Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor today in support of H.R. 1640, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, a bill to prohibit the Department of Energy (DOE) from implementing a ban on gas stoves.
Excerpts and highlights below:
“I rise in strong support of H.R. 1640.
“The Save our Gas Stoves Act is a bipartisan bill that was introduced by Energy and Commerce Committee Member Debbie Lesko.
“It will stop the Department of Energy from finalizing its plans to ban the majority of natural gas fueled cooking stoves on the market today.
“H.R. 1640 was considered through regular order in Committee where it received hearings and markups; and was favorably reported with a strong bipartisan vote.
“Congress must intervene to stop the war that President Biden and Democrats are waging on reliable, affordable energy and the choices people make to provide for their families.
“On day one in office, President Biden cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline, imposed a moratorium on fossil energy development on federal lands, and directed agencies across the federal government to issue punitive regulations and delay permits for energy projects.
“This agenda is raising costs across the board and is making life more difficult for the hardworking people of this county.
“Now, the Biden administration is coming for their appliances, like natural gas stoves.
“H.R. 1640 will stop the Department of Energy from finalizing the terribly misguided and legally vulnerable proposal to ban gas stoves.
“H.R. 1640 is necessary because the Biden administration doesn’t have any regard for the will of the American people, or the laws passed by Congress.
“Despite a statement from the White House that ‘the President does not support banning gas stoves,’ the Department of Energy and radical environmental activists are abusing an obscure law called the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to mandate a back-door regulatory ban on gas stoves.
“They are pursuing this agenda to control the home appliance market despite DOE’s own evidence that its proposed standard would pull more than half of gas stoves off the market and only save people $1.08 over the life of the product.
“The Biden administration is completely out of touch with the American people.
“One dollar of savings over the life of the product is not worth the upfront expense of ripping out gas lines and installing new electrical service.
“One dollar of savings does not bring peace of mind if you need to heat water or feed your family during an electricity blackout.
“And one dollar of savings means nothing when people are paying record prices in the Biden economy to buy food and fill up their gas tanks.
“The American people are strongly opposed to regulations that ban natural gas appliances.
“In fact, we recently polled constituents in my district as to whether they support a ban on natural gas stoves in their homes.
“An overwhelming 87% of them responded ‘no.’
“H.R. 1640 addresses their concerns and their freedom to choose the affordable stove that is right for them.
“Therefore, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1640 and I look forward to working with the Senate to send this bipartisan bill on the President’s desk."