[Pages H884-H889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE 
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELATING TO ``ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM: ENERGY 
   CONSERVATION STANDARDS FOR CONSUMER GAS-FIRED INSTANTANEOUS WATER 
                               HEATERS''

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 161, I call up 
the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 20) providing for congressional 
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule 
submitted by the Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation 
Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired 
Instantaneous Water Heaters'', 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 161, the joint 
resolution is considered read.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 20

         Resolved by the Senate and House 
     of<3-line {>presentatives of the United States of America in 
     Congress assembled,  That Congress disapproves the rule 
     submitted by the Department of Energy relating to ``Energy 
     Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
     Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters'' (89 Fed. 
     Reg. 105188 (December 26, 2024)), 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 Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes.

[[Page H885]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

                              {time}  0915


                             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.J. Res. 20.
  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, on December 26, while American families were enjoying 
the holidays, the Biden administration's Department of Energy issued a 
final rule once again, setting cost prohibitive energy conservation 
standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters.
  Today, the House will consider the gentleman from Alabama's Sixth 
District's legislation, H.J. Res. 20, to overturn this egregious 
standard.
  Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, EPCA, in order to 
promulgate new or amended energy efficiency standards, the DOE must 
find that the standard be cost-effective, technologically feasible, and 
result in a significant conservation of energy. This amended standard 
does not meet those criteria and should be repealed.
  In this final rule, the DOE fails to adequately estimate the cost 
difference between condensing and noncondensing water heaters. This 
difference will result in a significant cost increase for consumers, 
especially low-income households and seniors, by removing more 
affordable options from the market.
  In fact, the DOE itself estimated that the amended standard would 
increase the cost of new water heater models by $231. However, the DOE 
failed to adequately estimate the cost difference between condensing 
and noncondensing models in this assessment.
  On top of expensive installation costs, industry stakeholders 
estimate the actual cost increase for American consumers will range 
between $450 to $665 per unit. This staggering increase is not cost-
effective, as stipulated by EPCA, and is unattainable for many 
families.
  The Biden-Harris administration consistently ignored this stipulation 
in a number of rulemakings, and the gas heater rule is no different.
  This amended standard will ban approximately 40 percent of the 
tankless gas water heaters currently available, forcing consumers to 
purchase significantly more expensive or less efficient models.
  Not only do bans on gas appliances infringe on consumer choice, but 
it also increases strains on our Nation's grid, which cannot sustain 
such massive and rapid amounts of forced electrification without new, 
baseload generation coming online.
  President Trump, understanding the serious concerns unjustified 
energy efficiency standards pose for consumers, issued an executive 
order on day one to unleash American energy. This EO stated that it is 
the policy of the United States to safeguard the American people's 
freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances.
  Additionally, this administration has paused implementation of this 
final rule and issued a Statement of Administration Policy supporting 
H.J. Res. 20. Congress should pass H.J. Res. 20 to right the wrongs of 
the previous administration, execute President Trump's agenda, and 
protect our consumers.
  I thank the gentleman from Alabama's Sixth District for his 
leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' 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 strong opposition to H.J. Res. 20, the second 
Republican resolution in just 2 days that will raise energy prices on 
Americans. This harmful resolution guts a Department of Energy 
efficiency rule on gas instantaneous, or tankless, water heaters.
  Energy efficiency standards, like the one Republicans are going after 
today, are a popular, commonsense tool to save Americans money on their 
energy bills. President Trump ran on a promise to cut energy costs in 
half his first year, but now Republicans and their billionaire friends 
are only making themselves richer while sending Americans' utility 
bills through the roof.
  Unfortunately, I guess it should not come as a surprise considering 
that earlier this week Republicans moved forward with a budget that 
includes devastating cuts to Medicaid and food assistance for our kids, 
our seniors, and our veterans, all so Republicans can give tax breaks 
to their millionaire buddies.
  Let me start off by dispelling a few myths about the water heater 
standards targeted by this resolution.
  First, these standards do not ban water heaters. Regardless of what 
the rightwing media and fossil fuel groups say, DOE cannot ban 
appliances based on their fuel type.
  Second, these standards do not remove consumer choice. American 
families can still walk into a store, pick out a gas tankless water 
heater, and have it installed in their homes. In fact, these standards 
preserve consumer choice. They ensure that all products on the market 
meet a certain level of energy efficiency so consumers can shop with 
confidence.
  The standards impact less than 10 percent of the gas water heater 
market, and right now, 60 percent of all models on the market already 
meet these standards. This isn't an effort to pull products from 
shelves. Instead, it is an effort to raise the quality of the products 
on the shelves. That is what we are trying to do with the standards.
  Third, and most importantly, these standards do not increase costs 
for consumers. They reduce total costs over the life of a water heater 
and save $3.31 billion for consumers over 30 years. They are also 
projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 million metric tons 
over 30 years.
  To summarize, these standards allow gas tankless water heaters to 
stay on the market, they preserve consumer choice, they lower costs for 
Americans, and they reduce emissions. So it is no wonder that these 
efficiency standards are supported by consumer advocates and American 
manufacturers--I stress American manufacturers--who want to preserve 
the standards.

