Frank Pallone: “I am prepared to close and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I just want to call out the problems…”

“I am prepared to close and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I just want to call out the problems that I have heard on the floor today from the other side of the aisle. Republicans have claimed that they care about energy costs. They keep saying over and over again that they care about energy costs, but their actions and their vote shows that that is just not true. The Biden administration's efficiency standards are estimated to save consumers $1 trillion over 30 years. That is $1 trillion. Water heater standards will save American households $7.6 billion, refrigerator standards will save Americans $36 billion, and clothes washer and dryer standards will save Americans a combined $39 billion. The bottom line is Republicans don't want Americans to realize those savings. They want Americans to be stuck with older, energy-guzzling appliances that cost more money every time you turn them on. I think it is ridiculous, and so should everyone else in this Chamber. Republicans claim they are concerned about the higher upfront costs of these appliances, but 2 years ago when the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, which contained $9 billion in rebates and other investments in lowering the cost of energy-efficient appliances, well, Republicans all voted ``no,'' every one of them. Let's review.…”