Sen. Cruz Resolution Rescinding Biden-Harris Appliance Regulation Passes Senate, Proceeds to President Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a statement after the Senate passed his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind an appliance regulation on water heaters, which was imposed by the Biden-Harris administration in December 2024, and which if left in place would have increased costs and limited the consumer choice of everyday Texans and Americans across the country.

Sen. Cruz said, “The Biden-Harris administration knew they were increasing costs on Americans and they didn’t care. Their rule would have forced Americans to either pay hundreds of dollars more for efficient water heaters or purchase less efficient models. I applaud Congress for passing my resolution rescinding this rule, and when the President signs it in the coming days it will restore fairness, consumer choice, and affordability to the American people.”

This bill is endorsed by National Federation of Independent Business and the American Public Gas Association.

Adam Temple, NFIB Senior Vice President for Advocacy said, “Small businesses believe that consumers and business owners should have the freedom to decide which product works best for their specific needs, no matter what fuel source the product uses. Unfortunately, DOE finalized a rule that would set new arbitrary energy efficiency standards for natural gas-fired water heaters that would effectively ban more affordable appliance options for consumers and small businesses, such as tankless water heaters. As small businesses continue to list inflation as a significant problem, regulations restricting or banning common household appliances will only increase costs for small businesses.”

Dave Schryver, President and CEO for the American Public Gas Association said, "The American Public Gas Association (APGA) commends Senator Cruz and colleagues for taking decisive action to challenge a deeply flawed rulemaking dating back to the Biden Administration, which imposes new minimum efficiency standards for Gas Instantaneous Water Heaters. This rule would have effectively eliminated an entire class of affordable, reliable, and efficient appliances from the market, driving unnecessary and costly fuel switching. APGA believes that Americans should have the freedom to choose the appliances that best meet their household needs and budgets." 

BACKGROUND

Industry experts estimate that the Biden-Harris rule would have added $450-$665 to the cost of each affected water heater, and that beyond the initial increased cost, forty percent of Americans directly affected by the rule would have also seen a net cost increase over the life of the appliance. Sen. Cruz introduced this CRA to repeal the rule in January.

###