  The Republican resolution before us today completely nullifies these 
energy efficiency standards. It steals, essentially, $3.1 billion in 
savings from Americans. Because it is a Congressional Review Act 
resolution, it goes one step further and prevents DOE from issuing 
substantially similar standards in the future.
  Now, why are Republicans pursuing something that is bad for 
consumers?
  It is because it is good for the gas industry. The American Gas 
Association and foreign manufacturers are on the side of this 
Republican resolution that will terminate the standards.
  Why?
  It is because inefficient appliances mean that gas companies sell 
more gas.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, if you look at where the manufacturers stand on 
this, three out of four major water heater manufacturers are in favor 
of the standards and are opposed to this resolution. All three of the 
manufacturers that support the efficiency standards are American 
manufacturers, and they have factories in many Republican districts 
across the country.
  Foreign manufacturers, however, are lobbying against these standards 
because they don't want to spend a comparatively small amount of money 
to retool their factories to produce more efficient water heaters.
  I understand that companies are reluctant to spend money, but what I 
don't understand is why Republicans are willing to rob Americans of 
$3.1 billion in savings, all to help multibillion dollar foreign 
companies save a few million dollars.
  Republicans have made their choice. They have basically sided--and I 
guess that is not surprising--with their oil and gas friends, and they 
have sided also in this case with foreign manufacturers.
  So, Mr. Speaker, for the sake of American families, American 
manufacturers, and our climate, I urge my colleagues to oppose this 
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Weber), who is the vice-chair of the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce's Energy Subcommittee.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear made-up 
stories

[[Page H886]]

