Top Department of Energy officials refused to testify Wednesday at a House Oversight Committee’s hearing on efforts to regulate gas stoves, prompting sharp criticism from senior Republicans on the committee.
The panel had invited two DOE officials to testify: Alejandro Moreno, the acting assistant secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the office’s deputy assistant secretary, Dr. Carolyn Snyder.
MAKE OR BREAK: THIS WEEK INTO NEXT IS CRITICAL WINDOW FOR DEBT CEILING NEGOTIATIONS
The hearing was focused on the Biden administration’s regulatory actions on gas stoves and other common household appliances.
In refusing to testify, DOE cited the ongoing rulemaking process surrounding their new appliance efficiency standards, which were originally proposed in February.
House Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Fallon (R-TX) blasted their failure to testify at the outset of Wednesday’s hearing, saying in his opening remarks that the rulemaking process is “exactly when Congress should be asking questions, not when it’s finished.”
“The Biden administration’s unwillingness to explain their policy decisions to Congress and the American people is deeply concerning and speaks volumes,” a committee spokesperson said in a statement in response to their refusal to attend.
The hearing comes as DOE has proposed a number of new appliance efficiency standards aimed at cracking down on emissions from household appliances.
In February, DOE unveiled its new “Energy Policy and Conservation Program,” the proposed rulemaking that would allow it to set new efficiency and conservation standards for consumer conventional cooking products, including gas stoves.
It said in a memo that the proposed rules would make at least half of U.S. stove models ineligible for repurchase in stores if they were to come into force today.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
These actions have drawn the ire of congressional Republicans, as well as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who pulled his support for President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the office earlier this month, citing his support for the proposed gas stove rules.
“While I appreciate that these rules would only apply to new stoves, my view is that it’s part of a broader, Administration-wide effort to eliminate fossil fuels,” Manchin told the Washington Examiner. “For that reason, I’m not comfortable moving forward with Mr. Marootian at this time.”
