The House of Representatives has passed two bills aimed at changing regulations on home appliances and building codes. The legislation, H.R. 4626, the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act, and H.R. 4758, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act, were supported by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Chairman Guthrie stated, “For too long, burdensome regulations established by the Biden-Harris Administration have driven up costs for home buyers, forcing them to pay more for appliances that fail to offer reasonable energy savings. The Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act cuts red tape and ensures that regulations aren’t being weaponized as part of a radical, left-wing agenda. Likewise, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act puts an end to expensive building code mandates that push homeownership out of reach for millions of hardworking families. Thank you to Congressman Allen and Congressman Goldman for their work on lowering prices in communities across the country.”
Rep. Allen (GA-12) commented on his legislation: “The American people do not need the federal government to tell them which household appliances will best meet the needs of their families. In issuing egregious regulations on home appliances and attempting to tilt the scales on what consumers purchase, the Biden-Harris Department of Energy significantly drove up costs and reduced availability for American families. My legislation, the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act, is a commonsense measure to prevent future administrations from repeating the same harmful mistakes. House passage of H.R. 4626 is a win for consumer choice. I thank Chairmen Guthrie and Latta, as well as House Republican Leadership for their continued support of this legislation.”
Rep. Goldman (TX-12) added: “The Biden-Harris Administration implemented costly green energy regulations that made life unaffordable for many Americans. Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Guthrie and support from my fellow Republican Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, my Homeowner Energy Freedom Act has passed out of the House. This bill repeals costly red tape and will help improve housing affordability for Americans.”
H.R. 4626 amends existing law by reducing regulatory requirements on home appliances with a focus on increasing consumer choice while ensuring standards are cost-effective.
H.R. 4758 repeals sections of previous legislation that subsidized certain energy efficiency programs viewed by supporters as increasing costs for homeowners.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce oversees issues related to energy policy, health care regulation, environmental protection measures, telecommunications policy, consumer protection matters and supervises agencies such as the Department of Energy (official website). The committee has played a role in shaping policies regarding energy innovation, broadband expansion initiatives and pharmaceutical pricing reforms (official website). It is one of Congress’s oldest standing committees with origins dating back to 1795 when it was first formed as the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures (official website).
The committee continues its bipartisan work addressing infrastructure development projects alongside public health policies (official website).
