[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6314373,"mediaKeyId","2384394-fb78495a1a8593b21099d80180369546","parentId",2384394,"title","Rules Committee hears GOP bid to undo DOE water‑heater standard; Democrats say rule saves energy and money","audioSeconds",8358,"startMs",642000,"endMs",9000000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2384394-fb78495a1a8593b21099d80180369546&start=642&end=9000","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2384394-fb78495a1a8593b21099d80180369546/thumbnail_642000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6314373/Rules-Committee-hears-GOP-bid-to-undo-DOE-waterheater-standard-Democrats-say-rule-saves-energy-and-money","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314373-909f58bf14b9af6f61fab763c13a3df7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775018446&Signature=ZK-p6Tv4xYJ341VWyVNmahnmcCYNpR-vKoNoxgw88GPWpIDSUaQNo3Id1BSyZdLKbDRoJ8xoHYizUrKnsYC0RUd4qEar7DQnaE3zkClGb~0Ncuv5a5IfDZPd25d8a8GxMeYBbjwxikzyu~pk6hCKfgww1MikX5bUP15Y-teQgVBEjo0tifhSJjkk0mT1wgiufL-Ba2iglLgXOvJDtkEITN6UeG0e-kFvf8Qf5AraEjVkjjc-fQyRjMM9W1xwGWxMUu0TMFy5~3i302-WpnG-tjU37zuEdnof6danqM55j8Y~R8cS1n3yuC-aQq245a5I9TinZwB7bLfXhQ6bRD53Jw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Rules","date","2025-02-25T02:35:40Z","article","A House Rules Committee hearing on H.J.Res.20 centered on a Republican‑led push to repeal a Department of Energy standard for gas tankless (instantaneous) water heaters. Committee witnesses, including Representative Brett Guthrie and Representative Paul Tonko (testifying in different capacities as committee witnesses), clashed over whether the standard lowers household energy costs over its lifetime or raises upfront prices for less costly non‑condensing units.

Representative Brett Guthrie argued the DOE rule would \"ban non‑condensing tankless water heaters\" in practice, increasing purchase prices and harming lower‑income consumers and small manufacturers. Guthrie told the committee DOE estimated a per‑model cost increase of about $231, while some industry stakeholders say the per‑unit impact could reach several hundred dollars.

Representative Paul Tonko, speaking in opposition to the Congressional Review Act resolution, said the updated standard would save Americans money and reduce emissions over 30 years, producing an estimated $3.1 billion in consumer savings and reducing CO2 emissions by 32 million metric tons. Tonko and other Democrats said more than 90% of gas water heaters already meet the new standard and that efficiency rules protect consumers from inferior products.

Discussion vs. decision

Discussion: Committee testimony covered DOE’s cost‑benefit analysis, the distribution of costs and benefits across households, the potential impact on U.S. manufacturers and installers, and the interaction with existing tax credits for efficiency improvements.

Decision: The Rules Committee did not itself revoke or pass H.J.Res.20. The committee’s rule package reported to the House included closed rule terms for H.J.Res.20 (one hour of general debate equally divided and one motion to recommit) and therefore set the terms for floor consideration.

What was provided in the rule

Action: As part of the broader rule reported by the Rules Committee, H.J.Res.20 was made in order for floor consideration with a closed rule. The rule provided one hour of general debate (equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their designees) and one motion to recommit. The Rules Committee waived points of order against consideration and against provisions in the joint resolution.

Notable quotes

\"This gas water heater rule harms those with the least,\" Representative Brett Guthrie said, adding DOE \"failed to comply\" with statutory requirements that energy conservation standards be economically justifiable.

