Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 12.
Congress is using the Congressional Review Act to block a recent agency rule. The resolution declares that the Department of Energy rule is disapproved and has no force or effect. If enacted, the Act also prevents the agency from issuing a substantially similar rule in the future unless Congress gives new authorization.
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters (89 Fed. Reg. 105188, Dec. 26, 2024).
Department of Energy (DOE)
As a joint resolution under the CRA, it must pass both the House and the Senate and be signed by the President to take effect. In the Senate, CRA disapproval measures get expedited consideration and cannot be filibustered, so they need only a simple majority to pass; a presidential veto could still be overridden only with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
This joint resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to disapprove a Department of Energy rule titled "Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters" (89 Fed.
Reg. 105188, Dec. 26, 2024).
If enacted, the resolution nullifies that DOE rule and prevents it from having force or effect.
Narrow statutory device increases odds if chamber majorities align, but procedural hurdles and potential executive opposition lower overall likelihood.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly focused Congressional Review Act disapproval that clearly identifies the targeted DOE rule and uses the statutory vehicle to nullify it. Its mechanism is explicit and appropriate for a CRA resolution.
Climate and long-term consumer savings vs. short-term regulatory cost concerns.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Climate and long-term consumer savings vs. short-term regulatory cost concerns.
Likely strongly opposed.
Liberals would view this as a congressional rollback of energy-efficiency standards that reduce emissions and save consumers money long-term.
They would emphasize climate, public-health, and consumer-savings benefits of the DOE rule.
Mixed but leaning opposed.
Centrists will weigh regulatory costs against projected consumer energy savings and emissions reductions.
They will want clear cost-benefit data, transitional timelines, and small-business impacts before deciding support.
Likely strongly supportive.
Conservatives will view the resolution as restoring regulatory restraint, protecting manufacturers and consumers from costly federal standards, and asserting Congressional oversight over executive rulemaking.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Narrow statutory device increases odds if chamber majorities align, but procedural hurdles and potential executive opposition lower overall likelihood.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Climate and long-term consumer savings vs. short-term regulatory cost concerns.
Narrow statutory device increases odds if chamber majorities align, but procedural hurdles and potential executive opposition lower overall…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly focused Congressional Review Act disapproval that clearly identifies the targeted DOE rule and uses the statutory vehicle to nullify it. Its mechanism i…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.