Press Releases
The Republican Recap: Week of February 23, 2026
Washington,
February 25, 2026
Here’s a recap of what Republicans achieved on the House Floor this week:
Repealing Costly Mandates on Home Appliances and Restoring Consumer Choice ✅
Within the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden Administration implemented radical “Green New Scam” mandates that would essentially ban gas stoves and appliances, forcing consumers to switch to electric alternatives, taking away their choice, and costing taxpayers more than $5.7 billion. These provisions – section 50122, section 50123, and section 50131 – use taxpayer dollars to subsidize the transition from natural gas to electric appliances, such as the cost of replacing gas stoves with electric cooktops, and mandate expensive “green” building codes. By using taxpayer dollars to support mandates intended to stop the use of natural gas in homes, these provisions force taxpayers to pay for new electrical appliances while keeping prices high for consumers. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), these mandates cost new homebuyers up to $31,000 – putting the American Dream even further out of reach for hardworking families. Many Americans rely on natural gas for heating their homes and cooking because it is more efficient and economical for them. They should be able to choose the home appliances that best suit their needs – not have electric appliances forced on them by the government to further a policy agenda. House Republicans passed legislation to repeal these costly provisions, protect consumer choice, and lower the cost of home appliances. H.R. 4758, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act, sponsored by Rep. Craig Goldman, repeals three provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act designed to subsidize the electrification movement and end the use of gas appliances, restricting consumer choice and raising the cost of home appliances. “The Biden Administration implemented radical green energy mandates on home appliances that drove up the cost of new homes and limited consumer choice. Thanks to the strong leadership of Majority Leader Scalise, this bill has passed out of the House. House Republicans will continue working to repeal federal overreach and lower the cost of living for Americans,” said Rep. Goldman. What Members Said: Rep. Bob Latta highlighted that H.R. 4758 undoes burdensome Biden-Harris regulations and will help lower the cost of homeownership and make it easier to build.
 Rep. Julia Letlow noted that H.R. 4578 repeals Biden Green New Deal mandates, protects consumer choice, and brings down housing and utility costs.
 Safeguarding Consumer Choice and Affordable Home Appliances ✅ For four years, President Biden’s Department of Energy (DOE) consistently abused their authority to push radical energy policies on American families and consumers, attempting to implement conservation standards that furthered their extreme electrification agenda and taking choice out of consumers’ hands. Under the EPCA, the Department of Energy (DOE) sets efficiency standards for 60 product categories – but these standards must be cost-effective, significantly save energy, and be technologically feasible. The Biden Administration implemented or attempted to implement various conservation standards for all kinds of home appliances, including dishwashers, refrigerators, water heaters, and dryers, that could significantly increase upfront costs for hardworking families. Not only were the Biden DOE’s conservation standards neither economically justifiable nor significantly more energy efficient, but these overreaching mandates aimed to shut down the use of natural gas and force electric appliances on the American people, regardless of cost, performance, or availability – putting their radical “Green New Scam” agenda before the needs of hardworking Americans. House Republicans passed legislation to ensure future administrations do not continue prioritizing “Green New Scam” regulations ahead of the cost and accessibility of everyday appliances. Rep. Rick Allen’s legislation, H.R. 4626, the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act, reforms and modernizes the EPCA to prevent future administrations from implementing unaffordable conservation standards that take away consumer choice, burden American families, and force Americans to use expensive appliances that do not perform as well. “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. 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,” said Rep. Allen. What Members Said: House Republicans underscored that H.R. 4626 restores choice for consumers shopping for appliances and lowers costs for working families.
 The Energy and Commerce Committee celebrated the passage of H.R. 4626 and emphasized that Republicans are taking action to reverse Biden-Harris policies that made homeownership more expensive and lower costs.
 |