President Biden will be in office less than two weeks, but Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are taking the Biden administration to court over new energy-efficient housing standards. The standards, set by the National Association of Home Builders, argue that they undermine affordable housing and go beyond what federal law allows.
This is not the only late lawsuit or complaint filed against the Biden White House in its waning days, and it marks Paxton’s 103rd lawsuit challenging the Democratic administration.
Paxton said, “I don’t know if anybody’s close to that, but he’s kept us busy because we’ve had to prevent him from being more of a king or a dictator than an elected executive who is responsible for implementing, not creating, laws.”
The lawsuit is joined by 11 other states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, and West Virginia. They argue that the administration’s energy standards are not only burdensome but also exceed the authority granted by Congress.
Reyes said, “Even as our nation prepares to transition to a new administration, the outgoing HUD and USDA offices are committed to inflicting unwanted and unneeded cost increases on Americans who are already struggling to pay their bills, provide for their families, and secure a brighter future for their children.”
The Biden administration claims the new rules will save money by making homes more energy-efficient, but critics argue the rules are increasing upfront costs and reducing options for buyers. The lawsuit also questions whether the administration had the legal authority to enforce these rules.
The Biden administration’s renewable energy agenda has been a controversial focal point of energy critics over the last four years. On Monday, Biden signed an executive action that bans new drilling and further oil and natural gas development on more than 625 million acres of U.S. coastal and offshore waters.