on the other side of the aisle, the once upon a time stories, if you 
will.
  Nonetheless, in the eleventh hour, Joe Biden, or more accurately, his 
handlers, pushed through yet another overreaching regulation that 
forces the Federal Government into Americans' homes, dictating what 
appliances Americans can use or cannot use.
  News flash: This is America. The government has absolutely no 
business making these decisions for hardworking families. Consumers, 
not Washington bureaucrats, should decide what works best for their 
homes and for their families.
  Yet, thanks to Biden's mandate on his way out the door, I might add, 
American families are now looking at a whopping $235 million in 
additional costs every single year. That is real money coming out of 
real pockets of real Americans, all to appease the radical Green New 
Deal agenda.
  Today that ends. House Republicans are taking action to stop this 
Federal overreach. H.J. Res. 20, introduced by my colleague, Gary 
Palmer, sends a clear message: We reject the Biden administration's 
radical energy mandates.
  This resolution expresses congressional disapproval of the Department 
of Energy's rule that effectively bans certain natural gas water 
heaters which burdens families with higher costs while stripping them 
of consumer choice.
  House Republicans will continue fighting to protect American families 
from Washington's overregulation and ensure that those same hardworking 
Americans, not government bureaucrats, decide what appliances belong in 
their homes.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 20 and stand 
for consumer choice, affordability, and freedom.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor) who is the ranking member of our 
subcommittee.
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for 
yielding the time.
  Mr. Speaker, here we are at the end of February, 2 months into the 
new congressional session, and House Republicans haven't offered one 
bill to lower the cost of living for our neighbors back home. Instead, 
they bring this silly bill to the floor, a bill to force to working 
families to spend more money, to use more energy, and to sell out 
American manufacturers.
  Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have stood idly by while there has 
been an illegal shutdown of grants and loans to our local communities 
and nonprofits that help people save money and help families.
  Plus, House Republicans didn't raise any concern when the new 
President illegally fired Inspectors General and prosecutors who are 
charged with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, and that includes in 
the Department of Energy.
  It gets worse because Republicans now are barreling toward a massive 
tax giveaway to billionaires paid for on the backs of American 
families, children, our neighbors with disabilities, our older 
neighbors, and grandparents in nursing homes.
  This is not business as usual. I know Republicans bring a bill here 
and they say: Okay. This is just like what we have always done.
  This is not business as usual.
  Where is the House Republicans' outrage that everything they have 
worked on congressionally mandated through appropriations is just 
illegally frozen?
  It is not business as usual.
  This resolution is the latest of a whole lot of nonsense. It is hard 
to explain, except when we realize that oil and gas companies often 
have their way here in Washington, D.C.
  We wasted hours and hours over the past couple of years trying to 
demonize energy efficient appliances. These kinds of appliances are 
popular. There has been a law in place for decades that says that every 
few years we update these appliance standards. Manufacturers work on 
it, advocates work on it, and they come together and update it.
  This actual residential water heater standard hasn't been updated 
since 2010. Here we are in 2025, and the standard we are discussing 
today effects less than 10 percent of all water heater sales and most, 
over 100, of these models already meet this standard.
  Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, if you want to talk about cost savings, it 
was Democrats who put in place tax credits and rebates to help everyday 
Americans lower the cost of their energy bill on appliances.
  This is one of the reasons why we are so angry.
  Part of the illegal freeze on government initiatives also impacts the 
money that should be going into the pockets of our neighbors back home. 
This includes the home energy rebates. Those are the rebates that help 
consumers save money on select home improvement projects that can lower 
energy bills by providing up to $14,000 a year for homeowners as they 
update their homes.
  Mr. Speaker, you had better believe this is important to my neighbors 
in Florida recovering from hurricanes Helene and Milton. They would 
love to be able to get these funds to help them repair their homes. 
Right now, frozen in Florida is $346 million that could be helping 
everyday Floridians recover from the storms as they repair their homes.
  That is not the only one. Weatherization assistance, very smart, has 
often been bipartisan in the past. Elon Musk and this new 
administration have frozen it. They have frozen billions of dollars 
that go to working-class households to improve the energy efficiency of 
their homes. In Florida alone, $94 million that should be flowing to my 
neighbors to help them weatherize their homes and save money is frozen.
  So what Republicans are doing by freezing this and by trying to roll 
back energy appliance standards is contributing to the rising cost of 
energy for families and businesses. It is a dereliction of duty. They 
are turning a blind eye to the peoples' pocketbook. Democrats are going 
to fight for the peoples' pocketbook.
  Meanwhile, an unelected billionaire who has made his vast fortune on 
government contracts should not be able to unilaterally stop and take 
money out of the pockets of American families, of the Americans who 
need it most.
  Here is the warning, because this major tax giveaway that House 
Republicans are hammering out says to our committee: Find $880 billion.
  Republicans say: Oh, okay. Maybe there is enough waste, fraud, and 
abuse--even though they have taken the Inspectors General off the 
playing field to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. There is no way that 
you can say improper payments total up to $880 billion.

