Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and other Senate Republicans pushed back on the Biden administration’s potential move to ban gas stoves in a letter obtained exclusively by Breitbart News.
“We write to express our strong opposition to reporting that certain members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) may seek an outright ban on gas ranges and stoves. We also request additional information about the CPSC’s plans regarding this proposed action,” Lummis and the Senate Republicans wrote to Alexander Hoehn-Saric, the chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Sens. Lummis, Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Boozman (R-AR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tim Scott (R-SC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) signed the letter to the CPSC.
The Biden administration inflamed controversy when Richard Trumka Jr., a CPSC commissioner, said roughly a month ago that the banning of gas stoves was a “real possibility.”
“We need to be talking about regulating gas stoves, whether that’s drastically improving emissions or banning gas stoves entirely,” Trumka said, according to the Chicago Tribune. Trumka also said that the banning of gas stoves would be a “powerful tool” to lower air pollution.
“I think we ought to keep that possibility of a ban in mind because it’s a powerful tool in our tool belt and it’s a real possibility here,” Trumka continued.
However, last week he claimed that the CPSC is not “coming for anyone’s gas stoves.”
The Senate Republicans said that the CPSC could further clarify how the commission plans to “move forward on this issue.”
The Republicans explained that many Americans choose gas stoves over electric stoves because gas stoves often result in cheaper utility bills. They also said that it would raise costs for consumers. This potential move by the Biden administration to ban gas stoves happens as Americans continue to grapple with inflation.
They detailed in their letter to Hoehn-Saric:
According to the Energy Information Administration, over one-third of U.S. households use gas stoves.3 Consumers have chosen their home appliances based on numerous factors, including upfront price, operating costs, maintenance costs, and convenience. Gas stoves tend to result in lower utility bills than their electric counterparts.4 Gas stoves are also generally more durable, with less parts being susceptible to breakages or other defects. A ban on these stoves would therefore likely result in higher utility bills, disproportionately affecting low-income populations. Additionally, a 2020 report from the National Fire Protection Association found that “households that used electric ranges showed a higher risk of cooking fires and associated losses than those using gas ranges.”5
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However, we remain concerned about regulatory overreach from federal agencies. By denying consumers choice, the CPSC deciding to ban gas stoves would distort the marketplace and ultimately raise costs for consumers. Rather than pursuing this outright ban, we believe it would be most appropriate for the CPSC to gather additional information on the scope of the problem and, if appropriate, work with manufacturers to ensure that these stoves are as safe as possible.
The Senate Republicans concluded in their letter, “We appreciate the work that CPSC does on behalf of American consumers. We respectfully request a response to this letter by January 27, 2023, that outlines how the CPSC plans to move forward in regards to potential regulations of gas stoves.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.