Biden Admin’s Proposed Washer Rule Draws Criticism

Biden Administration Spinning Up Skepticism Over Proposed Washer Rule

(LibertySociety.com) – Washing machine manufacturers are speaking out after a new rule proposed by the Biden administration was announced by the Department of Energy (DOE). This would require all washers to use less water, adding to the growing list of impositions placed on Americans. The new rule has been proposed to further the administration’s green agenda, but it has already been hit with criticism from industry leaders who are saying that the rule will raise the price of washing machines, making the appliance unaffordable for lower income families.

Fox News reports that Whirlpool and other manufacturers are claiming that the new rule will force them to produce a less effective product, stating that cycles will “take longer, the detergent will cost more, and in the end, the clothes will be less clean,” defeating the purpose of the machine itself. In the press release from the Department of Energy, the agency tries to justify the increase in price of the machines by touting $100 in savings per year for American households, but skeptics of the rule aren’t buying it.

James Coleman, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, believes that the rule would actually result in higher costs overall on consumer energy expenses. The new rule could also come at a cost to manufacturers, with an expectation of $700 million dollars just to convert to the new machines, according to The Energy Department. The DOE, citing the climate crisis, claims that the new rule will “reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.4 billion metric tons,” adding that it will also result in a 30-year savings of $570 billion dollars.

Months ago, the media was sent into an uproar when concerns arose about a possible ban on gas stoves. CPSC member Richard Trumka Jr. suggested to Bloomberg at the time that all options were “on the table” regarding possible regulations of gas stoves, but officials were quick to walk these comments back after the backlash, stating a ban wasn’t under consideration. However, Fox News in February reported on an internal memo from the Biden administration suggestion that a gas stove ban was indeed under consideration before the backlash.

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