[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 56 (Thursday, March 27, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1307-H1312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE 
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELATING TO ``ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM: ENERGY 
   CONSERVATION STANDARDS FOR WALK-IN COOLERS AND WALK-IN FREEZERS''

  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 242, I 
call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 24) providing for congressional 
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule 
submitted by the Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation 
Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In 
Freezers'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 242, the joint 
resolution is considered read.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 24

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress 
     disapproves the rule submitted by the Department of Energy 
     relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy 
     Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In 
     Freezers'' (89 Fed. Reg. 104616 (December 23, 2024)), and 
     such rule shall have no force or effect.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The joint resolution shall be debatable for 
1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their 
respective designees.
  The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber) and the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber).


                             General Leave

  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and insert extraneous material on H.J. Res. 24.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on December 23, 2024, as American households and 
businesses were in the process of preparing for the holidays, the 
Biden-Harris Department of Energy finalized burdensome and unnecessary 
energy efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers.
  These products are staples--they are necessary--in businesses and 
restaurants across the country, and they play an essential role in 
providing consumers with safe and fresh food as well as drinks.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the Biden-Harris administration's final 
rule jeopardizes those very same small and independent retailers' 
ability to serve the communities that rely on them.
  This final rule will force stores like small grocers and convenience 
stores to incur significant major up-front costs for new equipment. I 
know because I operated an air-conditioning business for 35 years. They 
will incur significant, major up-front costs on equipment while 
reckoning with associated operational disruptions and supply chain 
challenges. The Biden-Harris DOE itself estimated that the cost of 
these standards, which were last updated just a handful of years ago, 
to be almost $1 billion, with a b.
  However, the real cost, Mr. Speaker, is likely much higher, as DOE 
ignored other costs businesses will be forced to absorb. An example of 
added costs is any structural changes needed to accommodate a new walk-
in cooler or freezer in order to comply with their final rule.
  Unfortunately, this final rule will disproportionately affect rural 
communities and small businesses. In many areas across the country, Mr. 
Speaker, including in my district in Texas, there are communities with 
limited food and drink retail options. It is not uncommon for a 
convenience store to bridge that gap in providing food to American 
families.
  These same small businesses, which are often owned and operated by a 
single family or an individual, cannot afford the new equipment 
mandated by these unreasonable standards. In fact, 90 percent of food 
and drink retailers are categorized as small businesses and operate 
with a 1 to 3 percent margin. That is how slim their margin is.
  The result will be significant costs being passed down to consumers 
and, in the worst case scenario, the shuttering of businesses, those 
mom-and-pop businesses that we all like. They may be shuttered, 
prevented from providing essential services to the very communities 
that they grew up in.
  Thankfully, Mr. Speaker, the House is considering H.J. Res. 24, 
introduced by the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) to repeal this 
disastrous final rule.
  Over the last 4 years, small businesses have endured supply chain 
challenges, an inflationary environment, and regulatory uncertainty, 
just to name a few. Congress has the opportunity today to chart a new 
path for the small and independent retailers and grocers that feed 
American families by repealing this final rule.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Oklahoma for her leadership on this 
issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in

[[Page H1308]]

supporting H.J. Res. 24. Once again, I am going to urge all my 
colleagues' support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 24, the fourth 
Republican resolution this Congress to dismantle energy conservation 
standards for appliances. This harmful resolution guts a Department of 
Energy efficiency rule for walk-in coolers and freezers, which will 
increase energy costs for businesses and consumers. Let me stress that 
again. If this rule is repealed, businesses and consumers will have 
increased energy costs. Since it is a Congressional Review Act 
resolution, it prevents the Department of Energy from ever issuing 
substantially similar standards in the future.
  Now, let me say, Mr. Speaker, at a time when Americans are struggling 
to make ends meet and facing the reality that Republicans may soon 
strip them and their families of healthcare, it is shocking that House 
Republicans are spending another day here on the floor focusing on 
repealing commonsense energy efficiency standards that save businesses 
and consumers money.
  This whole Congress has been a revolving door of resolution after 
resolution attacking conservation standards for different appliances. 
In fact, I should point out, we were on the floor just yesterday 
afternoon debating an effort to repeal another energy efficiency 
standard for commercial refrigerators and freezers.
  Instead of investigating--which is what they should be doing--the 
shocking and unprecedented breach of security and leaked military 
strikes from top Trump national security officials, which threatens our 
national security and our defense, we are here once again wasting 
valuable floor time debating energy efficiency standards.
  Maybe we should be taking action to protect Social Security from the 
Trump administration's funding cuts that could stop seniors from 
getting the benefits they earned through a lifetime of work. My 
constituents are already telling me they can't even call the Social 
Security office anymore. There is nobody there. They have cut the 
staff. They have cut the phone service. They can't even access the 
Social Security Administration anymore under the Trump administration.

