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In this Jan. 11, 2006, file photo, a gas-lit flame burns on a natural gas stove. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)
At home, the kitchen is at the heart of many American households. It’s from where we send our children off to school after cooking breakfast, enjoy delicious meals with family, and come together with friends and neighbors. While the kitchen serves a reliable place to gather, the Biden administration is setting their sights on removing an unexpected target: gas stoves.
In February, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed an “energy efficiency standard” for gas cooking products — a blatant backdoor attempt to ban gas appliances. According to the DOE’s own evaluation, more than half of gas cooking appliances on the market today would not meet their punitive proposed standard. The DOE’s de facto ban would eliminate the majority of gas cooking appliances and hurt good-paying manufacturing jobs across the country.
Since the proposed ban was announced, I’ve heard from the people of Central Washington and groups across the country about how detrimental this rule would be to individual freedoms, restaurants, manufacturers, and workers who all rely on gas stoves and the natural gas industry. I knew immediate action was needed to stop the out-of-touch elitists from making this move before it became too late.
Just a few months ago, during a crucial hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, I seized the opportunity to question Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about the impending ban on gas stoves. I challenged the secretary on the potential repercussions of such a ban and how this ill-advised policy and restriction of consumer choice would be felt by millions of Americans. During the hearing, Secretary Granholm admitted that at least half of the gas stove top models currently in the marketplace would be incompliant under the proposed rule. Let me repeat that: half of the gas stoves currently being sold would be banned by this rule.
Recognizing the gravity this situation, I introduced legislation this week that prevents the Biden administration and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) from enacting any standard that would effectively ban gas stoves. I am also co-sponsoring an additional piece of legislation this week, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, which will stop the DOE from dictating the type of cooktop appliance Americans use in their home.
Gas stoves are an integral part of how food is prepared for nearly 187 million Americans, valued for their affordability and reliability. This transition to more expensive alternatives, as proposed by the Biden administration, would impose significant financial strains on American households. Homes equipped with natural gas appliances save families up to $1,068 annually compared to their all-electric counterparts. It is unfathomable that in the pursuit of climate activism, the government would willingly burden its people with exorbitant electricity bills and costly appliance replacements.
The fight against the ban on gas stoves extends far beyond a mere debate on energy sources or the means of cooking; it is about preserving our freedoms and defending the choices that make our households uniquely American.
The government’s encroachment upon our right to decide how we cook our meals or what we can purchase is not only a threat to our quality of life, but also an affront to the very principles that lies at the heart of American individualism and liberty. Our gas stoves represent the principles of choice, affordability, and reliability that have made America the land of opportunity. We have thrived on the freedom to make choices that best suit our lives, and I will work tirelessly to defend that freedom.
Dan Newhouse represents Washington’s 4th District.
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