By In a decisive move reflecting the new administration’s determined rollback of Biden-era environmental policies, the Senate voted Thursday to overturn energy efficiency standards for gas-powered tankless water heaters. The resolution passed by a 53–44 vote and now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature.
The regulation, introduced by the Biden administration’s Department of Energy, sought to raise the minimum efficiency requirements for gas water heaters. It was part of a broader initiative aimed at combating climate change and promoting energy conservation. However, Republican lawmakers have criticized these regulations as excessive government intervention that restricts consumer choice and drives up costs.
Trump has long complained about what he’s called “a war on showers.”
The New York Times noted, “It is the second time that Mr. Trump as president has attempted to redefine a shower head. A rule he introduced in his first term drastically increased the amount of water that showers with multiple nozzles could use. The Biden administration later reversed that change.
He has railed for years against low water pressure in bathrooms, an issue in some New York City high-rises. During his first term in the White House, he lamented that his showers did not supply enough water for him to achieve his “perfect” hair, part of a campaign against what he described as excessive government regulation.
“You take a shower, the water doesn’t come out,” he said in 2020. “You want to wash your hands, the water doesn’t come out. So what do you do? You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair — I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect.”
At a dinner with Republican leaders in 2023, he repeated his complaint: “You know I have this gorgeous head of hair — when I take a shower, I want water to pour down on me. When you go into these new homes with showers, the water drips down slowly, slowly.”
The effort to rescind the rule was led by Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and moved forward under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to repeal federal agency rules by a simple majority vote. Once a rule is overturned through the CRA, agencies are barred from introducing a similar regulation in the future.
“Washington bureaucrats shouldn’t decide what appliances you can own,” Cruz said earlier this year. “President Trump and the Republican Congress are going to end and reverse Democrats’ war on affordable American appliances.”
The House passed the resolution in February, paving the way for the Senate’s vote. Supporters argue that the repeal protects consumer freedom and relieves manufacturers and homeowners from burdensome mandates. Critics, however, contend that it undermines national goals to cut energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
President Trump is expected to sign the resolution, continuing his administration’s broader effort to dismantle the energy policies of his predecessor.
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