Hands off our appliances, President Biden

This article originally appeared in Washington Times on August 7, 2023

The Biden administration recently announced the next attack in its never-ending regulatory war on Americans’ home appliances. This time, it is coming after water heaters.

It’s just the latest move in a long line of aggressive regulations on gas-powered stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, light bulbs and even cars. It appears that nearly every item Americans count on for making their daily lives more comfortable has been targeted for some sort of onerous regulation in the name of virtue signaling with marginal emission reductions.

Last year alone, the Department of Energy took more than 110 burdensome actions to ratchet up already stringent energy efficiency standards.

This top-down approach puts Washington in the driver’s seat, rather than allowing the free market to meet consumer preferences and drive innovation, efficiency gains and cost savings. With Washington wresting away appliance choices, American consumers are suffering as fewer, more expensive, and less effective options continue to lower quality of life.

The Biden administration’s message to Americans concerned about this costly government intrusion? Don’t look now!

Read full op-ed in Washington Times