                              {time}  0930

  Republicans shouldn't gaslight us and Americans if the majority is 
concerned about a major tax giveaway so that billionaires can have more 
money and Americans are going to have less healthcare for their 
grandparents and their children. It is not right, and we are not going 
to stand for it.
  Mr. Speaker, who really benefits here on these tankless gas water 
heaters? Let me pull the curtain back. As they build homes, big 
corporate housing developers often install a slightly cheaper, less-
efficient model, and they pass on the costs of higher energy bills to 
that new homeowner for the next 20 years.
  Foreign manufacturers are going to benefit here. The American 
manufacturers who have participated in these energy efficiency 
standards aren't going to benefit. It is the foreign manufacturers who 
will get to sell their inferior, less-efficient appliances and take 
away sales from U.S. manufacturers.
  It is the American Gas Association who will get to sell more 
polluting fossil gas to power inefficient appliances and pass the costs 
on to working families.
  Once my colleagues take a closer look, Members will see this 
resolution really doesn't hold water. It does nothing to lower costs 
for working families. It does nothing to support American companies. It 
does nothing to address the real challenges facing our families back 
home.
  It is a warning. It is a warning shot across the bow that this is not 
business as usual. It is a hold-on-to-your-wallet moment because the 
unelected billionaires who are calling the shots, who are reaching into 
citizens' wallets, and who are going to take away our healthcare want 
to rule the day.

[[Page H887]]

  House Democrats are not going to stand for it. We are going to 
continue to hold Republicans accountable. We are going to hold this 
administration accountable. We are going to fight for our constituents' 
wallets and pocketbooks, and we are going to make sure that Republicans 
are not going to be able to say that this kind of ridiculous stuff is 
business as usual here in the House of Representatives.
  It is not. We believe in checks and balances. We believe in the 
hardworking Americans. We do not countenance unfairness and trying to 
steal from our kids, loading them up with massive debt and saying that 
their health doesn't matter in this country. It does.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this 
resolution. It is not business as usual, and people need to know it.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the 
Sixth District of Alabama (Mr. Palmer), the sponsor of the resolution.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, it is amazing to me to listen to my 
Democratic colleagues talk about the cost of living going up.
  Mr. Speaker, during the first week of the Biden administration, my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle shut down the Keystone XL 
Pipeline. My Democratic colleagues implemented energy policies that 
have immediately caused energy prices to go up, causing massive 
suffering and massive inflation. The inflation hit 9 percent.
  It is amazing to me that the minority came in here and made these 
statements, and the American people figured it out. That is why my 
Democratic colleagues are in the minority. The American people were 
tired of being told what to do, what they could buy, what they could 
wear, and what they could use. Here we are, and my colleagues are 
hearing the same cold rhetoric that leads to cold homes and cold water.
  I introduced this resolution because we are determined to restore a 
quality of life in this country that we enjoyed before the Democratic 
Party took over the White House and the House and the Senate.
  We believe that we can help the American people be able to afford 
their groceries, afford an automobile, and afford education. That is 
why we are doing what we are doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 20. The Congressional 
Review Act is in response to the Biden-Harris administration's last-
minute, overreaching attempt to ban natural gas water heaters.
  If this rule is not stopped, a substantial number of Americans would 
be forced to purchase more expensive and less-efficient models of water 
heaters. In fact, 40 percent of consumers who will be directly impacted 
by this rule would face a significant cost increase. It will be 
particularly hard on senior citizens and low-income families.
  Additionally, this rule mandate of fuel switching would set a 
dangerous precedent for natural gas appliances. We know my colleagues 
on the other side of the aisle have already tried to ban natural gas 
stovetops.
  This would allow future Democratic administrations to restart their 
party's regulatory attack on our home appliances. I know that when the 
government steps in to pick winners and losers there are manufacturers 
of competing products that would profit.
  It is amazing to me that my Democratic colleagues claim that a United 
States-based company based in Georgia is foreign manufacturing. What do 
Democratic Members say about Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, Kia, and the 
other foreign-owned companies that are based in this country, creating 
American jobs and providing incomes for American families?
  We should let consumers decide what products succeed in the 
marketplace, not a bureaucrat implementing a regulation pushed out in 
the final hours of the Biden-Harris Presidency.
  Earlier this week, the Trump administration issued a statement of 
administration policy agreeing that this egregious rule implemented by 
the previous administration must be repealed. While making a speech 
last week, the Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, even mentioned how 
absurd this rule is.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, H.J. Res. 20 is essential for 
prioritizing consumer choice, protecting natural gas appliances, 
keeping prices affordable, and undoing the damage inflicted on the 
American people by the Biden-Harris administration for the past 4 
years.

