Amidst Rolling Blackouts, Ernst Tells Biden Administration to ‘Lead by Example,’ Set AC to 78 Degrees

WASHINGTON – As the Biden administration’s misguided climate policy continues to cause rolling blackouts, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, is turning up the heat on federal agencies – literally. In an effort to highlight the latest hypocrisy coming from the Biden administration, Ernst introduced a new bill, titled the Lead By Example Act, which would require the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set their offices’ air conditioning to 78 degrees, the same temperature officials in California suggested residents keep their own homes at to conserve power amidst outages in the state.

“During a hot summer, liberal leaders told folks to set the AC to 78 degrees to compensate for failed Democratic policies. Secretary of Energy Granholm praised the move, saying states like California are leading by example,” said Ernst. “It’s time for Biden officials to adhere to the same regulations they’re pushing on hardworking Americans. My bill requires EPA and the Department of Energy to set the AC no lower than 78 degrees, and provide a report to Congress on what they’ve had the AC set at in the past. Not only will this make Washington bureaucrats think twice before imposing arbitrary rules on Americans, it could even save money. It’s time to make ‘em squeal, and sweat!”

The Biden administration has made a push towards renewable energy, closing traditional power plants without reliable and affordable alternatives readily available, resulting in a reduced energy supply. Earlier this summer, Ernst even predicted the Biden blackouts in a speech on the Senate floor.

Read the full bill text here.

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