Debbie Lesko

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two very special people to both my office and me personally, my deputy chief of staff, Brendon Gallo, who is in the audience today, and his fiancee, Vandana Verma, and to commemorate their upcoming wedding in Florence, Italy. Brendon and Vandana met in college at New York University and quickly fell in love. They moved to Washington, D.C., for Brendon to pursue his interest in politics and have made a home here with their dog, Sage. It has been a joy to get to know both Brendon and Vandana over the years and watch their love grow. I especially want to thank Vandana for her patience and understanding as Brendon has navigated the often demanding and time-consuming work of a staffer on Capitol Hill. He has done a great job. I wish them a lifetime of happiness and blessings and look forward to celebrating their marriage next month.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my late father, Donald N. Lorenz. My dad was such a positive influence in my life. He worked hard, was honest, and helped other people. My dad left early every morning to go to work. He worked hard. He really cared about his work, was loyal to the Kohler Company, where he worked, and really cared about the men who worked under his leadership. My dad was a skilled woodworker. He not only carved the patterns for engines and plumbing fixtures but also carved the intricate design for the entry sign into the Kohler Company itself. He made and carved furniture that our family still uses today and built buildings and things almost to the day he died. My husband still uses the woodworking skills he learned from my dad. My dad passed away in 2006. It was before I ran for the Arizona House of Representatives in 2008, and it was before I was sworn into Congress in 2018. I wish my dad was alive, not only because I love him but because I wish he would have seen what I have accomplished. I know that he and my mom gave me the skills I needed to accomplish what I did. I thank my dad for being a great father to me and for being a great grandfather to my kids. I love him and always will. Honoring Roger F. Lorenz

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my brother, Roger F. Lorenz. Roger is my older brother. He set a good example for me while I was growing up. He studied hard in school, worked during the summer, and got really good grades in school. While he was going to college, he would work nights--I mean, all night long into the wee morning--to pay the bills and went to college during the day. It was tough. He did well for himself and for his family. He was a manager for major companies selling huge mining equipment and machines. Roger is a good husband, father, and grandfather. He is also a good brother to me. I can't believe it has been over 6 years since I was sworn into Congress in this very place. My brother Roger made sure he was here to show me his support. I thank Roger for all the positive things he has done for me throughout my life. He has played a positive role in my success. Honoring Donna M. Lorenz

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my sister, Donna M. Lorenz. Donna is my younger sister, and she has always been there for me. I was often her babysitter when she was young. One time, we were watching scary movies on a Friday night when our parents were gone, and we heard a sound in the basement. We went down the basement stairs, and we were scared out of our minds. If somebody was actually recording it, they would have had a good laugh. We did lots of homework together. I helped her memorize things for tests at school, and I didn't think she thought it was very fun at all. When I left my abusive ex-husband about 31 years ago, I was really having a difficult time. Donna dropped everything. She flew out to live with me and support me. Donna has always been there for me through the ups and downs. I love my sister. As I near the end of my term as a Congresswoman, I thank my sister, Donna, for all she has done for my life.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, in 2004, Arizona voters approved a ballot measure requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Today, Arizona has two voter registration forms. There is one for those who can provide proof of citizenship, and those voters can vote in all offices, State and Federal. The other voter registration form is for people who don't show any proof of citizenship. Those voters are allowed to vote in Federal elections. The number of Arizona voter registration forms where voters don't show proof of citizenship has skyrocketed in Arizona to 35,000 forms. Arizona voters and the Arizona Legislature have tried everything to ensure only citizens can vote. Arizona and the Nation need Congress to pass the SAVE Act so we can ensure only U.S. citizens vote in our elections, as required by law.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my husband, Joseph Lesko. He is here in the House gallery today, right there. I am totally convinced that God brought Joe and I together. We met in July in Phoenix at a snow skiing club, believe it or not. For both of us, it was our first time attending the meeting. That had to be fate. I knew as soon as I saw him that I had to talk to that man, and I made a beeline over to talk to him. We have now been married for over 30 years. This will be my last year in Congress. I have decided it is time for me to go home and join my husband, Joe, our children, and our grandchildren. My mother, my sister, my brother, and my entire family lives within 20 minutes of my home, and I am here in Washington, D.C., most of the time, so it is time for me to go home. I thank my husband, Joe, for being a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, and a wonderful grandfather. He has been there for me and our children through the ups and downs. He has supported me when my opponents vilified me in TV commercials. It hurt him probably more than me. He has stood by me when I had to be here in Washington, D.C., working. He was at home, and it is hard. It is hard on a family. It is hard on a husband. I thank Joe for always being there for me. I thank him for being a great husband and father and for being a great man. I love you. Honoring My Mother, Delores Lorenz

