(TargetLiberty.org) – Last week, the Department of Energy announced that Jeff Marootian, whose name had previously been withdrawn from leading the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) , was now appointed as the principal deputy assistant secretary of EERE.
Marootian’s nomination for the office’s assistant secretary position had failed after Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee had opposed his appointment because of the Biden administration’s decision to crack down on gas stovetops.
However, with the DOE’s appointment, Marootian had now become the effective chief of the EERE office. There has not yet been any move to have someone else nominated for the assistant secretary position. With his new position, Marootian is going to be the EERE office’s most senior official without requiring the confirmation of the Senate.
The office is responsible for issuing and implementing the regulations regarding energy efficiency, which affect home appliances including gas stoves.
John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member in a statement to Fox News Digital noted that Marootian was an “unelected, unaccountable, and unconfirmed bureaucrat” who would just be doing President Biden’s bidding in attacking household appliances that were affordable.
As he pointed out, the new regulations would only make the daily life of Americans more expensive by blocking them from having access to the products they need. He argued that Marootian and Biden would be targeting every appliance in a home, including water heaters and gas stoves. He added that the administration needed to announce a new nominee that would work on bringing down the costs while allowing consumers to have a choice.
Last year, Barrasso had been one of the Senate members to oppose Marootian’s nomination arguing that he was better equipped to serve in the Transportation Department.
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