  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I listened to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer), 
who I greatly respect. When he talks about prices, since President 
Trump was inaugurated, prices have gone through the roof. Grocery 
prices, egg prices, meat prices, fish prices, and poultry prices are 
all up even more than ever. Electricity costs are way up, along with 
housing prices.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman mentions American jobs. As I mentioned 
earlier, I think it needs to be reiterated that American manufacturers 
support these water heater standards. Three out of four major water 
heater manufacturers are against today's resolution, and all three are 
American companies.
  The manufacturers that are in favor of this resolution and against 
the standards are foreign manufacturers.
  If this resolution is successful, Republicans are giving foreign 
manufacturers an advantage over domestic manufacturers. Foreign 
manufacturers are against the standards because they don't want to 
spend a bit of money on retrofits to their factories in order to switch 
their production over to products that meet the standards.
  Republicans have decided that it is more important to save foreign 
manufacturers some money than it is to save $3.1 billion for American 
families. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided to 
listen to the lobbying efforts of foreign companies over domestic 
companies, many of whom have factories in Republican districts.
  Madam Speaker, it just doesn't make any sense to me. The Trump 
administration is all about America first, but the words are 
meaningless when it comes down to it. Republicans aren't here to stand 
up for American families and American companies. It is very much the 
opposite. My colleagues are here to attack regulations and help out 
their Big Oil and Gas friends.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with American companies 
and families and to vote against this resolution, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from the 
Third District of Georgia (Mr. Jack).
  Mr. JACK. Madam Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. 
Palmer) for his leadership on this resolution, and I rise today in 
strong support of H.J. Res. 20.
  Madam Speaker, H.J. Res. 20 is a resolution authorized by the 
Congressional Review Act that will enable our Congress to repeal a job-
killing regulation that would ban and eliminate noncondensing tankless 
water heaters, an American product made by blue-collar American workers 
in the heart of my congressional district in Georgia.
  This regulation was imposed on December 26, 2024, in the midnight 
hour of the Biden administration and the day after Christmas, putting 
in peril the livelihoods of hundreds of my constituents during the 
holiday season.
  Madam Speaker, I should also note that the timing of this regulation 
was 7 weeks after Americans overwhelmingly rejected the Biden-Harris 
regulatory regime.
  To my colleagues who support the free market, this job-killing 
regulation eliminates consumer choice by effectively enabling nameless 
and faceless bureaucrats to choose which companies may operate and 
which companies may not operate in the marketplace for household 
appliances.
  Ultimately, under this regulation, the American consumer would 
suffer, and hundreds of hardworking Georgians in my congressional 
district would be without a job. That is why I urge my colleagues to 
join me in support of this critical legislation.
  To put everything that we have heard today into perspective, 
noncondensing tankless water heaters account for 40 percent of our 
country's tankless water heater market. A majority of those water 
heaters are manufactured in my congressional district, in the heart of 
Georgia, by an incredible company called Rinnai America Corporation.
  These appliances are the most advanced and efficient noncondensing

[[Page H888]]

tankless water heaters on the market. Perhaps most importantly, which I 
would encourage the other side to research, Rinnai America is the only 
company that builds noncondensing tankless water heaters on American 
soil.
  Rinnai America is headquartered in my hometown of Peachtree City, 
Georgia, and it opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility 3 
years ago in Griffin, Georgia, two cities I proudly represent in this 
Congress.
  Over 500 of my constituents are working to manufacture and market 
these water heaters the Biden administration attempted to outlaw. The 
job-killing regulation we seek to repeal today is another painful 
example of the radical left's never-ending war on hydrocarbons and 
American energy production.
  The sinister purpose of this regulation was to try to single out and 
eliminate an American manufacturer of water heaters to benefit their 
competitors.
  Madam Speaker, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have 
spent an enormous amount of time in the past few weeks arguing that my 
Democratic colleagues are the party of blue-collar American workers. In 
the spirit of bipartisanship, I encourage my Democratic colleagues to 
join me in support of this resolution to protect and champion hundreds 
of blue-collar American jobs in the heart of our country.
  To my Republican colleagues, let's join together as a team and end 
this war on American energy production now.
  As the distinguished gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) noted, 
President Trump's White House has explicitly endorsed this resolution. 
I urge all of my Republican colleagues to join me and vote for this 
critical legislation to empower consumer choice, champion American 
manufacturing, and save blue-collar jobs in the heart of our country.

