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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, celebrated the House passage of two bills that lower prices for hard-working families, protect consumer choice, and cut burdensome regulations.  The House passed H.R. 4626, the  Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act , and H.R. 4758, the  Homeowner Energy Freedom Act , legislation that modernizes outdated energy efficiency regulations, restores consumer choice in home appliances and commercial equipment, and repeals costly green energy programs that drive up prices for homeowners. Chairman Guthrie, along with Reps. Allen (GA-12) and Goldman (TX-12), issued the following statements on the passage of the two pieces of legislation.  “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,” said Chairman Guthrie. “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.”   “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,”  said Rep. Allen.  “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.”   “The Biden-Harris Administration implemented costly green energy regulations that made life unaffordable for many Americans,”   said Rep. Goldman.   “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.”   BACKGROUND:   H.R. 4626, the  Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act— Rep. Allen (GA-12) Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) by reducing regulatory burdens on home appliances to increase consumer choice and prevent the weaponization of energy efficiency standards, while ensuring standards are cost-effective and can demonstrably lower energy prices for hardworking households. Since 1975, EPCA has regulated more than 60 products representing about 90 percent of household energy use. The Biden-Harris Administration used this authority to push far-left electrification policies that ignored costs and technological feasibility, reducing consumer choice and raising prices for families. H.R. 4626 establishes guardrails against unrealistic, unaffordable standards and restores consumer choice while lowering energy costs for American homeowners and businesses. H.R. 4758, the  Homeowner Energy Freedom Act— Rep. Goldman (TX-12)   Repeals three sections of the Inflation Reduction Act that subsidized the Biden-Harris Administration’s suffocating regulatory agenda and mandated expensive building codes, pushing homeownership out of reach for millions of hardworking families. This legislation repeals these programs to protect finite taxpayer resources and protect consumer choice for home energy needs. Currently, the Inflation Reduction Act’s energy efficiency and building code programs raise home energy bills and exacerbate the housing affordability crisis while doing nothing to address the root cause of higher costs facing hardworking families.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 4626, the  Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act. Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 4626, the  Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act : “I rise in support of H.R. 4626 the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act, sponsored by my colleague from Georgia’s 12th District. “This legislation modernizes energy efficiency authorities to lower costs for households and protect consumer choice. “The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, or EPCA, was established in 1975 amidst the oil crises of the 1970’s.   “EPCA gave statutory authority to the Department of Energy to regulate and set minimum energy efficiency standards for a list of covered products including stoves, water heaters, and dishwashers, as well as certain commercial equipment.    “At the time, Americans were dealing with the aftermath of oil embargoes that led to mile long gas lines and fuel rationing.     “The initial establishment of energy efficiency regulations was a matter of energy security.    “By reducing consumption through the use of innovative technologies, we could insulate families from the harm caused by adversarial nations restricting access to critical energy resources.     “Fifty years later, EPCA has remained largely unchanged, but, under Democratic administrations, the focus of conservation efforts shifted from energy security to green policies that advance a far-Left agenda.    “During the same period, the United States has become the premier energy producing nation while home appliances have simultaneously become vastly more efficient.    “During the four long years of the Biden-Harris administration, however, DOE used EPCA authorities to regulate a host of everyday products like dishwashers, freezers, and dryers.     “But these regulations were neither based on what consumers need, nor focused on affordability – they were rooted in ambitious climate goals.    “While EPCA requires regulations to be economically justified and cost-effective, the Biden-Harris administration bent the rules so that households and businesses may not see any efficiency savings for decades.   “In fact, the Biden-Harris DOE regulations on dryers could take up to 46 years to see efficiency benefits, even though household appliances are replaced every 8-9 years on average.     “Americans are already paying 34 percent more on their energy bills than they were in 2010 – households simply cannot afford more expensive mandates coming out of Washington.  “At a time when Americans are struggling to pay their bills because of the inflation caused by the Biden-Harris administration’s spending spree, the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act takes important steps to provide necessary relief to hardworking families.   “Decisions about home appliances should be left to American families, not bureaucrats in Washington.   “The Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act institutes commonsense accountability at DOE to protect consumers from overregulation.     “Importantly, this bill will foster continued innovation in energy efficiency technologies.     “Refocusing EPCA authorities on cost effective efficiency standards will lower costs while continuing to improve household appliance performance.    “I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4626, the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act to protect consumer choice, to modernize EPCA authorities, and to lower costs for American families and businesses.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued a statement following President Trump’s State of the Union Address to a Joint Session of Congress: “Tonight, President Trump laid out a bold vision for the American people as we celebrate the 250th anniversary since our founding. By unleashing American energy dominance, we can lower energy costs, strengthen our national security, and power innovation. As the President discussed in his speech, we must rely on baseload power from coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, and hydropower that can provide the on-demand electricity we need. Our Committee will remain focused on cutting red tape and lowering prices for hard-working families.   “ House Republicans stand with President Trump tonight, with a strong focus on making life more affordable for everyday Americans—not only when it comes to energy prices, but when it comes to the cost of health care, too. Previous Democrat administrations effectively broke our American health care system, and I applaud President Trump in his steadfast efforts to fix it. Through programs like TrumpRx, Americans now have access to the lowest cost prescription drugs. Through commitments like Making America Healthy Again, Americans see the promise of health improvements for generations to come. Our country’s milestone of 250 years signifies an opportunity to put the wellbeing of Americans back at the forefront of our health care system.    “ As we look to the future, adversaries are challenging our standing as the world’s greatest innovator. Americans have the creativity and the skills to compete on the world stage, but we need the regulatory environment to match our aspirations. The President and I share a vision for a future where the United States can lead the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies and Americans enjoy the benefits of these advances.   “ Tonight, the President outlined a vision of prosperity shared widely across the Republican Party. By unleashing American energy, lowering health care prices, and supporting U.S. innovators, President Trump and Committee Republicans are in lockstep fighting to address the issues that matter most to American families.”   ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John James (MI-10) celebrated House passage of legislation advanced by the Committee on Energy and Commerce to strengthen America’s energy supply chains, reduce reliance on adversarial nations, and safeguard the resources essential to our economy and national security.