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my mother, Delores Lorenz. My mom will be 95 years old this year, and she is still going strong. She lives on her own. She cuts her own grass. I hope I can be like her. My mom has always been there for me. She stayed home and raised us kids. She worked hard. Believe me, being a mom is hard work. She got up early in the morning because my dad had to go to work very early in the morning, and she would make sure that she would make him breakfast every morning. She washed our clothes, cleaned up everything, and made our dinners. She was famous for baking pies, although she said she is now retired from baking pies, which makes me sad. She helped all of us kids with our homework, and when I ran for Congress, my mother stood in the heat in front of the Ace Hardware store outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and walked her whole neighborhood to collect signatures to get me on the ballot. I love my mom. She made me who I am. I thank my mom for always being there for me. I thank her for everything she does.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize someone whose service has been important to the welfare of constituents in Arizona's Eighth Congressional District, Hunter Griffiths. I appreciate Hunter's dedicated service to the Eighth District as a community outreach liaison in my Surprise, Arizona, District Office. In just a short period of time, Hunter built relationships with stakeholders and constituents across the district. As Hunter interacted with the community, he educated constituents on our available services and connected them to critical casework services that aided in the office's ability to return nearly $400,000 directly to constituents. I thank Hunter for his service to the Eighth Congressional District. His dedication and determination were critical to the success of our constituent service programs and improved the lives of those living in the District. Recognizing Mayor Skip Hall

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize someone whose commitment to public service and to their community will stand the test of time, Surprise, Arizona, Mayor Skip Hall. Mayor Hall began his life of public service as a member of the city of Surprise Planning and Zoning Commission before running for city councilman in April 2008. He went on to be reelected in 2009 before being redistricted and being elected again in August 2018. While serving as a city councilman, Hall also began his time in the mayor's office where he served as vice mayor in 2011 and 2014. In November of 2018, he was chosen to fill a vacancy by the Surprise City Council and began his mayoral tenure. Since becoming mayor, Hall has generated budget surpluses, restored fiscal health to the city, and has made Surprise, Arizona, the thriving community it is today. He has even brought thousands of new jobs to the city through investments from Amazon and more. Mayor Hall has accomplished all these things while maintaining strong public safety, increasing water sustainability, and strengthening the city's infrastructure. His impact on the city of Surprise cannot be overstated, and he will be dearly missed when his term ends in December. On behalf of Arizona's Eighth Congressional District, I thank Mayor Hall for his years of service. Recognizing Mayor Jason Beck

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a strong leader in Arizona whose commitment to America and his community has set a remarkable example, mayor of Peoria, Mayor Jason Beck. Mayor Beck began his career as a Marine Corps reservist before going on to found Diamond Tactical and eventually founding and becoming CEO of TYR Tactical, the leading global manufacturer of tactical gear and equipment for military and law enforcement. While successfully leading his company as CEO, Beck also began his career as in public service when he announced his run for Peoria mayor on a promise of realizing Peoria's full potential. In realizing this potential, Mayor Beck has secured increased funding for Peoria's fire and medical departments and added more law enforcement positions. Mayor Beck's accomplishments for the city have made Peoria somewhere people are proud to be from, proud to work in, and proud to raise a family. As a Peoria resident, I applaud his commitment to our community. Honoring Arizona's Police Officers

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Arizona's police officers. They are honorable men and women who protect us each and every day. I promise I will always fight against the defund our police movement. I promise I will protect qualified immunity for our law enforcement. I promise that I will always stand with the men and women in blue.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan), who is the chair of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6192

