By Congresswoman Stephanie Bice
During the Biden Administration, costly federal regulations negatively affected businesses and consumers across the country. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, these provisions cost the U.S. economy more than $3 trillion each year. Since taking office, House Republicans and President Trump have worked to reverse these policies, lower costs for American families and small businesses, and restore commonsense to the federal government.
Last year, I was proud to lead one of these efforts with H.J. Res. 24, my legislation to overturn a new rule on walk-in coolers and freezers from the previous Administration, which was finalized in the final weeks of the Biden Administration. It imposed stricter energy efficiency standards on commercial refrigeration equipment used by restaurants, pharmacies, food banks, convenience stores and businesses across the country.
This policy, which carried an estimated billion-dollar price tag, would have been crippling for businesses throughout the country, especially in rural areas. My resolution passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump on May 9, 2025, permanently overturning the rule and protecting businesses from another costly federal mandate.
My efforts are just one part of our broader effort to make our system more efficient. Congress and President Trump have enacted 22 Congressional Review Act resolutions overturning federal regulations, and the Administration has continued working to roll back Biden-era rules that impose additional costs on businesses and consumers.
Just last week, the House passed two more resolutions to push back against these measures. H.J. Res. 210 would overturn an Environmental Protection Agency action allowing California to enforce standards on ocean-going vessels while docked at ports. H.J. Res. 213 would overturn a separate EPA decision allowing California to impose stricter emissions requirements on commercial harbor craft, including certain working vessels, carrying a price tag of $1.3 billion dollars. These are just two of the latest examples of our continued work to prevent onerous mandates from placing additional burdens on businesses and consumers.
For four years, the Biden Administration imposed costly requirements that placed additional measures on businesses across the country. Every needless federal action means more time and resources spent complying with Washington instead of growing a business, creating jobs or investing in our economy. We have already made significant progress, but there is more work to do.
