If anything shows that Republicans care more about power and performatively “owning the libs,” it’s their efforts this week rolling back energy standards for refrigerators and walk-in coolers that President Joe Biden put in place shortly before he stepped down.
“I think ‘insanity’ is a good word for what’s happening here on the House floor today. Another good word is ‘bizarre,’” Stansbury said about the efforts.
As if to prove her point, The Baltimore Sun reported, “Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., who authored the measure, argued the regulations harmed small businesses and food banks.” Yep, those are the same food banks Republicans' DOGE just knifed in the back by yanking $1 billion in funding. The DOGE bags are harming small businesses, too. I doubt that rolling back refrigeration standards is high on any food bank or small business’ concerns at the moment. But House Republicans are patting themselves on the back, pretending they just did their constituents a big solid.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) brought the fire that’s needed:
STANSBURY: [T]oday is one of those days where I'm like, what the hell are these folks doing? Because while our economy is in crisis, while groceries and housing are at an all-time high, while our veterans and our firefighters and our teachers are being illegally fired, while Elon Musk is dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and while the secretary of defense is trying to cover up the most incompetent national security leak I have ever heard of in my life, the Republicans in the House are trying to save the American people from the scourge of walk-in cooler and refrigeration efficiency standards.
She went on to highlight just how out of touch Republicans are with everyday Americans:
STANSBURY: How out of touch are you with the American people? Like, literally. I know you're not holding town halls and meeting with your constituents anymore, but you think that the American people voted for you to waste our time on refrigeration standards? That's what you think you were elected to do?
Literally, how out of touch are you because no American voted, no American - I don't care where you are on the ideological spectrum, you did not vote for this, this is ridiculous, it's preposterous and it's just stupid.
Hey, Chuck Schumer, are you listening? Maybe you could learn something.
