US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined his colleagues in a letter expressing significant concerns with the proposed adoption of revised energy standards for newly constructed and rehabilitated homes insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The letter requests HUD and USDA change course, as adoption of these standards would impose significant costs on American households, particularly low and moderate-income families, and put undue pressure on an already constrained housing supply.
“Over the last few years, the Biden administration has demonstrated a reckless commitment to forcing its unrealistic environmental agenda onto various aspects of the economy via its push toward electrification, regulating household appliances, and the stifling of conventional American energy production,” the senators continued. “So it is not at all surprising that the administration is now forcing its agenda onto families purchasing or renting a home, all while admitting that “lower-income households . . . may be challenged in their ability to address first costs.””
“To that end, we request that you abandon this effort and conduct an honest evaluation as to how adoption of the revised IECC and ASHRAE standards would increase costs and give special attention to the affect adoption would have on lower-income families,” the senators concluded.
Additional cosigners include U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hoeven (R-ND), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Click here to read the letter.
