Senate Republicans voted to repeal a Biden administration regulation pertaining to walk-in freezers and coolers Thursday, in a move they say will save small-business owners money. The resolution, H.J. Res. 24, passed 53-42 on a straight party-line vote.
The Congressional Review Act resolution eliminates then-President Joe Biden’s 2024 limits on the energy use of walk-in coolers, which are used by many small businesses. It had passed the House 203-182 on March 27 on a mostly party-line vote.
Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., who introduced the regulation on the House side, argued that the energy-efficiency standards were a source of financial strain for owners of pharmacies, stores, and restaurants, while providing little benefit.
“[The Department of Energy] estimates that the rule would carry a minimum price tag of nearly $1 billion, with minimal energy-usage reduction,” said Bice on the House floor in March.
“This action [of repealing the rule] aligns with our broader commitment to roll back burdensome regulations that stifle economic growth and infringe upon individual freedoms,” she said.
After the vote, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., applauded the resolution, calling it an “Easy ‘yes’ vote,” and fellow Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford also applauded it on X
But Democrats have argued the rule is a waste of time.
Rep. Sarah McBride, R-Del., the first transgender member of Congress, posted on X, “the absurdity never ends in a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.”
Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., shouted, “You think that the American people voted for you to waste our time on refrigeration standards?” when the resolution was debated in the House.
The resolution is another step in a broader Republican effort to undo a number of Biden administration regulations. Another example is the Natural Gas Tax Repeal Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 17.