House Votes 226-197 to Overturn Biden-Era Shower Rules
House Republicans scored a decisive victory this week as the chamber voted to roll back Biden-era restrictions on household showerheads, a move conservatives framed as a long-overdue stand for consumer freedom and against federal micromanagement.
The House passed the measure 226–197 on Tuesday, with 11 Democrats joining Republicans to approve the legislation, formally titled the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing Act, or SHOWER Act.
Supporters said the bill reins in an overzealous regulatory state that has increasingly inserted itself into Americans’ daily lives.
“Washington bureaucrats have gone too far in dictating what happens in Americans’ own homes,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), the bill’s sponsor. “This is about defending consumer choice, pushing back on regulatory overreach, and standing up for commonsense policy.”
The vote targets a Biden-era reinterpretation of federal water-use standards that capped the total flow rate of multi-nozzle shower systems. Under a Department of Energy rule finalized during the previous administration, the combined output of all nozzles in a single shower unit was required to stay below the long-standing federal limit of 2.5 gallons per minute—effectively reducing water pressure for households using multiple fixtures.
Republicans argued the rule was emblematic of a broader Democratic approach that uses federal agencies like the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate everyday consumer choices.
“It seems like the Democrats want to tax you out of existence and overregulate you,” said Rep. John McGuire (R-VA). “So, this is a step in the right direction. Less regulation.”
The SHOWER Act would codify an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last year that restored an earlier definition treating each nozzle as its own “shower head” under federal law. That change expanded consumer options for multi-head systems and reversed what Republicans described as a bureaucratic distortion of decades-old standards.
“By codifying how different nozzles are categorized, the SHOWER Act offers a commonsense fix that will allow households to choose what meets their needs, not what Washington mandates,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Fry described the Biden-era rule as “a symbol of bureaucratic micromanagement,” adding, “The SHOWER Act reaffirms that each nozzle is a shower head — plain and simple — and that homeowners, not the federal government, should decide how much water pressure they want.”
Several Democrats who crossed party lines framed their support in practical terms. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) offered a straightforward explanation: “Shower pressure is a good thing.”
Republicans portrayed the vote as part of a broader effort to dismantle the regulatory legacy of the previous administration. In recent months, the GOP-led House has advanced similar measures targeting energy-efficiency mandates for dishwashers, gas stoves, and ceiling fans, arguing that such rules raise costs and restrict personal freedom.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said ahead of the vote that the legislation represented “a return to common sense.”
“Americans don’t need the Department of Energy telling them how to take a shower or what kind of appliances they can use,” Johnson said. “This is about freedom in our own homes.”
Democrats largely opposed the bill, insisting the Biden-era standards were intended to conserve water and energy amid concerns about drought and climate change. The White House Council on Environmental Quality warned that repealing the rule would “increase water waste and energy use nationwide,” though the administration has not yet threatened a veto.
Still, the bipartisan vote margin could give the bill momentum in the Senate, where at least seven Democrats would be needed to overcome the 60-vote threshold and send the legislation to President Trump’s desk. Republican leaders believe vulnerable Democrats may be reluctant to defend unpopular regulations heading into an election year.
“The SHOWER Act is a political layup for anyone who’s tired of Washington overreach,” one senior GOP aide said after the vote. “If Democrats want to defend weaker shower pressure, that’s their choice — but voters will notice.”