AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER MANDATING EFFICIENCY STANDARDS ACT

On 2026-01-09, Representative Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY-23) delivered a floor speech titled "AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER MANDATING EFFICIENCY STANDARDS ACT" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered taxes, the environment. It referenced legislation including HR5184, HR5148, HRES977.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER MANDATING EFFICIENCY STANDARDS ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 7 (Friday, January 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 7 (Friday, January 9, 2026)] [House] [Pages H595-H604] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER MANDATING EFFICIENCY STANDARDS ACT Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, Pursuant to House Resolution 977, I call up the bill (H.R. 5184) to prohibit the Secretary of Energy from enforcing energy efficiency standards applicable to manufactured housing, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 977, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, printed in the bill, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 5184 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act'' or the ``Affordable HOMES Act''. SEC. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO STANDARDS FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING. (a) Recommendations.--Section 413 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17071) is amended-- (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: ``(a) Recommendations for Revisions to Standards.--The Secretary may transmit to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development recommendations for revisions to the preemptive energy conservation standards established under section 604(g) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5403(g)).''; (2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: ``(b) Criteria for Recommendations.--Any recommendations for revisions to a preemptive energy conservation standard transmitted under this section shall-- ``(1) be based on a determination of the cost-effectiveness of such standard as proposed to be revised, taking into consideration life cycle construction and operating costs; ``(2) include estimates of the impact of such standard as proposed to be revised on the initial purchase price of manufactured homes; and ``(3) be developed taking into consideration-- ``(A) factory construction techniques and limitations unique to manufactured homes; ``(B) climate zones established by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; ``(C) alternative methods that achieve equivalent or improved energy performance as compared to such standard as proposed to be revised; and ``(D) estimated payback periods for any added costs arising from such standard as proposed to be revised.''; and (3) by striking subsection (c). (b) No Force or Effect.--The final rule titled ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing'' published by the Department of Energy in the Federal Register on May 31, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 32728), shall have no force or effect. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debated 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 Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta). General Leave Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 5184. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio? There was no objection. Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, since 2020, it is estimated that America's housing market has climbed 57 percent, sidelining first-time home buyers and impacting communities across the country. In fact, polls show that more than four out of five Americans agree that housing affordability is a problem in the area in which they live, with median-priced homes costing more than 50 percent of a typical household's income. There are many contributing factors to the surge in prices, such as a demand shift and material costs. Inappropriate and duplicative regulatory structures have compounded these issues for the construction of manufacturing housing. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 required the Department of Energy to set energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing. This duplicates the Department of Housing and Urban Development's longstanding jurisdiction, first granted in the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act, over these standards. The law also required the DOE to base these new standards on the International Energy Conservation Code, the IECC, which is intended for site-built homes. Builders of site-built homes build according to that specific region, and the IECC reflects those unique characteristics. On the other hand, manufactured homes are built without knowledge of the final location of that home. Manufactured homes play an essential role in meeting our Nation's demand for affordable housing. In fact, the average income of a manufactured home buyer is $63,000, while the average income for a site-built home buyer is about $143,000. We must ensure regulatory morass does not deteriorate access to these homes. H.R. 5184, bipartisan legislation led by the gentlewoman from Indiana, eliminates DOE's authority to issue energy efficiency standards for manufacturing housing. Instead, HUD will maintain full regulatory authority, and DOE may provide recommendations throughout the rulemaking process. This legislation will not diminish the energy efficiency of these homes. Our colleague from the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from Massachusetts' Fourth Congressional District, issued a Dear Colleague and put it well by saying: This bill in no way diminishes the importance of energy efficiency. It simply ensures HUD, under its affordability mission, is the authoritative voice. Consumers will continue to be protected by HUD's existing process, and manufacturers will have a regulatory process that will facilitate the efficient construction of affordable homes in the United States. Homeownership remains a significant aspect of achieving the American Dream. H.R. 5184 helps bring that dream closer to reality for millions of Americans. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 0920 Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the affordability crisis has spread to nearly every facet of American lives. Utility bills are skyrocketing across the country. Trump's disastrous tariffs are being passed on to the American consumer. Grocery prices are up, making it hard for families to put food on the table, and Republicans delivered their latest blow [[Page H596]] with failing to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits which will result in soaring healthcare premiums for more than 20 million Americans. In many cases, Americans are seeing monthly premiums either two, three, or four times higher than they were last year for their healthcare insurance. To make matters worse, we are in the midst of a housing crisis that is crushing American families' dreams. We are witnessing historically high home prices, coupled with a devastating shortage of housing. The cost of buying a home feels out of reach for too many, while rent is simultaneously ballooning at an unsustainable rate. Manufactured homes, however, are an important component of our affordable housing stock. We should all be concerned about the cost of buying a new home, but this bill does not solve this crisis. In fact, it only makes housing affordability worse. First, it revokes the Department of Energy's May 2022 energy conservation standard for manufactured housing, robbing residents of $5 billion in savings. Manufactured homes are often far less efficient than other homes, costing owners about 70 percent more per square foot in utility bills. Many low-income residents have reported foregoing basic necessities like food or medicine in order to keep their lights on. To suggest that the Department of Energy standards for manufactured homes negatively impact affordability is entirely false. As I stressed, it is entirely false. When talking about affordability, it is imperative that we also consider the cost of actually living in these homes, and energy use is a big part of that. This is even more important at a time when electricity costs are up 13 percent nationwide. If my Republican colleagues really want to get at the root cause of the current housing affordability crisis, they should look at Trump's disastrous tariffs on essential building materials and appliances, not energy efficiency standards that actually lower monthly energy bills. Now, this bill also strips the Department of Energy of its congressionally-directed authority to set efficiency standards for manufactured homes and sends the responsibility to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, an agency with a history of failing to protect manufactured housing residents from high energy costs. Prior to the passage of a bipartisan bill called the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007 when George Bush was President, he signed that into law, and HUD was then responsible for setting energy efficiency standards for manufactured homes. However, the agency, HUD, failed to act, leaving residents without an updated energy code since 1994. It is no wonder that 44 percent of manufactured housing residents face a high energy burden. Now, the Department of Energy in May 2022 set a standard that was long overdue that said that manufactured housing residents had gone without a modern standard for nearly 30

Referenced legislation: HRES977, HRES977, HR5148, HR5184