Republican-led House passes bills to protect gas stoves from government regulation
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at safeguarding gas stoves from what GOP lawmakers see as excessive government regulation.
One bill passed on Tuesday would restrict the use of federal funds to regulate gas stoves as hazardous products, while another passed on Wednesday would bar the implementation of an Energy Department rule advocating stricter energy efficiency standards for stovetops and ovens.
The White House claimed that “it does not support any attempt to ban the use of gas stoves,” but Republicans argue that regulations on such equipment amount to a prime instance of government overreach.
Republican lawmakers argue that regulations on gas stoves would negatively affect hardworking Americans.
Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma stated that it’s not a minor issue and that the Biden administration’s regulatory assault related to the Green New Deal should not reach people’s kitchen appliances.
Democratic Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey dismissed the bills as a political stunt, saying that House Republicans are once again prioritizing polluters over people. While the legislation targeting gas stoves as hazardous was approved by a 248-180 vote, the measure blocking the Energy Department rule won by a vote of 249-181. 29 Democrats supported both bills alongside Republicans.
The White House issued a statement opposing the bills, stating that they undermine sensible efforts to help Americans lower their energy bills. Although the bills passed in the House, they are unlikely to progress in the Democrat-dominated Senate.
The plan to approve the bills was postponed last week because House conservatives staged a mini-revolt in response to Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership on a measure to increase the debt ceiling. 11 Republicans joined in the revolt, throwing the House schedule into chaos for an entire week.
It seems that McCarthy managed to resolve the dispute on Monday by making promises to hold more meetings with GOP holdouts and working to decrease future federal spending.
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality, dozens of Democratic-controlled cities, including San Francisco and Berkeley, California, have moved to prohibit new buildings from using gas stoves.
Additionally, New York state recently passed a law banning natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings. Concerns of a nationwide ban intensified after a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission stated in January that “any option is on the table” regarding regulating gas stoves, which have been linked to poor indoor air quality and health hazards such as asthma.
Following this statement, pictures of four-burner cooktops being dragged from residences surfaced online as social media users and GOP lawmakers pledged to protect the popular appliances.
The debate flared anew when the Energy Department proposed a regulation mandating the use of more efficient designs and technologies for both gas and electric stoves and cooktops.
The rule, which has not been formally adopted yet, could render about half of the gas stove models presently available in the United States illegal by 2027, according to an analysis commissioned by the department.
The regulation would be applicable only to new appliances and would not have any impact on stoves that are already in use in homes or businesses.
Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee from Washington, referred to the Energy Department’s proposal as “just the latest in a long line of power grabs by the radical left and Biden administration.”
She stated that the rule is not related to public safety but is instead part of an attempt by the federal government to dictate what kind of car people can drive, how they heat their homes, and, now, how they cook their meals. According to McMorris Rodgers, all of these efforts are being undertaken in the guise of telling Americans what’s best for them.
The Republican-led House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at protecting gas stoves from what GOP lawmakers regard as excessive government regulation.
One bill passed on Tuesday would limit the use of federal funds to regulate gas stoves regarded as hazardous products, while another passed on Wednesday would prevent an Energy Department rule requiring stricter energy efficiency standards for stovetops and ovens.
The White House values regulations on gas stoves as classic examples of government overreach, while the Democrats dismiss the bills as political stunts. President Biden has opposed both bills, and they are not expected to progress in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, hailing from Pennsylvania, claims that blocking regulations on unsafe gas stoves could jeopardize the government’s ability to explore and regulate appliances that have design flaws that could cause harm or fatalities.
She cited the example of the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently recalling gas stove models that carried the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Energy Department representative pointed out that the proposed law’s sole objective is to enhance energy efficiency and innovation while ensuring the performance and reliability that Americans have come to expect from their gas stoves.
Denying the consumers an industry’s more efficient appliances would also rob them of potential savings, according to the White House, while passing the other legislation would challenge scientific Consumer Product Safety Commission decision-making.