  Maybe, Mr. Speaker, we should be reversing the Trump administration's 
actions to close the Department of Education and rip away funding from 
students, teachers, and schools.
  House Republicans are not likely to take on any of these actions that 
I suggested because they refuse to take on President Trump, even when 
he is breaking the law. It is clear that my Republican colleagues do 
not have their priorities in order. In fact, it seems to me their only 
priority is securing giant tax breaks for their billionaire buddies at 
the expense of American families and businesses. H.J. Res. 24 fits 
right into the Republican agenda of raising costs on hardworking 
Americans.
  Now, I would be remiss if I didn't point out the irony of this 
resolution. President Trump and Republicans ran on a promise to cut 
energy costs in half in his first year. Yet, here we are once again 
wasting precious time on the floor with a resolution that would raise 
energy costs for American businesses by wasting more energy.
  The energy efficiency standards under threat today for walk-in 
refrigerators and freezers will save American businesses up to $6.5 
billion on utility bills over the next 30 years. These businesses 
include restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets across the 
country, and Republicans' anti-efficiency agenda will rob them of these 
cost savings.
  This is especially concerning at a time when we are hearing more and 
more stories about the damaging impacts of Trump's extreme tariffs, the 
rising cost of groceries, and the chaos and uncertainty that Trump is 
bringing every day to our economy.
  People are concerned about a Trump recession. That is what they are 
worried about today. That is what I hear when I go home. However, 
Republicans don't care about everyday Americans. They only care about 
doing the bidding of their billionaire corporate buddies at the expense 
of consumers and working families.
  Energy efficiency standards for appliances are designed to reduce 
energy use and climate pollution while also saving consumers and 
businesses money. Reducing an appliance's energy use also helps 
decrease stress on the electric grid.
  The resolution today is proof that my Republican colleagues' concern 
about grid stress--we had a hearing yesterday on that--and the 
increased load growth from data centers and American manufacturing are 
hollow and merely lip service. If Republicans truly cared about 
reducing stress on the electric grid, which is what they said yesterday 
at the hearing, they would stop dismantling energy efficiency standards 
designed to ease strain on future electric grid capacity.
  The true intent of this anti-efficiency resolution is not to help 
American businesses, but to line the pockets of their billionaire 
cronies and oil and gas friends. You guessed it, less efficient 
appliances means more profits for Big Oil and Gas.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am not quite sure how to respond 
to that. I don't know if some of our colleagues have been drinking this 
early or not.
  That notwithstanding, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).
  Mrs. BICE. Mr. Speaker, I rise, obviously, in strong support of H.J. 
Res. 24, legislation that I authored which uses the Congressional 
Review Act to overturn regulations by the Biden administration.
  I was extremely excited this morning to be notified that I have a 
Statement of Administration Policy from President Trump on this 
legislation, which I include in the Record.

                   Statement of Administration Policy


H.J. Res. 24--Joint Resolution, Providing for Congressional Disapproval 
of the Rule Submitted by the Department of Energy Relating to ``Energy 
Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers 
       and Walk-in Freezers''--Rep. Bice, R-OK, and 10 cosponsors

       The Administration strongly supports passage of H.J. Res. 
     24, a joint resolution to disapprove the rule submitted by 
     the Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation 
     Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers 
     and Walk-In Freezers.'' The December 23, 2024 rule adopts 
     amended energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and 
     walk-in freezers impacting commercial vendors who store food, 
     beverages, flowers, and other goods that require chilling at 
     low temperatures.
       The rule, issued in the final days of the previous 
     Administration, imposes complex energy conservation standards 
     for walk-in coolers and freezers, leading to unnecessary 
     costs on small businesses and everyday Americans.
       If H.J. Res. 24 were presented to the President in its 
     current form, his senior advisors would recommend that he 
     sign it into law.
  Mrs. BICE. In December of 2024, the Department of Energy enacted new 
energy efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers, equipment 
vital to pharmacies, convenience stores, food processing facilities, 
food banks, restaurants, and many other establishments nationwide.
  These regulations will impose significant financial burdens on small 
businesses, which will have to absorb major upgrade costs to meet these 
new aggressive standards. At a time when our focus should be on 
lowering the cost of living for our constituents, it is clear most of 
these expenses will be borne by consumers in the form of increased 
prices.

