29 Dems Join GOP in House Vote to Block Biden Admin From Limiting Access to Gas Stoves
A recent energy bill amendment was supported by U.S. House lawmakers, which would obstruct the Department of Energy from proposing energy efficiency standardizations that would make most gas stoves the market sells, illegal. This proposed bill, dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act, is part of a Republican-proposed legislative package, H.R.1. More than a dozen Democrat lawmakers have join Republicans in backing this measure. However, the Biden administration has pledged to veto it.
Representative Gary Palmer, who introduced the measure, tweeted, “Glad the House passed my amendment to H.R. 1 preventing @ENERGY from banning 50% of gas stoves on the market.” He went on to accuse the Democrats of supporting Biden’s attempt to regulate individual’s kitchen appliances.
The Department of Energy proposed a regulation on Feb. 1, which sets efficiency standardizations in the US for electric and gas cooking tops. This regulation involves cooking products for the first time. Thousands of comments have been submitted since its introduction, and the comment period ends on April 3.
In late February, the DOE released an updated analysis stating that almost half of the gas stove models sold today in the US would become illegal if these proposed regulations are passed. Palmer’s amendment not only prohibits the DOE from implementing the proposed rule on gas stoves but also prevents any other similar regulation that limits access to gas stoves.
Out of the 251 to 181 vote count in favour of Palmer’s amendment, 29 Democratic lawmakers joined the GOP-controlled chamber in favour of the amendment. The Energy Information Administration claims approximately 40 million gas stoves exist in the United States, with nearly 38% of household kitchens connected to natural gas.
As previously reported, Richard Trumka Jr., the chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, suggested back in December 2022 that gas stoves should ban over health concerns. In January, he added his agency was considering the ban. Even though the CPSC has not proposed banning gas stoves, it issued a formal request for information on the possible health hazards of the devices.
Republicans have previously proposed bills to stop any law that restricts gas stoves. Debbie Lesko, the representative from R-Ariz., submitted the Save our Gas Stoves Act, while Kelly Armstrong, the representative from R-N.D., submitted the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act.
“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,” said Armstrong.
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