H.R. 3617, the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, requires the Department of Energy to assess critical energy resource supply chains, including critical minerals and rare earth elements, and to strengthen supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption or overreliance on adversarial nations. By taking a holistic view of critical energy resources, the Department of Energy can identify vulnerabilities and address supply chain disruptions to help ensure Americans have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy systems.

“Keeping our nation strong and secure means having access to reliable and affordable energy. Right now, the technologies that power our grid rely on critical minerals produced and controlled by adversarial nations,” said Chairman Guthrie. “To address this crucial issue, the House passed the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, which strengthens the Department of Energy’s support for critical energy resource supply chains, which are vital to keeping the lights on for American families and powering U.S. industrial facilities. Thank you to Congressman James for his leadership on this important legislation.”

“This bill is a bold step toward ensuring the United States leads in energy innovation, security, and independence, and I’m thrilled to see it pass the House. We cannot be the ‘land of the free’ if we choose to rely on critical mineral supply chains that are dependent on child and slave labor,” said Rep. James. “This is about unleashing American energy, powering our factories, fueling innovation, and securing our future. It’s a massive step towards building an energy-independent America and putting an end to overreliance on adversaries, dictators, and despots around the world.”

BACKGROUND:

Energy supplies are the linchpin to U.S. global leadership in next generation technologies and industries, job growth in communities across the country, and a robust defense industrial base.

Despite vast domestic natural resources, the United States remains heavily reliant on foreign adversaries for critical energy resources that are essential to our economic and national security:

• The U.S. is 100 percent reliant on imports for 16 critical minerals and 50 percent import reliant on an additional 50 vital mineral commodities;
• China maintains 60 percent of the world’s production of rare earth elements and 90 percent of their global processing capacity.