                              {time}  0930

  Mr. Speaker, furthermore, they threaten significant operational 
disruption for many enterprises that rely on this equipment. We have 
heard from many businesses in rural areas which will have to go through 
extensive structural and electrical upgrades to accommodate the new 
equipment. These same businesses have reported that getting the 
refrigerators and freezers repaired is a process which is already 
taking too long and is expensive and will become even more so.
  For businesses looking to enter underserved markets, this will be 
another barrier in doing so. For businesses operating on a narrow 
profit margin, this could be what sends them under.

[[Page H1309]]

  Recognizing these detrimental impacts, I fought against the adoption 
of this rule and expressed my disapproval last year during the public 
comment period. Like many of the rules handed down by the Biden 
administration, this effort will have a harsh economic impact while 
failing to achieve its own stated goal.
  DOE estimates that the rule would carry a minimum price tag of nearly 
$1 billion with minimal energy usage reduction. My colleague mentioned 
that it would be a savings of $6 billion over 30 years. What he didn't 
mention is the cost of replacement equipment with these new energy 
efficiency standards could be tens of thousands of dollars, adding up 
to billions and billions of dollars that are going to be borne by these 
businesses.
  I am grateful President Trump has taken the decisive action to halt 
these rules by having the Department of Energy postpone the effective 
date of these standards, providing breathing room for businesses. 
However, more work needs to be done; and Congress has a role to play.
  My resolution seeks to ensure that these overreaching regulations are 
permanently overturned. By doing so, we will protect small businesses 
from unnecessary compliance costs and preserve the diversity of choice 
available to consumers.
  This action aligns with our broader commitment to roll back 
burdensome regulations that stifle economic growth and infringe upon 
individual freedoms. In fact, according to the National Association of 
Manufacturers, in 2022, the total cost of regulations is estimated at 
over $3 trillion.
  We cannot continue to allow burdensome regulations on every aspect of 
our lives and our businesses. I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 
24, legislation that will reduce burdens on businesses and serve the 
best interests of the American people.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Mullin), a member of the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce.
  Mr. MULLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly oppose H.J. Res. 24. It 
is baffling to me that amidst skyrocketing electricity costs, the 
highest they have been since the 1990s, we are talking about 
overturning commonsense energy efficiency standards.
  Economists predict these standards would save American taxpayers 
billions of dollars. Mr. Speaker, you don't need to be an economist to 
know that a better fridge or freezer will mean lower costs on your 
utility bill. For families going to their local grocery, these 
standards would lower prices and reduce financial strain. For small 
businesses, it means less overhead and more profitability.
  These benefits are why the Department of Energy has set energy 
efficiency standards for decades, across Republican and Democratic 
administrations, with broad support and little controversy.
  America should be leading the world in creating and adopting 
innovative technologies, especially ones that reduce costs and help the 
environment. Unfortunately, this was just another empty campaign 
promise by candidate Trump that electricity costs would be reduced.
  Let me just emphasize that Democrats believe in an economy that works 
for all people. Under the last administration, we passed legislation 
that created nearly half a million new jobs in just 2 years. The 
Federal Government set standards that will save money.
  Mr. Speaker, I conclude by saying that Americans will save $1 
trillion on their energy bills over the next 30 years under the 
previous policies. That is $1 trillion. We will continue to fight for 
commonsense policies for everyday people, and that is why I oppose H.J. 
Res. 24.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak).
  Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.J. 
Res. 24, legislation led by my friend Representative Stephanie Bice. 
This reverses yet another burdensome Biden administration mandate that 
will add senseless costs for families and small businesses for no real 
benefit.
  The Biden Department of Energy's rule on walk-in refrigerator 
equipment is a textbook example of government overreach. This rule 
imposes sweeping, unrealistic energy standards that demand massive 
energy reductions, but this isn't just about energy policy. It is about 
the reality facing restaurant owners, grocery stores, and convenience 
stores in North Dakota and across the country.
  These businesses have battled through 4 years of inflation, supply 
chain disruptions, and workforce challenges. Washington bureaucrats are 
now telling them to replace perfectly good refrigeration equipment at a 
nationwide cost of nearly $1 billion just to meet an arbitrary, one-
size-fits-all efficiency target.
  To comply with these standards, manufacturers will have to increase 
prices on already expensive equipment. These costs will land squarely 
on the businesses and, ultimately, the American people. Mr. Speaker, 90 
percent of the food and drink retailers impacted by this rule are small 
businesses. These are businesses that are critical to the U.S. economy, 
employing millions of Americans and contributing more than $200 billion 
annually.
  This rule is not economically justified. It is Washington at its 
worst. It is no wonder that before President Trump took office, 75 
percent of the country thought that we were headed in the wrong 
direction. It is rules just like this that they know about.

