Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) speaks during a House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic to discuss the origins of COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
The House voted Wednesday to bar the Energy Department from moving forward with a proposed rule governing efficiency requirements for both gas and electric cooking appliances.
The 249-181 vote came as part of a broader fight over gas stoves. Republicans are seeking to play up attempts to regulate them as an example of Democratic overreach.
The bill is unlikely to be taken up by Democratic leaders in the Senate. The White House has expressed opposition to the bill but stopped short of a veto threat.
Republicans’ commentary about the bill focused largely on the gas stoves portion of the rule, and they called the legislation the Save Our Gas Stoves Act.
“Consumers don’t want the government taking away the features on gas stoves that they like and use,” Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), who sponsored the bill, said in a floor speech.
But Democrats described the bill as misleading and noted that the rule in question also covers electric appliances.
“Let’s set the record straight with a little reality: The Biden administration is not — and I repeat, not — banning gas stoves,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.), the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a floor speech.
Wednesday’s vote was originally slated to be held last week, but it was put on the backburner amid a revolt from conservative Republicans that blocked the bill and others from moving forward.
A small group of Republicans voted against a rule to bring the legislation to the floor last week. Rule votes are typically party-line, and it was the first time in more than 20 years that a majority party in the House had lost a rule vote
On Monday, the conservative defectors announced they would stop blocking floor votes for now as they look to gain more power from party leadership and cut spending.
The legislation taken up Wednesday would block the Energy Department from finalizing a rule that says that new electric and gas stoves that are sold in the U.S. must run at certain efficiency levels. It also sets rules for ovens.
The Energy Department has estimated that nearly half of the gas stoves on the market are not subject to the requirements.
Wednesday’s vote follows a previous vote held Tuesday that also targeted gas stoves; that one sought to bar the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning the stoves or pursuing safety rules that increase their cost.
The gas stove issue flared earlier in the year when a member of the commission said that a gas stove ban was on the table, citing health concerns. However, the commission’s chair later came out against a ban and said that no proceedings were underway to enact one.
The White House has also expressed opposition to a gas stove ban.
Critics of gas stoves point to studies linking them to childhood asthma and finding they can leak chemicals like cancer-causing benzene.
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House votes to block Biden efficiency proposal for gas and electric stoves - The Hill
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