Republican members of Congress have proposed legislation to preemptively block any proposed rules to ban or heavily restrict gas ovens being sold in the United States by Biden administration officials in the U.S. Department of Energy.
Two representatives and members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed legislation recently in response to the Biden administration’s dipping of their toes in the policy of banning gas ranges.
“Forcing people to switch to expensive alternatives will only further increase costs on hardworking families and disproportionately harm the most vulnerable communities,” she said in a statement.
“Natural gas is a safe, reliable and affordable energy source for millions of Americans. I commend the efforts of my colleagues Reps. Armstrong and Lesko to end President Biden’s efforts to ban gas stoves in American households and ensure people have access to affordable and reliable energy.”
Industry Support
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), a trade association that represents the manufacturers of household appliances sold in the United States, said in a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee they “strongly support” the legislation.Mariotti went on to say the legislation would prohibit regulators from setting federal energy standards that would take many gas cooking appliances available today off the market for future purchase.
Lesko’s Bill
Arizona Rep. Debbie Lesko introduced the Save our Gas Stoves Act (pdf) last week to “prohibit unreasonable energy standards for cooking products and block the U.S. Department of Energy from implementing its burdensome proposed efficiency standard for gas cooking products.”
Lesko’s legislation would block the Department of Energy from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its rules related to energy conservation standards for conventional cooking products.
It would also block any energy conservation standard that could prohibit kitchen ranges or stoves based on the type of fuel it uses, including gas stoves.
“The Biden Administration’s extreme proposed regulation that will ban nearly every gas stove on the market is just another example of out-of-touch bureaucrats trying to control Americans’ everyday lives,” said Congresswoman Lesko.
Armstrong’s Bill
A separate bill, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act (pdf) was introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., in February.The Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act states the Consumer Products Safety Commission cannot use federal funds to regulate gas stoves as hazardous products or impose or enforce any consumer product safety standard on gas stoves that would result in a prohibition or substantial price increase.
Armstrong slammed proposals by the Biden administration, noting inflation and the Southern border crisis could be a higher priority for the administration.
“What is the Biden administration focused on? Controlling the kind of stove Americans use,” Armstrong said.
“This is further incompetence from an administration that seems more interested in dictating every aspect of our lives than solving real problems. Our bills make it clear that Americans should decide if a gas stove is right for their families, not the federal government.”