  This is a bad rule. It is bad for business, and it is bad for 
customers. Let's stop this misguided regulation before it does more 
real damage to the small businesses that drive our economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to put common sense over 
bureaucratic overreach and support H.J. Res. 24.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), the ranking member of our 
Subcommittee on Energy.
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this Republican bill that 
requires businessowners to spend more money and use more energy.
  Mr. Speaker, here we are at the end of March. It is the 83rd day 
since the Congress convened under the Republican majority, and 
Republicans haven't brought one bill to the floor of the House to help 
lower costs or tackle the cost of living for our neighbors back home.
  Instead, Republicans have been singularly focused on crafting a 
massive tax giveaway for billionaires like Elon Musk that is paid for 
by ripping away health coverage from the people we love the most: kids, 
our parents, our neighbors who rely on skilled nursing, and people with 
disabilities who especially rely on Medicaid. It is wrong, and it makes 
life harder for people back home. It makes their lives more expensive.
  People want answers, but Republicans have refused to hold townhalls. 
Many of them will not even answer the phone. At my townhall last week 
in St. Petersburg, people wanted to know why the administration and 
Republicans want to make it more difficult to receive Social Security 
rather than strengthen Social Security.
  Instead of a wasteful, time-consuming, silly bill like this, why 
don't we work together and bring to the floor a bill that will 
strengthen Social Security? That would be a help to our neighbors back 
home.
  I think what it comes down to is Republicans in Congress are out of 
touch with hardworking people. They are out of touch with their 
struggles. They want lower costs. They don't want bills like this that 
say you will pay more and our Big Oil friends are going to make more on 
their bottom line.
  People are tired of being ripped off by the special interests and 
politicians who all have too much power here in Washington, D.C. This 
bill is another example of that. Republicans want to make it harder for 
businessowners to save money through energy efficient appliances.
  Energy efficiency saves people money. It is pretty straightforward. 
It cuts costs. It cuts pollution. It encourages innovation. 
Specifically, electric bills for walk-in refrigerators and freezers are 
a huge line item for restaurants and grocery stores. Taking those 
savings away will increase costs for businesses, and these are costs 
that will be passed on to consumers.
  Mr. Speaker, I want you to think about that the next time you are in 
the

[[Page H1310]]

frozen food aisle of your grocery store. This is not right.
  Overall, when the Department of Energy goes in and works with 
manufacturers and consumer advocates, they come up, they look at the 
latest technology, and then move forward on adopting a standard that 
will be in effect years from now. They look particularly at the cost 
savings overall, and the savings they estimate here are huge. It is 
$6.5 billion in utility bill savings over the next 30 years.
  This also hits home in my community because many of the businesses 
and many of my neighbors are rebuilding from Hurricanes Helene and 
Milton. They were flooded out. They lost their appliances. Many 
businesses went on the fritz. It would be particularly helpful to know 
that they are going to save money over time as they make these major 
investments.
  This is exactly what Congress intended when we passed the Energy 
Policy and Conservation Act. It was passed in 1975. We directed the 
Department of Energy to set and regularly update these standards.
  Energy efficiency standards also incentivize innovation, and American 
manufacturers have traditionally led the way in innovation due to 
updated standards. By weakening these rules, we open our markets up to 
countries like China that manufacture low-efficiency products at the 
expense of American companies and American families.
  The Department of Energy followed the law. They collaborated with 
manufacturers to ensure that the standards work. After all of this hard 
work, Republicans now want to swoop in and repeal these standards on 
coolers and freezers. They are, in essence, walking out on the cost 
savings at a time our neighbors really expect us to work together to 
lower the cost of living.
  There is a larger issue here, and it is the fact that Republicans are 
ignoring the affordability squeeze. When Democrats were in charge, we 
did everything we could to help lower the cost of living. We passed a 
cap on insulin at $35 per month. We required Medicare to negotiate 
lower drug prices. We gave help on health insurance bills. We provided 
tax rebates and savings for appliances on electric bills.
  This has led to a major manufacturing boom across the country of over 
750 clean-energy projects and over 400,000 new jobs created all across 
America, many in Republican districts.
  Since the Trump administration came in and started these illegal 
shutdowns and threatened new taxes through tariffs, the economy has 
stalled. Has anyone looked at their 401(k) lately? People are very 
uncertain.
  Let's get back to business, standing up for hardworking Americans, 
standing up for businesses. Let's make sure we guard their pocketbooks 
and tackle the affordability squeeze together, rather than serve the 
special interests that all have too much power. Republican billionaires 
and Big Oil companies are the real winners when resolutions like this 
are passed and savings are ripped away from American consumers.
  Mr. Speaker, let's stand up for the people for a change and not the 
powerful special interests. Let's stand up for their pocketbooks and 
vote ``no'' on this resolution.

