House Republicans call on Biden not to ban gas stoves: ''Nanny state' at its worst'
GOP lawmakers said banning gas stoves is 'another example of government control' that will hurt American families
Federal agency postulating a ban on gas stoves
Chef and restaurant owner Andrew Gruel discusses the government claiming that gas stoves cause health issue and considering a ban on ‘Fox Business Tonight.’
Furious lawmakers are calling on President Biden to cease any efforts by his administration to ban natural gas stoves inside Americans' homes.
Republicans on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to the president Friday writing in "strong opposition" to reported efforts by regulators to ban natural gas appliances.
"This kind of intrusion into the homes of Americans by the federal government as a way of forcing rush-to-green, liberal policies is the ‘nanny state’ at its worst," the Republicans wrote. "Banning natural gas stoves is not about public safety – it is another example of government control; like other policies we have seen from your administration, to tell Americans what kinds of cars they can drive, how they heat their homes, and how to live their lives."
The Biden administration caused an uproar over gas stoves earlier this week after a commissioner on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggested regulators were considering banning the appliance due to health and safety concerns. Recent reports from the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency have suggested that carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions from gas stoves can cause cardiovascular problems, cancer and other health conditions.
The White House clarified Wednesday that Biden does not support a ban on gas stoves.
AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION FIRES BACK ON POTENTIAL GAS STOVE BAN: ‘NOT SUBSTANTIATED BY SOUND SCIENCE’
Gas burns on a domestic oven hob in the Molins de Rei district of Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday Sept. 23, 2021. (Angel Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., a Biden appointee, told Bloomberg that "any option is on the table" as the agency crafts rules to make gas stoves safer. "Products that can't be made safe can be banned," he said.
On the heels of that report, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., on Tuesday announced a plan to ban gas heating on the construction of new buildings as part of the "New York Housing Compact" – a proposal that includes banning gas stoves, hot water heaters and oil furnaces in both new home and commercial construction by 2030.
Roughly 35% of homes in the U.S. use gas stoves, and the Energy Information Agency estimates that more than 40 million Americans use the appliance.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers 2023 State of the State Address. (NYS / Fox News)
The timing of Trumka's statement and Hochul's announcement signaled that a gas stove ban may be imminent, which led to fierce public backlash. CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric stepped in and issued a statement Wednesday denying that his commission had any plans to ban gas stoves.
"Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards. But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so," Hoehn-Saric said in a statement.
BIDEN WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT DOES NOT SUPPORT GAS STOVE BAN
President Biden speaks at the World Leaders' Summit "Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment" session at the COP26 Climate Conference at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland on Nov. 2, 2021. (JEFF J MITCHELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Nevertheless, Republicans accused the president's administration of "prioritizing the environmental agenda of the Left, and ignoring science, over sound energy and economic policies." They defended gas stoves as "critical during emergency situations where electric stoves are useless, such as during power outages, which have been more frequent as unreliable ‘rush to green’ energy policies have destabilized our grid across the country."
"Anti-fossil fuel and natural gas ban ideologies are ruling the day – even in the kitchens of American households. The people who will suffer the most from these policies will be American families," the letter states.
"We call upon your administration to cease all efforts at the CPSC, and any other federal agency, to ban natural gas stoves and other home appliances reliant on natural gas, and to affirm the importance of natural gas as an affordable and reliable energy and heat source for American homes, from our stoves to our furnaces," it concludes. "This country has led the way in reducing emissions in the world, and it has done so in part because of natural gas. It is a key energy source for America’s energy, environmental, and national security, and preserving American families’ way of life."
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In response, the White House told Fox Business, "under President Biden’s leadership, natural gas production is at record highs and is expected to keep growing."
Facing questions from reporters on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred to Hoehn-Saric's statement and added that the CPSC is an independent body and that the White House is "not in touch with them on this particular issue."
"The president does not support banning gas stoves. And the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves," she said.