New Wave of Trump’s Deregulation Eases Rules on Shower Heads, Plastic Straws, and More

The president’s actions also cover Biden-era restrictions on gas stoves, water heaters, washing machines, furnaces and dishwashers.

President Donald Trump signed four enforcement measures on April 9th, aimed at deregulating a variety of industries, including energy and kitchens and bathroom appliances.

Trump has signed the action in the oval office, but White House officials said one of the lawsuits would effectively reverse a series of water pressure regulations in which the Biden administration enacted products such as dishwashers, toilets, sinks and shower heads.

Trump criticizes highly efficient water faucets, suggesting that he uses the same amount of water as the product intended to replace.

“That’s ridiculous, and what you’re doing is that you’re supposed to wash your hands five times longer, so it’s the same (amount of) water,” Trump said. “We’re going to open it so that people can get all of this, including the straw.”

The president mentioned earlier executive orders that revoked a Biden-era order calling for the end of federal agencies’ plastic straws, and said on Wednesday he would commemorate Congress and his actions, saying “most of that is common sense.”

According to the White House, Trump’s water pressure orders direct energy secretaries to withdraw federal rules that redefine “showerheads” under the Obama and Biden administrations.

The Trump administration will return to the definition found in the 1992 Energy Act, setting a standard per 2.5 gallons for showers. Trump’s orders denounce past regulatory moves that the showerheads are “weak and unworthy.”

Previously, shower heads were redefined as “nozzles,” but multi-nozzle showers have become illegal when collectively draining more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute, the White House said.

Trump’s orders also target Biden-era rules regarding gas stoves, water heaters, washing machines, furnaces and dishwashers.

The president also signed an executive order directing ten agencies and sub-agencies, inserting a one-year expiration date for all existing energy regulations. If the window is not extended prior to its expiration date, all energy regulations will expire by September 30, 2026.

“The agency will only extend regulations that will actively serve America’s interests. The rest will expire and reset the regulatory environment,” the White House fact sheet states.

Affected agencies must include a five-year expiration date in future energy regulations unless deregulation is considered.

Other applicable regulations

Another Wednesday executive order was intended to bring back “anti-competitive” restrictions. Instructs all agencies to coordinate with the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair, review all departmental regulations and identify “anti-competitive binding.”

“This includes regulations that promote the formation of monopolies, creating or imposing unnecessary barriers to entry, or procuring unnecessary burdens institutions,” the White House fact sheet states.

The agency manager will also be given 70 days to provide the FTC Chairman and Attorney General with a list of all “anti-competitive” regulations, including a proposal to “retract or modify them as necessary.”

The president has also signed a memorandum requiring federal agencies to withdraw restrictions deemed illegal by the recent 10 Supreme Court decisions.

The decision affecting policy areas, from Chevron’s doctrine to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules, is Ropper Bright Enterprises v. Raimond, West Virginia v. EPA, Secv. Jarkesy, Michigan v. EPA, Sackett v. EPA, Ohio v. EPA, EPA, CEDAR POINTv. HASSID, CARMISSIONSv. HASSID, CARMISSIDSv. HASSID, CHERNAD v. Makin, and the Roman Catholic Parish of Brooklyn v. Cuomo.

Federal agencies are directed to promptly remove regulations affected by these decisions based on the exception of “justified causes” of the Administrative Procedure Act.