                              {time}  0945

  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting for me to hear my 
colleagues across the aisle as an owner of an air-conditioning company 
that dealt with not just air-conditioning but convenience stores that 
had walk-in coolers, furnaces, and air-conditioners. I get that they 
speak from inexperience. I will give them that. What they don't realize 
is that when something like this is mandated, first of all, those 
businesses usually operate on a very, very thin margin. It could be 1.5 
to 2, maybe sometimes almost 3 percent profit, which I know from 
experience.
  When something like this has to be done, even a small walk-in 
cooler--let's just pick some figures. Let's say it costs $5,000 to 
$6,000, but the plumbing, electrical, carpentry, permits, and 
everything costs $10,000 to $12,000.
  Now, they have a choice. They are either going to pass that on to 
their consumers in higher food prices, or they are going to continue to 
pay an extra $10 or $20 a month in electricity.
  That is what is going to happen that they don't realize, that what 
they are wanting to do is mandate that businesses have to increase 
their expenses at the expense of the consumers because they are the 
ones that are going to pay for that.
  I have watched this for a long time. I realize that they speak from 
inexperience. I will leave it at that, Mr. Speaker, for the time being, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for 
closing.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I rise in opposition to this resolution. 
Republicans make it sound like no one supports these standards, like 
they came out of nowhere and are an incredible government overreach. Of 
course, that is not true.
  Manufacturers support these efficiency standards. They provide 
clarity to industry. Manufacturers support the Department of Energy's 
rule because it provides clear guidance. If this rule is revoked, it 
creates regulatory uncertainty for manufacturers.
  The Department of Energy worked with manufacturers and advocates to 
ensure that these standards were feasible and justifiable. Unlike my 
colleagues across the aisle, the Department of Energy went through a 
prolonged process that engaged extensively with experts and worked to 
address their concerns.
  In fact, in recently submitted comments regarding the delay and the 
effective date for the standards, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and 
Refrigeration Institute, a trade group that represents many of the 
manufacturers of these walk-in coolers, asserted strong support for 
proceeding with the standards as published in the Federal Register in 
December of last year.
  Lennox, a manufacturer of these walk-in systems, also submitted 
comments asserting support for proceeding with the standards as 
finalized. Lennox's comments also state: ``The final rule provides 
regulatory predictability regarding . . . energy conservation standards 
through 2031, providing a stable planning horizon.''
  These comments are an important reminder that regulatory uncertainty 
from killing a standard, as the resolution before us today would do, 
costs businesses money. My colleagues across the aisle are more 
concerned with slashing any and every regulation they can find than 
with engaging in thoughtful and well-reasoned policy.
  This is politics at its worst, so I oppose this resolution.
  I also want to point out, Mr. Speaker, that my colleagues across the 
aisle keep talking about the costs of these standards to businesses, 
but I think it is important to get the facts straight. The new 
standards for walk-in coolers don't go into effect until 2027 for some 
products and 2028 for others. This means that if a business needs to 
replace these units anytime in the next couple of years, the products 
on the market now will be available to them. They don't have to get rid 
of the refrigerators they want. It is when they buy a new one.
  Whenever a business does need to replace the units, the products on 
the market will save them money. Specifically, these standards will 
save, as I mentioned, $6.5 billion in utility bills over 30 years. DOE 
estimates the payback period for these products is 3 years for 
refrigerator systems and 1.6 years for non-display doors. After those 3 
years or, in the other case, 1.6 years, you are actually saving money 
every year.
  This means that after the first couple of years of ownership, these 
products start saving businesses a lot of money. This is real money.
  The Republicans talked about upfront costs. There may be some upfront 
costs, but over the period of time after those first couple of years, 
businesses are saving money.
  If Republicans are actually concerned about the small businesses in 
their communities, and if they are really concerned about costs being 
passed down to consumers, they would be standing up to the Trump 
administration and pushing back on tariffs.
  I am mentioning the tariffs today because the President, again, is 
starting to impose new tariffs. The last one was on automobiles. Large 
appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines rely, in part, on 
steel, making them extremely vulnerable to price increases