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I respect the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jack) for 
looking out for his district, but this plant that he is talking about 
in his district is the Japanese company. This is the one non-American 
manufacturing company.
  All of the other companies that manufacture these products are 
American, and they are the ones that support these energy efficiencies 
because they have made the investments and created more jobs when they 
retrofitted their companies for this product.
  Madam Speaker, this company is a multibillion-dollar Japanese company 
in Georgia. It is estimated that it would cost them about $10 million 
to retrofit their plant so that they could produce more efficient 
tanks, and they don't want to do it. They don't want to make that 
investment, which would create more jobs.
  Madam Speaker, I understand where my friend, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Jack), is coming from, but we have to look at this as the 
total picture.
  Most of these tanks are manufactured in the United States by American 
companies, and they are in a lot of the red States. They are in 
Tennessee, for example. They are saying: This is fine. We want the more 
efficient standards. We want to save Americans money. We are the good 
actors, not the bad actors.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia 
(Ms. McClellan), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
  Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Pallone) for yielding me time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 20, 
which will undo a commonsense energy conservation standard and raise 
costs for consumers, all to benefit the gas industry.
  My friends on the other side of the aisle talk a lot about how we 
need to lower costs, we need to lower costs, we need to lower costs.
  The best way, the fastest way, and the most efficient way to lower 
energy costs and to lower utility bill costs that every American pays 
is to reduce energy demand.

                              {time}  0945

  We have seen that time and time again. This standard is a way to help 
lower energy demand needed for water heaters. Energy efficiency 
standards are popular, and it is a commonsense tool and, again, the 
fastest way to save taxpayers and American people money on their energy 
bills.
  This resolution targets these standards, not realizing that these 
standards will save consumers $3.1 billion and are good for the 
environment because they cut 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide 
emissions over 30 years.
  All major manufacturers already sell models that meet these 
standards, which is why they widely support the standards. Consumer 
groups, efficiency advocates, and consumers widely support the 
standards.
  Again, the only manufacturers that oppose them are the foreign 
manufacturers and industry CEOs who make more money when water heaters 
are less efficient and use more gas.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this resolution and 
live up to the promise of lowering costs for the American people by 
lowering their energy bills.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I will call out some of the problems that I see on the 
Republican side in terms of their arguments that we have heard this 
morning.
  Over the last 2 years, Republicans have claimed that they care about 
energy costs. On the campaign trail, they repeatedly promised to lower 
costs and lower inflation, but, again, none of their actions line up 
with their promises.
  If you are paying attention to energy load growth in this country, 
you know that, in addition to increasing generation, we have to 
incorporate ways of reducing energy demand. Energy conservation 
standards are one of the tools that help lower costs and help reduce 
demand.
  The previous administration's efficiency standards are estimated to 
save consumers $1 trillion over 30 years. That is a trillion dollars. 
The water heater standards alone would save $3.1 billion--that is, if 
Republicans don't kill the standards right here today, which is what 
they are doing.
  Republicans don't want Americans to realize those savings. They want 
Americans to be stuck with older, energy-guzzling appliances that cost 
more money every time you turn them on. I think that is ridiculous and 
so should everyone else in this Chamber.
  Republicans claim they are concerned about the higher upfront costs 
of these appliances, but 2\1/2\ years ago, when we voted on the 
Inflation Reduction Act, which contained $9 billion in rebates and 
other investments in lowering the costs of energy-efficient appliances, 
Republicans all voted no.
  Madam Speaker, let's review. They don't want to make positive 
economic investments because they are concerned about the upfront 
costs, but then they also refuse to take action to lower those costs. 
If you brought that mentality to the private sector, you would be fired 
in a heartbeat, but that is the orthodoxy in today's Trump-Musk 
Republican Party.
  Lowering energy costs for consumers via efficiency gains used to be a 
bipartisan issue. We made real progress on this in 1992 and again in 
2005, but somewhere along the way, Republicans decided to become the 
party of higher energy costs rather than the ones fighting for the 
American homeowner. That is a real shame.
  For that reason, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' 
on this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, we have heard from various speakers today, but I think 
it is really important to point out that, once again, because of the 
Biden-Harris administration's gas heater rule, we are going to ban 
approximately 40 percent of the tankless gas water heaters currently 
available, forcing consumers to have to pay more and get less efficient 
models.
  This doesn't make sense. Not only does this rule go on to ban these 
gas appliances and infringe on consumer choice, but it also increases 
strains on the Nation's grid, which cannot sustain

