Days after a rare moment in which Congress voted bipartisan Avoid the debt ceiling crisisA fierce and politically charged debate began this week about the future of gas stoves in American homes.
The House Rules Committee began its proceedings on Monday, ahead of a vote later this week on the “Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act,” which would prevent the federal government from banning the use of gas stoves. The legislation is expected to pass the House of Representatives, despite assurances from federal regulators that they have no plans or intention to pass a ban on gas stoves.
Gas stoves It has emerged as an unexpected wedge and cultural issue in recent months. Legislative deliberations this week are expected to be saturated with heated and controversial rhetoric. Democrats have introduced a series of amendments, some of which deride the legislation and House Republicans’ decision to prioritize the bill.
Two amendments drafted by Rep. Jared Moskovitz, D-Fla., appeared to mock the legislation. One such amendment called for “an official sense of Congress that gas stoves deserve consideration for an honorary statue in Statuary Hall” in the Capitol. Moskowitz’s other initial amendments called for a “Caesar position” within the DOE called “Commander in Chief Allied Gas to monitor the use and sale of gas stoves.”
During a House Rules Committee hearing Monday night, Moskowitz criticized the priority setting law and said sponsors could change the bill’s name to “Stoves because of the Gun Violence Act.”
Moskovitz told CBS News, “I don’t hear about this issue back home. No one wants to ban gas stoves. Neither does the Biden administration. This is absolutely ridiculous.”
the legislationApproved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, it was garnered by House members who cited proposed restrictions on gas stoves in areas of California. A congressional report on the bill said, “Banning gas stoves would impede choice in the marketplace and could have negative consequences for buyers who might seek the feature out of preference or for cost reasons.” Media reports have also covered the conflicting messages being sent by cities and counties. about whether there is a real danger.
The Rules Committee’s report on the “Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act” stated that a member of the Consumer Product Safety Committee expressed support for stricter regulations on stoves. The report also cited a special study and report that raised questions about whether gas stoves could lead to an increase in indoor air pollutants.
At Monday’s hearing of the House Rules Committee, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Ok., said, “The White House wants to limit your ability to purchase and use gas stoves.” Cole added, “Natural gas is used to heat just over half of the homes in my state, and just over a third of Oklahoma residents use a gas stove to cook at home. My voters are right to be concerned about the Biden administration’s efforts to limit access to gas stoves.”
In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission said, “This bill is unnecessary—the CPSC does not ban gas stoves. However, the ability of the CPSC to develop standards that address gas stove safety risks related to reporting, gas leaks, and legislation could hinder fire risks, which would undermine CPSC’s mission to keep Americans safe.”
A DOE spokesperson also denied that it was considering a ban on the gas stove, telling CBS News, “The DOE is not proposing to ban gas cooking products. The congressional and court approval order requires the department to make energy efficiency regulations on gas and electric stoves.” by January 2024. When you look at the misleading rhetoric, you’ll see that these proposals are intended solely to increase energy efficiency and promote innovation, without sacrificing the reliability and performance Americans have come to expect.”
In April 2023, Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Washington Republican, criticized the Biden administration’s proposals. Newhouse writes, “The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed an ‘Energy Efficiency Standard’ for gas cooking products. For those uninformed, this is a blatant back-door attempt to ban gas appliances—at least half of gas stove models sold in the United States today will not comply with this regulation.” .
The legislation is expected to be debated and voted on on Wednesday.
The Senate is not expected to adopt the legislation.
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