[[Page H1311]]

from Trump's tariffs on steel, which are already in place.
  In the aftermath of steel and aluminum tariffs during Trump's first 
term, talking about the first term now, not the new one, major 
appliances showed price increases of between 5 and 10 percent.
  If my colleagues are concerned about the prices, they should be 
speaking out against what Trump is doing with these tariffs, not to 
mention the fact that the tariffs impose additional costs on consumers. 
Again, the uncertainty--the back and forth, put the tariffs on, take 
the tariffs off--is the reason that the stock market has been so 
volatile. People don't know with certainty what is going on with this 
administration.
  We are facing policies from the Trump administration that will 
increase everyday costs for households and businesses. Instead of 
trying to fight these increases, Republicans are more concerned with 
the upfront costs of walk-in coolers in 2028. I don't know what to say 
except that it is ridiculous.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to this resolution, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am going to make it short and 
sweet. I urge everybody to vote for H.J. Res. 24. I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Obernolte). All time for debate has 
expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 242, the previous question is ordered on 
the joint resolution.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint 
resolution.
  The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 
time, and was read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the joint 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of Rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on passage will be followed by a 5-minute vote on passage 
of H.J. Res. 75.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 203, 
nays 182, not voting 45, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 77]

                               YEAS--203

     Aderholt
     Allen
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Barrett
     Baumgartner
     Bean (FL)
     Begich
     Bentz
     Bice
     Biggs (AZ)
     Biggs (SC)
     Boebert
     Bost
     Brecheen
     Bresnahan
     Buchanan
     Burchett
     Burlison
     Calvert
     Cammack
     Carey
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Ciscomani
     Cline
     Cloud
     Clyde
     Cole
     Collins
     Comer
     Crane
     Crank
     Crawford
     Cuellar
     Davidson
     Davis (NC)
     De La Cruz
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Donalds
     Downing
     Dunn (FL)
     Edwards
     Ellzey
     Emmer
     Estes
     Evans (CO)
     Ezell
     Fallon
     Fedorchak
     Feenstra
     Finstad
     Fischbach
     Fitzgerald
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flood
     Foxx
     Franklin, Scott
     Fry
     Fulcher
     Garbarino
     Gill (TX)
     Gimenez
     Golden (ME)
     Goldman (TX)
     Gonzales, Tony
     Gonzalez, V.
     Gooden
     Gosar
     Graves
     Gray
     Green (TN)
     Greene (GA)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hageman
     Hamadeh (AZ)
     Harrigan
     Harris (MD)
     Harris (NC)
     Harshbarger
     Hern (OK)
     Higgins (LA)
     Hinson
     Houchin
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hunt
     Hurd (CO)
     Jack
     James
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Kean
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy (UT)
     Kiley (CA)
     Kim
     Kustoff
     LaHood
     LaLota
     LaMalfa
     Langworthy
     Latta
     Lawler
     Lee (FL)
     Letlow
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luna
     Luttrell
     Mace
     Mackenzie
     Malliotakis
     Maloy
     Mann
     Massie
     Mast
     McClain
     McClintock
     McCormick
     McDowell
     McGuire
     Messmer
     Meuser
     Miller (IL)
     Miller (WV)
     Miller-Meeks
     Mills
     Moolenaar
     Moore (AL)
     Moore (NC)
     Moore (UT)
     Moore (WV)
     Moran
     Murphy
     Nehls
     Newhouse
     Norman
     Nunn (IA)
     Obernolte
     Ogles
     Onder
     Owens
     Palmer
     Perez
     Perry
     Pfluger
     Reschenthaler
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Rulli
     Rutherford
     Scalise
     Schmidt
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Self
     Sessions
     Shreve
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spartz
     Stauber
     Steil
     Strong
     Stutzman
     Taylor
     Tenney
     Tiffany
     Timmons
     Turner (OH)
     Valadao
     Van Drew
     Van Duyne
     Van Orden
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Westerman
     Wied
     Williams (TX)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Yakym
     Zinke

