The Senate on Wednesday passed a joint resolution sponsored by freshman Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) to repeal the Biden administration’s rule for establishing energy conservation standards for appliances, giving Husted one of his first big legislative wins.
Husted said his resolution would “cut red tape for manufacturers” and “restore consumer choice and lower costs for hardworking Americans across the country.”
“It’s important that my first bill to go to the president’s desk eliminates regulations for American people instead of adding to them,” he said.
The resolution, which passed the House in March, would nullify the Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards’ certification requirements, labeling requirements and enforcement provisions. It would apply to 20 household and commercial products, including dishwashers, central air conditioners, washers and more.
It passed the Senate by a vote of 52 to 46.
“The Biden era Department of Energy put additional testing components, labeling components for energy standards on all of these appliances,” Husted told The Hill.
“It doesn’t provide any additional energy conservation outcomes but it’s more reporting and compliance components, which I feel are just so unnecessary,” he said. “Every time you make somebody spend more time on something, it drives up costs. Time is money.”
Thursday is Husted’s 100th full day in the Senate. He was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance (R-Ohio).
