05/22/2026
Awe! Look at what Rep. Craig Goldman is proud of!
H.J. Res. 75 — now Public Law 119-9 — repealed Department of Energy efficiency standards for **commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers. And the sales pitch is exactly what we’ve come to expect: *“We’re cutting burdensome Biden-era regulations to save hard-working Americans money.” Really?
This is the SAME DISPROVEN trickle-down argument Republicans have been selling for 4 decades:
1. Deregulate an industry,
2. Give manufacturers and business owners more flexibility (i.e., cut their operations cost), and then
3. Pretend the savings will magically flow down to everyday consumers.
But where is the proof? Where is the line item showing how much this will lower grocery bills? Where is the estimate showing what the average taxpayer, worker, parent, teacher, veteran, or retired person will actually save?
Goldman claims this is about protecting small businesses and consumers. But the rule he helped kill? It wasn't some random “woke regulation.” It was an energy-efficiency standard for commercial refrigeration equipment — the kind used by businesses — and the Department of Energy had already determined the standards were:
1. technologically feasible,
2. economically justified, and
3. projected to save energy over time.
In plain English: more efficient equipment costs less to operate over the life of the equipment. Repealing that does not guarantee cheaper food. It does not guarantee lower taxes. It does not guarantee that a single grocery store, restaurant, or corporation will pass one penny of savings on to regular people.
So who benefits immediately? Manufacturers who face fewer standards. Businesses that avoid upgrading equipment. Politicians who get to posture as “pro-consumer” while doing the bidding of industry. And once again, everyday Americans are supposed to believe that if corporations save money, they’ll benevolently hand it back to us. Puhlease! This is NOT consumer protection. This is CORPORATE protection DRESSED UP as economic relief.
If Goldman wants to claim this law saves working people money, then he should show the math. Not slogans. Not “burdensome regulation” talking points. Not recycled anti-Biden rhetoric. Actual numbers. How much will the average family save at the grocery store? How soon? Through what mechanism? Because unless he can answer that, this looks like exactly what it is: another Republican deregulation bill that benefits INDUSTRY first (i.e., the donors), while pretending it will benefit working families (i.e., their constituents).
Goldman’s own press release claimed the resolution would repeal “burdensome” standards and deliver “real cost savings,” while Congress.gov shows the law simply disapproved the DOE rule and made it have “no force or effect.” The DOE’s final rule projected $4.61 billion in consumer operating-cost savings against $1.18 billion in incremental equipment costs at a 3% discount rate, plus annualized consumer operating-cost savings of about $265 million per year. Also, the compliance date would not even have started until **January 22, 2029**, which weakens any claim that repeal delivers immediate grocery relief.
[1]: https://craiggoldman.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-goldmans-resolution-repealing-burdensome-regulations-passes-house "Rep. Goldman’s Resolution Repealing Burdensome Regulations Passes the House | Congressman Craig Goldman"
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Craig Goldman (R-TX) released the following statement after his joint resolution, H.J. Res. 75, passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation repeals the Biden administration’s energy conservation standards for commercial refrigeration equipment, ...