\"Energy efficiency standards are a win‑win,\" Representative Paul Tonko said. \"They help reduce energy costs for American families while also combating the worsening climate crisis.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rules Committee Hearing H.J. Res. 20, 35 and H. Con. Res. 14","oneSentenceSummary","The Rules Committee heard competing views on H.J.Res.20, a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn a Department of Energy efficiency standard for gas tankless water heaters, with Republicans opposing the rule’s upfront costs and Democrats defending long‑term consumer savings.","taxTitle","Rules: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1984,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6314378,"House Rules Committee approves rule for FY2025 budget resolution after heated debate over Medicaid, SNAP and tax cuts",12733,387000,13120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2384394-fb78495a1a8593b21099d80180369546&start=387&end=13120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2384394-fb78495a1a8593b21099d80180369546/thumbnail_387000.jpg","/articles/6314378/House-Rules-Committee-approves-rule-for-FY2025-budget-resolution-after-heated-debate-over-Medicaid-SNAP-and-tax-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314378-0872cf4d098e2ef1b5d2e386e06d20b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775018446&Signature=fHzgsvd3NV5T66KDfP4rjRSUPp6t9YG9BaUJwmTrRX3mVgwCE22NgB3Yvfjv7wH~GWj4g-Uf67CA2y~Vhp~5izYjPbyhIOgc1Zr60EdBv2EbsbSQeXfnXWQTuo3b9heuZskz1vBOxbq48py1i-TnJmcIRWCyP0s6nt9ZPtpuUUsCBf3syPNYQXjSkZf8Z9jOYkyjHfWHXTgItTUtQWYZ7FQLSjMQ7fxbxHxvPsqgBfgAyrCxoDe6CHwvAYIVpfWwKKDgn9~27WG0yUaXEpw5dOBELQFcJfo8-k6hL7xht4-FeKCzxVqYEX0Kz11Dro5~LOuRrOZhz1gxHLpikhgT-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Rules Committee on Thursday approved a closed rule to report H.Con.Res.14, the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution, after a full-day hearing that featured lengthy debate over proposed spending cuts to Medicaid and nutrition programs and Republicans' plan to extend major tax provisions.

The Rules Committee approved the motion to report the rule under a package offered by Representative Houchin that sets out closed rules for consideration on the House floor. The rule package sets time limits for floor debate and waives points of order against provisions in the joint resolutions on the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency rules. The committee then voted to report the concurrent budget resolution (H.Con.Res.14) to the House; the final recorded tally on the motion to report was 9 yeas, 4 nays.

Why it matters: The budget resolution frames reconciliation instructions for committees and sets the fiscal parameters that Republican leaders intend to use to pursue tax extensions and spending reductions. Members on both sides said the resolution will shape whether cuts fall on programs such as Medicaid, SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), education and other domestic programs or whether tax cuts for higher‑income households will be extended.

Key exchanges and claims

Representative Jodey Arrington, chair of the House Budget Committee and the committee witness, described the resolution as a framework to \"restore fiscal health\" and implement what he called an \"America First\" agenda. Arrington emphasized assumed economic growth of about 2.55 percent and said the resolution instructs committees to identify savings in order to reduce spending growth.

Ranking Member Brendan Boyle of the House Budget Committee told the Rules panel the Republican framework amounts to \"a betrayal of the middle class,\" saying, \"This budget guts the very programs millions of Americans rely on,\" and that the resolution would require hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid and other programs. Boyle and other Democrats repeatedly cited an $880 billion figure tied to instructions to the Energy and Commerce Committee, saying the committee would have to identify roughly that magnitude of deficit reduction within its jurisdiction.

Committee debate and amendments

Members debated a long list of amendments tied to protections for SNAP, the child tax credit, education funding, Medicaid, and other programs. Representative James McGovern offered several amendments to narrow or limit tax extensions by income threshold; each of those amendments failed on recorded votes. Other Democratic amendments to strike budget instructions that could force cuts to SNAP, school meals, Medicaid, and other programs were also considered and not adopted by the committee.

Formal action and outcome

Action: Motion to report H.Con.Res.14 and grant a closed rule for floor consideration (motion offered by Representative Houchin). Outcome: Approved; recorded vote on the motion to report: 9 yeas, 4 nays. Notes: The rule package also provided closed rules and debate allocations for H.J.Res.20 (Department of Energy water heater standards) and H.J.Res.35 (EPA methane polluter fee) and permitted the Budget Committee chair to offer amendments on the floor to achieve mathematical consistency.

Discussion vs. decision

Discussion: Committee testimony and member remarks centered on whether the resolution’s instructions would force deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and education; the reliability of growth assumptions used by the Majority; and the distributional effects of tax extensions.