In recent years, adversarial nations like China have sought to exploit U.S. vulnerabilities, issuing export bans on key minerals, materials, and resources that are essential to both our manufacturing and defense industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) celebrated the House passage of the SHOWER Act, legislation that would increase consumer choice and put an end to regulatory whiplash for American manufacturers.

H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act, addresses burdensome regulations created under the Biden-Harris Administration and codifies the definition of a showerhead to reduce regulatory whiplash and restore consumer choice.

“American families deserve the freedom to buy the appliances and technologies that work best for them, not what federal regulators mandate. The decision to limit water flow by the Biden-Harris Administration was part of a broader effort to use heavy-handed federal regulations to limit consumer choice,” said Chairman Guthrie. “The SHOWER Act would address this issue by providing certainty for manufacturers, while improving water flow for consumers and restoring Congress’s original intent. Thank you to Congressman Fry for his work to advance this important legislation.”

“The House’s passage of my bill, the SHOWER Act, is a small win for common sense and consumer choice. At its core, this legislation isn’t just about showerheads — it’s about how far Democrats go to control our everyday lives, even in something small like a showerhead,” said Rep. Fry. “The SHOWER Act puts a stop to unnecessary federal overreach, protects consumer choice, and ensures Americans can make their own decisions in their own homes. Passing this bill is a victory for personal choice for Americans over the ‘all-knowing’ bureaucrats of Washington.”

BACKGROUND:

H.R. 4593, the SHOWER Act—Rep. Fry (SC-07)

• The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) defines “showerhead” broadly and, under current law, allows the maximum water use for any showerhead to be 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) when measured at a flowing water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.

• Historically, these standards and definitions were plainly interpreted until the Obama Administration—and then the Biden-Harris Administration—changed the commonsense regulations by asserting that the 2.5 GPM standard applied to the entire shower system, rather than an individual faucet.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09), celebrated the House passage of legislation advanced by the Committee on Energy and Commerce to make home ownership more affordable and increase consumer choice.

H.R. 5148, the Affordable HOMES Act, led by Congresswoman Houchin (IN-09), cuts through red tape encumbering the manufactured housing industry, helping to lower the cost of home ownership for millions of Americans.

Attributable to Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce:

“This legislation is essential to our work to cut red tape and lower costs for hard-working American families. The Affordable HOMES Act cuts redundant regulations to help restore the American Dream of home ownership for millions of families,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Thank you to Congresswoman Houchin for your work to lead theAffordable HOMES and support our communities.”

Attributable to Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09):

“As demand for affordable homes has surged, so have unnecessary costs, making the dream of homeownership slip further out of reach for Americans. The Affordable HOMES Act takes a practical approach by cutting red tape and regulations that contribute to pricing American families out of owning a home, which will increase supply and lower costs,” said Rep. Houchin. “I’m proud to see the House take an important step toward restoring the American Dream with the passage of this bill.”

BACKGROUND:

H.R. 5184, the Affordable HOMES Act—Rep. Houchin (IN-09)

• Manufactured homes play an important role in meeting our nation’s demand for affordable housing. In 2023, approximately 16.6 million Americans resided in manufactured homes.
• Under current law, the Department of Energy (DOE) has the authority to establish energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing.
• This authority is duplicative of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) long-standing, exclusive authority over these energy codes for manufactured housing.
• This legislation streamlines the standard setting process, helps lower the cost of manufactured housing, and increases housing affordability for American home buyers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act, which codifies the definition of a showerhead to reduce regulatory whiplash and restore consumer choice.

Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act:

“Under the previous administration, American consumers were subjected to Washington’s constant micromanagement of appliances and equipment in their homes and businesses.

“In fact, the Biden-Harris Administration finalized more than 30 new or amended energy efficiency standards, totaling over $60 billion in costs, and regulating nearly every appliance in American’s home.

“Part of this effort focused on complicating the definition of a showerhead by prohibiting multi-nozzle shower systems if the whole system collectively delivers more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute instead of following the straightforward statutory definition of showerhead.