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the Biden administration has waged a war on American energy, and this war has made its way into Americans' homes. President Biden and the Department of Energy's Secretary Granholm have sacrificed appliance affordability and reliability in their pursuit of a radical rush-to-green agenda. In the name of energy efficiency, the Biden administration has issued rules on home appliances that would drive up costs and make these popular products less reliable and available to the American families. The Biden administration's new rules do not save a significant amount of energy and are not cost effective. The Biden administration's rules discourage the use of natural gas in favor of the electrification of appliances, regardless of the cost, reliability, or availability. Just look how the minority tried to ban gas stoves before my Save Our Gas Stoves legislation and public outcry dialed it back. House Republicans are leading to protect Americans from Federal mandates that increase costs, fail to result in significant energy savings, are not practical, and eliminate the performance features of product choices. My legislation, H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, fights back against the Biden administration's radical agenda and will preserve the affordability, availability, and quality of the household appliances Americans rely on every day. Enacted in 1975, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, also called EPCA, provides specific criteria the Department of Energy must follow in order to propose a new appliance efficiency standard. It is supposed to result in a significant conservation of energy, be technologically feasible, and economically justified. The problem is that current law doesn't define the parameters for these criteria, so the Biden administration has ignored these critical consumer protections by proposing and finalizing standards that violate the statute. My bill will define how much energy or water has to be saved. My bill will define that any additional upfront costs to install a new appliance that has new mandated energy efficiency standards will be recuperated within a reasonable period of time. H.R. 6192 will protect affordability by requiring the Department of Energy to consider the full lifecycle cost of appliances when determining if the new standard is economically justified. The bill requires a 3-year or less payback to the consumer and requires consideration of the cost for low-income households. No longer will the Biden administration be able to say a savings of 12 cents per month is economically justified, as they have done before, and no longer will a customer have to hold onto their appliance for 8 to 10 or longer years just before they see any cost savings. The bill establishes a minimum threshold for energy or water savings that must be achieved before imposing new standards. The bill requires that any new standard must achieve at least a 10 percent reduction in energy or water usage. The bill prohibits the Secretary of Energy from banning products based on what type of fuel the product uses so there can be no more natural gas bans. The bill requires that any new standard cannot affect the duty cycle, charging time, and run time of the covered product or the lifespan of the products. Americans want their appliances to work. The bill will allow the Department of Energy to amend or revoke prior standards if they don't save the consumers money and if the appliance doesn't work. Last week, I asked Secretary Granholm in committee some very basic questions about the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. I asked her: Yes or no, do you agree that appliance regulations should be technologically feasible? Secretary Granholm said: Yes. I asked her: Yes or no, do you agree that appliance regulations should not increase net cost for consumers? Secretary Granholm said: Yes. I asked her: Yes or no, do you agree that appliance regulations should save a significant amount of energy? Secretary Granholm said: Yes. I stated to her: Efficiency mandates increase the upfront costs of appliances, which can really hurt low-income families and renters who do not have the luxury of waiting years for the energy savings to break even. I asked her: Yes or no, do you agree that 3 years is a reasonable payback period for efficiency regulations? You know what? Secretary Granholm said she thought the payback should be done within 1 year. Thus, folks, Secretary Granholm is on record supporting every key element of my bill. In January of this year, the Fifth Circuit Court found that the Department of Energy has abused the law. In their opinion, they said: Department of Energy `` . . . failed to adequately consider appliance performance, substitution effects, and the ample record evidence that Department of Energy's conservation standards are causing Americans to use more energy and water rather than less.'' It is time to reform the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Like our laws set speed limits to determine at what speed we are breaking the law, it is time to define what economically justified and technologically feasible mean. It is time to fight back against the radical agenda set by the Biden administration. It is time for energy efficiency laws to actually save Americans money, actually save energy and water, and actually preserve Americans' consumer choice. Mr. Chair, I ask both Republicans and Democrats to support my bill, H.R. 6192, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), the chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Washington.