Gas Stoves
Floor Speech
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Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, today I rise in opposition to President Biden's and the extreme Green New Deal Democrats' attempts to ban gas stoves and cooking appliances. I rise in support of H.R. 1615 and H.R. 1640, which would extinguish this egregious abuse of power.
Madam Speaker, natural gas stoves are currently the preferred cooktop appliance for nearly 40 percent of American households. In fact, nearly 187 million Americans use natural gas because it is a relatively affordable and reliable source of energy.
As Americans have been facing the gripping reality of surging prices for almost everything, thanks to the reckless and out-of-control spending of President Biden and Congressional Democrats, the last thing they need is to be forced to spend an additional $1,068 per year from using only electric appliances.
During debate, Democrats will say, and have said that no one is trying to take away your gas stoves. That couldn't be any further from the truth.
In fact, a recent CNN headline read: ``New York becomes the first state to ban natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings.''
While discussing gas stoves in January of this year, Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr., said: ``Any option is on the table,'' meaning that banning gas stoves was certainly a potential option.
A month later, in February, seemingly following the Consumer Product Safety Commission's lead, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would set maximum annual energy consumption standards for electric and gas cooking tops manufactured and sold into commerce.
This proposed rule would have an estimated cost of $183.4 million for manufacturers that will need to comply with the new standards. Somehow, the administration tentatively concluded that the new standards would be ``technologically feasible and economically justified.''
Give me a break.
Now, Madam Speaker, gas stoves in my home State of Tennessee may not be as common as they are in some other States. Given our relatively affordable electricity rates and our historical reliance on other forms of energy, Tennessee's use of gas stoves accounts for only 20.4 percent of households in our State. But even though only one in five Tennessee households use a gas stove, the Tennessee State legislature passed, and the Governor signed into law, legislation that prohibits local governments from banning gas stoves. As a result, no localities in the Volunteer State have pursued this ill-guided policy.
All of this to say, Americans should be allowed the freedom to make this decision for themselves. The last thing they need is the Federal Government coming into their kitchen and telling them what appliances they should be using. Not only is it extremely costly and ineffective but it is another step toward becoming a socialist nanny state.
Lastly, Green New Deal Democrats in favor of banning gas stoves claim that it will save the environment and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The truth is that homes with natural gas appliances emit 22 percent less CO
Madam Speaker, let's call this what it is: a blatant overreach and abuse of power by Green New Deal Democrats and the power-hungry Biden administration.
Thankfully, House Republicans are taking action to protect America's freedom to choose for themselves whether a gas stove is the best choice for their needs by passing H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, and H.R. 1640, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act.
It is a shame that we have to take these types of actions to push back against an overly aggressive regulatory state led by the Biden administration.
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