Biden reverses Trump-era rule on dishwasher, washer, dryer efficiency

Jan. 13 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden issued a rule Wednesday reversing a move by former President Donald Trump to exempt washers, dryers and dishwashers from efficiency regulations.

The Trump-era rule created separate product categories for dishwashers that took 60 minutes or fewer per cycle and washers and dryers that took less than 45 minutes. Under Trump's "shortcycle" category, these appliances were exempt from efficiency regulations.

Not anymore.

Wednesday's ruling revoked the ruling and reinstated "the prior product classes and applicable standards for these covered products."

Andrew DeLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project described the move as "necessary."

"Undoing this Trump gimmick is a needed step, but the administration still needs to finish undoing several other Trump rollbacks and start updating standards for dozens of products," DeLaski said, according to The Hill.

Supporters of the Trump exemptions said the rule would "waste time."

"President Biden's decision to block faster 1-hour dishwashers will waste the time of many American consumers," Devin Watkins, attorney of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said in a statement.