[[Page H889]]

such massive and rapid amounts of forced electrification without new 
baseload generation coming online.
  When we talk about this loss of consumer choice, the DOE 
underestimated the cost by $231 because when you look at the actual 
costs out there, industry stakeholders are estimating it is going to 
bring the cost up between $450 to $665 per unit.
  I think it is also important to note that, in the last Congress, in 
the Energy and Commerce Committee's Energy Subcommittee, I asked 
everybody who came before us the same question when we had these 
testimonies: Do we have to have more energy in this country or less? 
Everybody said the exact same thing. We have to produce more energy in 
this country, but we also have to make sure we are producing the energy 
to make that energy in this country.
  Republicans have led that way starting back in 2008 with our all-of-
the-above energy policy, which said we weren't going to pick winners 
and losers. We were going to let the consumer decide and let the market 
decide, and that is important.
  If we are going to make sure we become energy independent in this 
country, we have to start thinking about those things. It is important.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of H.J. Res. 20, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of West Virginia). All time for 
debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 161, the previous question is ordered on 
the joint resolution.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint 
resolution.
  The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 
time, and was read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the joint 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 221, 
nays 198, answered ``present'' 2, not voting 12, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 53]

                               YEAS--221

     Aderholt
     Allen
     Amodei (NV)
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Barr
     Barrett
     Baumgartner
     Bean (FL)
     Begich
     Bentz
     Bergman
     Bice
     Biggs (AZ)
     Biggs (SC)
     Bilirakis
     Boebert
     Bost
     Brecheen
     Bresnahan
     Buchanan
     Burchett
     Burlison
     Bynum
     Calvert
     Cammack
     Carey
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Ciscomani
     Cline
     Cloud
     Clyde
     Cole
     Collins
     Comer
     Crane
     Crank
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Cuellar
     Davidson
     Davis (NC)
     De La Cruz
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Downing
     Dunn (FL)
     Edwards
     Ellzey
     Emmer
     Estes
     Evans (CO)
     Ezell
     Fallon
     Fedorchak
     Feenstra
     Finstad
     Fischbach
     Fitzgerald
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flood
     Fong
     Foxx
     Franklin, Scott
     Fulcher
     Garbarino
     Gill (TX)
     Gillen
     Gimenez
     Golden (ME)
     Goldman (TX)
     Gonzales, Tony
     Gonzalez, V.
     Gooden
     Gosar
     Graves
     Gray
     Green (TN)
     Greene (GA)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hageman
     Hamadeh (AZ)
     Haridopolos
     Harrigan
     Harris (MD)
     Harris (NC)
     Harshbarger
     Hern (OK)
     Higgins (LA)
     Hill (AR)
     Hinson
     Houchin
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hurd (CO)
     Issa
     Jack
     Jackson (TX)
     James
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Kean
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy (UT)
     Kiggans (VA)
     Kiley (CA)
     Kim
     Knott
     Kustoff
     LaHood
     LaLota
     LaMalfa
     Langworthy
     Latta
     Lawler
     Lee (FL)
     Letlow
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luna
     Luttrell
     Mace
     Mackenzie
     Malliotakis
     Maloy
     Mann
     Massie
     Mast
     McCaul
     McClain
     McClintock
     McCormick
     McDowell
     McGuire
     Messmer
     Meuser
     Miller (IL)
     Miller (OH)
     Miller (WV)
     Miller-Meeks
     Mills
     Moolenaar
     Moore (AL)
     Moore (NC)
     Moore (UT)
     Moore (WV)
     Moran
     Moskowitz
     Murphy
     Newhouse
     Norman
     Nunn (IA)
     Obernolte
     Ogles
     Onder
     Owens
     Palmer
     Perez
     Perry
     Pfluger
     Reschenthaler
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Rulli
     Rutherford
     Salazar
     Scalise
     Schmidt
     Schweikert
     Self
     Sessions
     Shreve
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spartz
     Stauber
     Steil
     Steube
     Strong
     Stutzman
     Suozzi
     Taylor
     Tenney
     Thompson (PA)
     Tiffany
     Timmons
     Turner (OH)
     Valadao
     Van Drew
     Van Duyne
     Vindman
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Westerman
     Wied
     Williams (TX)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Yakym
     Zinke