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I would like to go over some of the things that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have accused this bill of mine of doing. First, Mr. Pallone, who I respect, said this bill will raise energy bills. Absolutely not. In fact, if you read the bill, it couldn't be clearer because the text states: The Secretary cannot issue a new standard if the energy efficiency standard results in additional cost to consumers. It is very clear. In fact, the whole goal of this bill is to save consumers money and also make sure that their appliances actually work. My fellow colleague, Representative Castor, said: We need to side with the people. Well, that is exactly what my bill does. I will tell you why. Let me give you some examples of what our current Department of Energy is doing and why this isn't a waste of time to be talking about because this is for the people. This is for every household in America that has to pay more money because of these crazy Department of Energy regulations. Let me give you some examples: For clothes washers, the Department of Energy estimates that its standard could save as little as $9 for certain models over the average lifetime for the appliance, which is estimated to be 13.4 years, $9 over 13.4 years. Wow. For dishwashers, the analysis by the Department of Energy under Biden finds that efficiency mandates could increase the upfront cost by 28 percent, and it could take consumers 12 years to pay back the increased cost on a product that may only last 7 to 12 years. My bill is for the people. Here is another DOE rule under the Biden administration: For refrigerators and freezers, the Department of Energy's own analysis finds that efficiency mandates could increase the upfront cost to replace that refrigerator or freezer by 25 percent, and it could take consumers 10 years to pay back the increased cost for a product that may only last 14 to 15 years. Here is another example: For air conditioners, the Department of Energy's own analysis finds that efficiency mandates could increase the upfront cost by 30 percent, and it could take consumers 4 years to pay back the increased cost for a product that may only last 9 years. Here is another one: For clothes dryers, Biden's Department of Energy's own analysis--I am talking about their analysis, not mine-- shows that it would take between 6 years and 46 years to pay back the increased cost, depending on the type of dryer and the product features. The payback periods for many of these appliances are uneconomical. For example, under Biden's Department of Energy, the payback periods for proposed clothes dryer standards are 6 years for electric, 18 years for electric compact, 20 years for vented electric compact, 5 years for vented gas, 11 years for ventless electric compact, and 46 years for ventless electric combination washer/dryer. With all due respect to my Democratic colleagues, who say this is a waste of time--we are wasting time, we should be talking about all of their priorities. No. Republicans are here. We are standing up for the average, commonsense, everyday American who can't afford groceries anymore, let alone these crazy, radical standards that the Biden administration is pushing through that will increase their costs. That is why I am doing this bill. We want appliances that not only work, but we don't want to bankrupt the American people with all these crazy, radical, Biden rush-to-green energy policies. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, my colleagues keep saying: Do something that the people really care about. This is something that the American people really care about. Let me show you a Wall Street Journal article from today. It is from today. It is titled, ``Biden is Coming for Your Air Conditioner.'' It says: ``Your next new home air conditioner could set you back $12,000 or more, with Federal regulators contributing to the rising cost of staying cool.'' I am from Arizona. We need air conditioners. People are just trying to get by right now because of the inflation under Biden. Biden's economics--Bidenomics, as he calls it--is costing people money. The Energy Department in January 2023 issued a new efficiency standard for residential air-conditioning systems. It necessitated a major redesign that increased costs by $1,000 to $1,500 per air conditioner. It isn't clear that consumers will ever earn back in long-term energy savings the steeper upfront costs they are paying. Next up is an Environmental Protection Agency regulation scheduled to take effect in 2025. It will require air-conditioning equipment makers to use new refrigerants deemed sufficiently climate friendly. The only refrigerants being used by manufacturers that meet the EPA's new green standards are classified as mildly flammable. Manufacturers in earnings conference calls have estimated that the price of compliant equipment will increase the price of the air conditioner at least 10 percent. The switch to flammable systems will also require additional technician training and extra installation steps that are likely to increase labor costs for installations and repairs. I wish that I didn't have to sponsor this bill. I mean, if you asked me a number of years ago would I sponsor this, I would have thought it wasn't necessary. However, under the Biden administration, they have just gone crazy. I don't know if radical environmentalists are bending the ear of President Biden or what is going on because, as I have demonstrated, this isn't helping Americans. This is a radical agenda that is increasing the prices on everyday Americans, and we can't afford it. That is why this bill is necessary. