Providing for Congressional Disapproval of the Rule Submitted By the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy Relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator- Freezers''

Floor Speech

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Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for giving me this opportunity to speak.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 75. Once again, I join my House colleagues in working to overturn another last-minute, so-called energy efficiency standard from the previous administration.

In reality, the Biden administration imposed standards that are nearly impossible for commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturers to meet. According to estimates from the Biden Department of Energy, the final rule will cost approximately $8 billion. This will be borne by those purchasing equipment, many of whom are small businesses. The payback period for certain commercial refrigeration equipment under these standards is up to 93.9 years. That is right, nearly 94 years.

To make matters worse, the Department of Energy's test procedures do not align with real-world conditions. The DOE's estimate of the CRE door openings in an hour often undercounts the real number of door openings. This means the appliance's interior temperature may rise above safe food-storage conditions, jeopardizing food safety.

Once again, the left's pro-Big Government, Green New Deal agenda harms the little guy. The Biden Department of Energy implemented a policy that threatens small businesses, harms consumers, and drives up costs, even as many Americans continue to struggle under the long-term effects of the Biden administration's inflationary economic policies.

That ends now. I am proud to join my House Republican colleagues in standing up for America's consumers and small business owners across the country. With this bill, we are continuing to deliver on the mandate of the American people to cut burdensome red tape and ensure American consumers and small businesses can thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this underlying bill.

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