                               NAYS--198

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Amo
     Ansari
     Auchincloss
     Balint
     Barragan
     Beatty
     Bell
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop
     Bonamici
     Boyle (PA)
     Brown
     Brownley
     Budzinski
     Carbajal
     Carson
     Carter (LA)
     Casar
     Case
     Casten
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Cherfilus-McCormick
     Chu
     Cisneros
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Craig
     Crockett
     Crow
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (IL)
     Dean (PA)
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Deluzio
     DeSaulnier
     Dexter
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Elfreth
     Escobar
     Espaillat
     Evans (PA)
     Fields
     Figures
     Fletcher
     Foster
     Foushee
     Friedman
     Frost
     Garamendi
     Garcia (CA)
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Goldman (NY)
     Gomez
     Goodlander
     Green, Al (TX)
     Harder (CA)
     Hayes
     Himes
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Hoyle (OR)
     Huffman
     Ivey
     Jackson (IL)
     Jacobs
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (TX)
     Kamlager-Dove
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy (NY)
     Khanna
     Krishnamoorthi
     Landsman
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latimer
     Lee (NV)
     Lee (PA)
     Leger Fernandez
     Levin
     Liccardo
     Lieu
     Lofgren
     Lynch
     Magaziner
     Mannion
     Matsui
     McBath
     McBride
     McClain Delaney
     McClellan
     McCollum
     McDonald Rivet
     McGarvey
     McGovern
     McIver
     Meeks
     Menendez
     Meng
     Mfume
     Min
     Moore (WI)
     Morelle
     Morrison
     Moulton
     Mrvan
     Nadler
     Neal
     Neguse
     Norcross
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Olszewski
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pelosi
     Peters
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Pou
     Pressley
     Quigley
     Ramirez
     Randall
     Raskin
     Riley (NY)
     Rivas
     Ross
     Ruiz
     Ryan
     Salinas
     Sanchez
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schneider
     Scholten
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Sewell
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Simon
     Smith (WA)
     Sorensen
     Soto
     Stansbury
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Strickland
     Subramanyam
     Swalwell
     Sykes
     Takano
     Thanedar
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tokuda
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres (NY)
     Trahan
     Tran
     Turner (TX)
     Underwood
     Vargas
     Vasquez
     Veasey
     Velazquez
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Whitesides
     Williams (GA)
     Wilson (FL)

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--2

     Fry
     Van Orden
       

                             NOT VOTING--12

     Alford
     Donalds
     Frankel, Lois
     Gottheimer
     Grijalva
     Hunt
     Mullin
     Nehls
     Omar
     Pettersen
     Scott, Austin
     Stefanik

                              {time}  1026

  Mr. LANDSMAN changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina, Mses. BYNUM, and GILLEN changed their 
vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  Mr. CLEAVER changed his vote from ``present'' to ``nay.''
  Mr. VAN ORDEN changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``present.''
  So the joint resolution was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I'm not recorded because 
I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA 
on Roll Call No. 53.
  Stated against:
  Ms. OMAR. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY 
on Roll Call No. 53.
  Ms. PETTERSEN. Madam Speaker, I missed votes due to recently giving 
birth. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 53.

                          ____________________