kind of major regulatory burden or imposition on small businesses is just false. At a time of increased energy costs, increased grid strain, tariffs, and rising household costs under the Trump administration, we have to ask ourselves: Why do Republicans keep targeting policies that save money and save energy? They ran on the fact they were going to make things more affordable. Things are less affordable, and this will also make them less affordable. The only answer I can come up with is that when more energy is consumed or more energy is wasted, the oil and gas industry benefits. We know that the Washington Republicans continue to do the bidding of Big Oil and Gas. This resolution proves that Republicans are completely out of touch. Americans are struggling to make ends meet and are facing the reality that Republicans may soon strip them and their families not only of healthcare but repealing commonsense energy efficiency standards. Republicans also continue to look the other way as the Trump administration and Elon Musk undermine Social Security, threatening the benefits seniors have earned over a lifetime of hard work. Instead, they are focusing on refrigerators. Mr. Speaker, I don't know what else to say. I oppose this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Goldman), the sponsor of this bill. Mr. GOLDMAN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution, H.J. Res. 75, which repeals the Biden administration's burdensome energy conservation standards for commercial refrigerators and freezers. In the final months, the previous administration pri

Referenced legislation: HJRES75, HJRES75, HRES242