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Chair, sometimes I feel like it is deja vu. I remember standing here and talking about my Save Our Gas Stoves bill. My Democrat colleagues--not all of them because some of them voted with me on my bill--said the same arguments. This is a waste of time. We are not banning stoves. The Americans don't care about this. Well, guess what? That bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support, and then guess what? It worked because the Department of Energy dialed it back. Originally, according to their own analysis, they were going to effectively ban 96 percent of all the current models of gas stoves. Now, it is only 3 percent. We won. The American people won. That is why I am doing this bill. When my friend, Mr. Pallone, says, well, these energy efficiency standards will save all kinds of money, what he is not saying is all of the money that it is going to cost extra up front for these new, revised standards, and that is if the thing even works well. Let me remind my colleagues what this bill actually does and why it is needed. It is a commonsense bill. It will protect affordability by requiring the Department of Energy to consider the full life cycle cost of appliances when determining if the new standard is economically justified. The bill requires a 3-year payback. The Secretary of Energy said, oh, it should only be 1 year, so there shouldn't be any problems with my bill. The bill establishes minimum thresholds for energy or water savings that must be achieved before imposing new standards. My Democrat colleagues say they want to save energy and water. So do I. Let's put it in the bill. Let's say, okay, it has to save 10 percent. The bill prohibits the Secretary of Energy from banning products based on what type of fuel the product uses, just like they were trying to do with the gas stoves. The bill requires that any new standard cannot affect the duty cycle, charging time, and run time of the covered product or the life span of the product. You know why? Because Americans, when they buy new appliances, want them to work as good as the ones that they have now. The bill will allow the Department of Energy to amend or revoke prior standards if they don't save consumers money and they don't work. This is a commonsense bill. It should be a bipartisan bill. I don't know why my Democrat colleagues are fighting it so hard because it says it has to save the consumers money. It is all about helping the American homeowner who is struggling with Bidenomics right now. I am telling you: People in my district, they complain about the prices of groceries. They are complaining about the price of gas. When their air conditioner, when their water heater, when their dishwasher starts to fail, and they have to buy a new one, they don't want to pay a whole bunch more, and they want it to work as well as their current one has done for years. That is the purpose of my bill. That is why I ask my Democratic colleagues and my Republican colleagues to support my bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize someone whose service has been instrumental in the lives of constituents in Arizona's Eighth Congressional District, Tyler Mastin. Tyler's service to the Eighth District began in August of 2022 as a constituent services representative in my Surprise, Arizona, District Office. During his tenure, Tyler has expertly navigated casework for over 300 constituents who had encountered difficulties with various Federal agencies. As a result of his efforts, he directly saved constituents over $547,000. This is an incredible achievement that made a huge difference in the lives of constituents and their families. Tyler also displayed leadership abilities by managing both the Congressional App Challenge and the Congressional Art Competition and has been an invaluable member of my district team. I would like to thank Tyler for his leadership and service to our district. His dedication and determination were critical to the success of our constituent service programs and improved the lives of those in the Eighth Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, I thank Tyler.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize someone who is undoubtedly one of the greatest public servants my State has ever known, Janice K. Brewer. Jan Brewer served Arizona for decades, starting in the State House of Representatives and then in the State Senate where she was majority whip. She also served on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and then as Arizona's Secretary of State. After a gubernatorial vacancy, Jan became Arizona's 22nd Governor and was overwhelmingly reelected for a second term. Governor Brewer is someone I have admired for her independence and convictions. She dedicated her time in office to leave our State better than she found it, and her efforts helped lay the foundation for Arizona's current success and prosperity. Arizona's Eighth Congressional District thanks Governor Jan Brewer for her amazing legacy of service to the Grand Canyon State.

Mrs. LESKO

Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Arizona's 8th Congressional District and the State of Arizona's 29th Legislative District, I would like to recognize Linda Migliore. Linda Migliore is the Chairwoman of the Republican Legislative District 29 which spans the Cities of Surprise, El Mirage, Youngtown, Litchfield Park, and Goodyear. The district also includes a West Valley fixture, Luke Air Force Base, where the sound of freedom is often heard flying the skies of Arizona. As Chairwoman, Linda has worked tirelessly to ensure citizens are educated and engaged in the civic process. Her efforts to ensure Republicans are elected in the Phoenix West Valley have been critical to the success of Legislative District 29 and beyond. I am thankful for Linda's leadership and dedication to conservative principles. I sincerely appreciate her service to the legislative district and to the State of Arizona.