The House on Wednesday passed legislation to block the Department of Energy from implementing tough new energy conservation rules on gas stoves, an effort that was supported by more than two dozen Democrats.
Lawmakers passed the Save Our Gas Stoves Act in a 249-181 vote. Every Republican voted for it, and they were joined by 29 Democrats, a sign that many members of President Biden’s own party don’t support what his Energy Department is doing.
The vote is a response to a department rule issued this year that seeks to boost energy efficiency standards for gas stoves. The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., argued that the department initially determined that 96% of gas stoves currently on the market would not meet the new standard, and that the department introduced new data later in an effort to make the standard look less severe.
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President Biden and Jennifer Granholm, his secretary of energy, have been pushing for rules changes that would significantly boost energy standards for gas stoves that some Republicans say shows they want to ban these appliances.
“What did DOE do after the public heard about this and pushed back?” she said on the House floor Tuesday. “They adjusted their analysis, seemingly out of thin air. Now, they claim that nearly 50 percent of gas stoves will pass their rule. Guess what? That means more than 50 percent won’t. Don’t tell me they are not trying to ban gas stoves.”
Lesko also said that while the department is arguing the regulation will lower consumers’ energy bill, it would only drop those bill an estimated 12 cents per month.
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Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., proposed the bill aimed at stopping the Department of Energy from implementing its proposed rule related to gas stoves. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