“The new, highly bureaucratic definition was an amazing 13,000 words in length, and a novel interpretation. This resulted in shower systems with more than one nozzle having a lower flowrate compared to individual showerheads.

“Additionally, this definition is misleading to consumers looking to buy multi-nozzle shower systems for the purpose of increasing water flow.

“President Trump has taken executive action to restore the regulatory definitions and standards to the law’s original intent, by allowing a maximum water use of 2.5 gallons per minute for each faucet in a shower system.

“H.R. 4593 would codify President Trump’s definition by allowing the 2.5 maximum flow rate to apply to each nozzle in the shower system.

“This legislation will ensure manufacturers, like Delta Faucet in my district, are not subjected to the swing of the political pendulum, with ever-changing interpretations of the law.

“Further, this legislation is simple and pro-consumer choice. It is unfortunate that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are seeking more regulation for its own sake, limiting the choices of American consumers.

“If an individual wants lower water pressure, they have a variety of options. They can purchase a single nozzle showerhead, or they can simply turn down the faucet. It’s that simple.

“But those choices must be left to individual Americans, not Washington bureaucrats.

“H.R. 4593 would bring regulatory certainty to manufacturers, performance effectiveness to a household appliance we all use, and choice to American consumers.

“I urge my colleagues to support it and reserve the balance of my time.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), issued a statement following House passage of H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act—legislation that prohibits federal Medicaid dollars from going toward specified gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18.

“The Do No Harm in Medicaid Act helps strengthen, sustain, and secure our Medicaid program by ensuring federal Medicaid funding is not used for medically unnecessary care for minors,” said Chairman Guthrie. “I’m thankful to my colleague, Representative Dan Crenshaw, for his diligent work in protecting our nation’s children. It’s our duty as members of Congress to support our fellow Americans—especially our most vulnerable—by prohibiting valuable and finite taxpayer dollars from continuing to fund controversial, life-altering gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18.”

“Using Medicaid for unscientific, irreversible procedures on minors is an abominable betrayal of our most vulnerable,” said Rep. Crenshaw. “This is a crucial step in protecting our children from the depraved actors that would do them harm.”

Background on H.R. 498:

• H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act, prohibits federal Medicaid funding for specified gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18.
• The House also passed this bill as a provision within H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill, on May 22, 2025.
• The Congressional Budget Office estimates that H.R. 498 would reduce direct spending for Medicaid and CHIP by $445 million over the 2026-2035 period.
• Publicly available polling has consistently indicated that Americans oppose providing children with puberty blockers and irreversible surgeries.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today a series of proposed regulatory actions to carry out President Trump’s Executive Order directing HHS to end the practice of sex-rejecting procedures on children that expose young people to irreversible harm, including pharmaceutical or surgical interventions that attempt to align a child’s physical appearance or body with an asserted identity different from their sex.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act, legislation that prohibits federal Medicaid funds from being used toward gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18.

Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act:

“I rise today in strong support of H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act.

“This bill helps support our fellow hard-working Americans, whose valuable—and finite—taxpayer dollars should not continue to fund medically unnecessary care under the Medicaid Program.

“It is our duty as members of Congress to focus hard-earned taxpayer dollars on care that is medically necessary to improve the health of Americans.

“H.R. 498, the Do No Harm in Medicaid Act, does just that—prohibiting federal Medicaid dollars from going toward specified gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18.

“My fellow House Republicans, and particularly my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, have worked diligently this Congress to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

“Our goal is to eliminate unnecessary and improper spending to strengthen, secure, and sustain the Medicaid program for those who are truly among the most vulnerable populations: expectant mothers, their children, low-income seniors, and individuals with disabilities.

“CBO estimates that this bill would save taxpayers $445 million over a decade.

“I want to make it abundantly clear that this legislation, in no way, prevents minors from accessing medical care that they truly need.

“It simply prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funding on specified gender transition procedures that are medically unnecessary.

“This critical legislation builds upon our work in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to create a more sustainable financial future for Medicaid and preserve the program for the times when people truly need to lean on it.”