Decision: The Rules Committee adopted the closed rule to report the budget resolution and the two Congressional Review Act resolutions for floor consideration and transmitted the rule to the House. The committee did not itself change substantive law; it set terms for floor debate and indicated reconciliation instructions will follow in committee processes.

What to watch next

H.Con.Res.14 establishes the reconciliation instructions that House committees will use to draft legislation later in the process. Members and outside groups will press committees that receive instructions (for example, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture, Education and the Workforce) to show where specific cuts or offsets would be implemented. The resolution’s economic assumptions and those committees’ responses will determine whether the reconciliation package proceeds as the Majority intends.","The House Rules Committee approved a closed rule to report the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution after a daylong hearing that centered on whether the plan’s instructions will require deep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and other programs or allow extensions of tax provisions favored by Republicans.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":44,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":50,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6314368,"Committee debates repeal of EPA methane polluter fee; Democrats say fee captures wasted gas, Republicans call it a cost on consumers",8158,8800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2384394-fb78495a1a8593b21099d80180369546&start=642&end=8800","/articles/6314368/Committee-debates-repeal-of-EPA-methane-polluter-fee-Democrats-say-fee-captures-wasted-gas-Republicans-call-it-a-cost-on-consumers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314368-54b3fe65c2bd7018bb8ea74ae280dd64/orig.mp4?Expires=1775018446&Signature=UGrNsEIa0f2IlE1D8XBzl8i5sSbudBG306HxsFf0aoJe4Ta-naBlkWde4ByJF4Gr3DI1iD6Pe6KEj5zIuOYW9BS7Lvxe7tbV8JBEAY6NZzlIVbOd32-cLJz7GlvrIl7~GKC8esLYt4Nswxe5DwvKDVvlY7LKakAhq6V0UxQnRzdCY1AwhZLSB4nn-aV61yhVOYUbaQ~jNbofE5PotlUNflt3UzDJnXeRCL~E066gFaswao1CBxOmc-Fr0-STBR0a3nFG5OqLkkyTjSF7nSzZtwpm3Tj2vyLA1lbtX3jP2QKH8BkKq6eA54D4bQC39wrbWrPYsetjNpLpezysh35oug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rules Committee also considered the policy case for H.J.Res.35, a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the EPA’s methane polluter fee. The fee is the core pricing mechanism in the methane emissions reduction program enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act; under the rule operators pay a per‑ton fee on excess methane emissions unless they adopt mitigation measures.

Representative Paul Tonko, testifying for Democrats, said the methane fee corrects a market failure — wasted methane is currently cheaper to vent or flare than to capture — and that the fee can be avoided if operators prevent leaks and waste. Tonko told the committee that waste amounts to billions of dollars each year and that a mitigation industry is expanding to capture that lost product while creating jobs.

Representative Brett Guthrie and other Republican witnesses argued the fee imposes a punitive charge that will be passed through to consumers, reduce U.S. energy production and increase reliance on foreign sources. Guthrie cited analyses (including CBO work referenced in testimony) suggesting compliance costs could be passed through to end users. He also emphasized the effect on small and mid‑size independent producers with limited staff and capital.

Committee action

As part of the Rules package the committee provided for consideration of H.J.Res.35 under a closed rule for floor debate (one hour general debate equally divided; one motion to recommit; points of order waived). The committee did not itself vote to disapprove the EPA rule; it set the terms for House floor consideration.

Implications

Supporters of the methane fee argue it preserves consumer value by preventing waste and reducing emissions; opponents argue it will raise energy costs and reduce domestic output. The House floor will decide whether to sustain or overturn the EPA regulation under the terms provided by the Rules Committee’s report.","Members of the House Rules Committee heard competing testimony on H.J.Res.35, a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s methane polluter fee. Democrats said the fee corrects market failure and funds mitigation technology; Republicans said the fee will raise energy prices and hurt small producers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rules Committee hears GOP bid to undo DOE water‑heater standard; Democrats say rule saves energy and money

House Rules Committee approves rule for FY2025 budget resolution after heated debate over Medicaid, SNAP and tax cuts

Committee debates repeal of EPA methane polluter fee; Democrats say fee captures wasted gas, Republicans call it a cost on consumers