WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – With major foreign aid bills now out of the way, House Republicans are renewing their crusade to protect Americans’ home appliances. Tuesday House Republicans will vote to pass the “Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act.”
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), the bill’s author, argues the administration’s radical environmental agenda will drive consumer prices up and limit choices.
“Tell President Biden to take his hands off our home appliances,” said Lesko at a GOP leadership press conference ahead of the Tuesday vote.
She says the bill would target household products including stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, showers, toilets, water heaters, heat pumps and furnaces.
Her previous bill, the “Hands Off our Gas Stoves Act,” passed last year.
Susan Dudley leads the George Washington University Regulatory Study Center. She says the bill could have a positive impact on consumers because it stops the Department of Energy from automatically setting new standards every six years.
“The problem with the process is that you’re always setting new standards, again based on projections,” Dudley says, “without setting standards based on what’s actually happening.”
The White House is defending its strategy. A recent statement from the Office of Management and Budget says the energy standards in question save customers money.
According to OMB estimates, an average U.S. household is saving $321 per year in utility bills. They expect savings to increase with time.
Before a floor vote, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) poked fun at the Republicans’ policy agenda.
“Liberty for laundries, freedom for refrigerators. I mean, these are unserious issues,” said Aguilar.
Despite having overwhelming support among Republicans, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act is unlikely to gain traction in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
