Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016
Floor Speech
Mr. Chairman, in early March 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency published the final rule establishing excessive new standards for wood heaters. This onerous rule is a classic example of bureaucratic overreach that has become all too common at the EPA. Manufacturers in my district, as well as consumers, are very concerned about the negative impacts of these new standards.
According to press reports, 10 percent of U.S. households still choose to burn wood to keep energy costs as low as possible. The number of households that rely on wood as their primary heating source rose by nearly one-third from the year 2005 to 2012.
This new rule is of particular concern for rural residents all across this country. Because of this new rule, the cost of manufacturing wood heaters would increase substantially, making them unaffordable for many.
It is no secret that costs from additional regulations are always passed down to the consumers. Several States, in fact, have expressed their concern on this matter. Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan, Virginia, and my home State of North Carolina have all introduced or passed legislation that prohibits their respective environmental agencies from enforcing this burdensome, unnecessary regulation.
In defense of all the fine Americans who want to purchase wood heaters, my amendment to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act prohibits any funds from being used to implement, administer, or enforce these new, unnecessary, and costly standards. Simply put, the Federal Government has no business telling private citizens how they should heat their homes or their businesses. After all, this is America. If an individual or family wants to heat their home or business using a wood stove or furnace, they should be able to do so without paying through the nose.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Congressmen Walter Jones, Markwayne Mullin, Rod Blum, Mark Meadows, Mike Bishop, Sean Duffy, and Thomas Massie for their support on this amendment.
I yield 1 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie), my colleague and friend.
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