                               NAYS--182

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Amo
     Auchincloss
     Balint
     Beatty
     Bell
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop
     Bonamici
     Boyle (PA)
     Brown
     Budzinski
     Bynum
     Carbajal
     Carson
     Carter (LA)
     Casar
     Case
     Casten
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Cherfilus-McCormick
     Chu
     Cisneros
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Cleaver
     Cohen
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Craig
     Crockett
     Crow
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (IL)
     Dean (PA)
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Deluzio
     DeSaulnier
     Dexter
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Elfreth
     Escobar
     Espaillat
     Evans (PA)
     Fields
     Figures
     Fletcher
     Foster
     Foushee
     Frankel, Lois
     Friedman
     Frost
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Gillen
     Goldman (NY)
     Goodlander
     Gottheimer
     Green, Al (TX)
     Harder (CA)
     Hayes
     Himes
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyle (OR)
     Huffman
     Ivey
     Jackson (IL)
     Jacobs
     Jeffries
     Johnson (TX)
     Kamlager-Dove
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy (NY)
     Khanna
     Krishnamoorthi
     Landsman
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latimer
     Lee (NV)
     Lee (PA)
     Levin
     Liccardo
     Lieu
     Lofgren
     Lynch
     Magaziner
     Mannion
     Matsui
     McBride
     McClain Delaney
     McClellan
     McCollum
     McDonald Rivet
     McGarvey
     McGovern
     McIver
     Meeks
     Menendez
     Meng
     Mfume
     Min
     Moore (WI)
     Morelle
     Moskowitz
     Moulton
     Mrvan
     Mullin
     Nadler
     Neguse
     Norcross
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Olszewski
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pocan
     Pou
     Quigley
     Ramirez
     Randall
     Raskin
     Riley (NY)
     Rivas
     Ross
     Ruiz
     Ryan
     Salinas
     Sanchez
     Scanlon
     Schneider
     Scholten
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Sewell
     Sherman
     Simon
     Smith (WA)
     Sorensen
     Soto
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Strickland
     Subramanyam
     Suozzi
     Swalwell
     Sykes
     Takano
     Thanedar
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tlaib
     Tokuda
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres (NY)
     Trahan
     Tran
     Underwood
     Vargas
     Vasquez
     Veasey
     Velazquez
     Vindman
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Whitesides
     Williams (GA)
     Wilson (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--45

     Alford
     Amodei (NV)
     Ansari
     Arrington
     Barr
     Barragan
     Bergman
     Bilirakis
     Brownley
     Clyburn
     Crenshaw
     Fong
     Garamendi
     Garcia (CA)
     Gomez
     Haridopolos
     Hill (AR)
     Hoyer
     Issa
     Jackson (TX)
     Jayapal
     Johnson (GA)
     Kaptur
     Kiggans (VA)
     Knott
     Leger Fernandez
     McBath
     McCaul
     Miller (OH)
     Morrison
     Neal
     Omar
     Pelosi
     Peters
     Pettersen
     Pingree
     Pressley
     Salazar
     Schakowsky
     Sherrill
     Stansbury
     Stefanik
     Steube
     Thompson (PA)
     Titus

                              {time}  1016

  Messrs. CLEAVER, VEASEY, DELUZIO and Ms. CLARKE of New York changed 
their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  So the joint resolution was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on 
Roll Call No. 77.
  Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have 
voted YEA on Roll Call No. 77.
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote because I was 
in a legislative meeting which ran over. Had I been present, I would 
have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 77.
  Stated against:
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent from the floor and the roll call 
vote on passage of H.J. Res. 24, providing for congressional 
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule 
submitted by the Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation 
Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In 
Freezers.''
  Had I been present, I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call vote no. 77, 
final passage of H.J. Res. 24.
  Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded on roll call no. 77. Had I 
been present, I would have voted ``NAY'' on roll call vote no. 77.
  Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I did not vote on Roll Call No. 77. Had I 
been present, I would have voted ``NAY'' on Roll Call No. 77.
  Ms. BROWNLEY. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote today. Had I been 
present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 77.

[[Page H1312]]

  

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