Pro-American consumerism is making a comeback under the Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress. On Wednesday, the Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion to approve Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal the disastrous Biden-Harris administration's rule banning certain natural gas water heaters. The days of the Biden-Harris administration war on the American consumer, in the name of climate alarmism, thankfully looks to be over.
The vote was 52-42, with even Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) crossing the aisle to vote with all Republicans. President Donald Trump won Georgia in 2024, and Ossoff is particularly vulnerable when it comes to his reelection battle next November.
"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 Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters' (89 Fed. Reg 105188 (December 26, 2024)), and such rule shall have no force or effect," the joint resolution reads.
The House also approved the resolution in February, which was introduced by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL). All Republicans and 11 Democrats voted in its favor.
A press release from Cruz's office from earlier this year warned of the consequences if the rule were not repealed:
If not repealed the rule would remove roughly forty percent of the existing market for tankless water heaters and force consumers to pay an extra $450 for alternatives. The new DOE rule stipulates that new tankless gas water heaters must rely on 13% less energy than the least efficient comparable model on the market today. The ban goes into effect on March 11, 2025, for sales beginning in 2029.
In a statement, Cruz blasted the previous administration, as well as praised Congress for passing his resolution. "The Biden-Harris administration knew they were increasing costs on Americans and they didn’t care. Their rule would have forced Americans to either pay hundreds of dollars more for efficient water heaters or purchase less efficient models. I applaud Congress for passing my resolution rescinding this rule, and when the President signs it in the coming days it will restore fairness, consumer choice, and affordability to the American people," he shared exclusively with Townhall.
Cruz also spoke with the fellas on "Ruthless" earlier this week, where he detailed just how bad the Biden-Harris rule was, and how he was able to get his resolution passed under the CRA, which "gives Congress the ability to reverse rules... if it's within a narrow window of time."
As the senator also reminded, the Biden-Harris administration "banned the most commonly used tankless water heaters and has the effect of driving up the cost for people to buy a tankless water heater of about $450, it's just hurting consumers." To support and appreciation from the podcast hosts, Cruz correctly predicted that his resolution would pass and they'd "win that vote."
The Senate just passed my CRA to reverse a Biden-era rule that increased costs on Americans.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 10, 2025
Their rule would have forced Americans to either pay hundreds of dollars more for efficient water heaters or purchase less efficient models. @RuthlessPodcast heard it first:… pic.twitter.com/RinNYudW7u
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