Peace Garden News

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, representing North Dakota, has cast her vote in favor of H.J. Res. 20. This resolution aims to overturn the Department of Energy's regulations on gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. These rules were finalized during the last months of the Biden administration and have been criticized for potentially limiting consumer options and increasing costs for families in North Dakota.

Fedorchak expressed her concerns about the regulation: "This regulation is out of touch with both the realities of the marketplace and the household budgets of most American families,” she stated. “Forcing North Dakotans to replace their water heaters to conform to this regulation is government overreach at its worst.”

The Department of Energy's rule introduces energy efficiency standards that may render many existing water heaters obsolete, compelling consumers to buy newer, more expensive models. The DOE estimates an additional cost of $231 per new model, but industry experts predict a price increase ranging from $450 to $665 per unit.

H.J. Res. 20 was approved under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which empowers Congress to reject federal agency regulations deemed overreaching. The CRA necessitates a separate joint resolution for each rule Congress seeks to disapprove, which can slow down efforts to address burdensome regulations and maintain administrative accountability. Earlier this month, the House passed H.R. 77, known as the Midnight Rules Act, enabling Congress to overturn multiple last-minute regulations from an outgoing administration with a single vote.