Most Democrats vote against amendment to protect gas stoves

The U.S. House passed energy bill amendment that would stop the Biden administration from banning gas stoves.

Democrats saw dozens of members break rank and vote with Republicans to protect gas appliances though 181 Democrat members voted against H.R. 1, also referred to as the Lower Energy Costs Act, which the Biden administration has vowed to veto.

Congresswoman Sharice Davids, D-KS). Photo: Zoom.

Those Democrats voting no, in essence supporting the Biden administration ban on gas stoves, include Sharice Davids of Kansas and Cori Bush of Missouri. They joined other liberal representatives while, some, like Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, did not vote at all.

“Glad the House passed my amendment to H.R. 1 preventing @ENERGY from banning 50% of gas stoves on the market,” Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), who proposed the amendment, wrote on Twitter late Wednesday.

“This de facto gas stove ban was supported by 181 Democrats who are complicit in Biden’s quest to control your kitchen appliances,” added Palmer, the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.

It comes after the Department of Energy on Feb. 1 proposed a rule that would be a first-ever efficiency regulation for cooking appliances in the United States, setting new standards for both electric and gas cooking tops. It has received thousands of comments to date. Its comment period ends on April 3.

The proposed rule was followed by an updated DOE analysis (pdf) in late February that said about half of gas stove models currently being sold in the country wouldn’t be in compliance.

Palmer’s amendment prohibits the Secretary of Energy from implementing DOE’s proposed rule on gas stoves, as well as prohibits any other similar rule limiting access to gas stoves.

The vote on Palmer’s amendment Wednesday was 251–181 in favor, with 29 Democrats joining Republicans in the GOP-controlled chamber in the vote.

According to the Energy Information Administration, about 38 percent of U.S. households use natural gas for cooking. That’s about 40 million gas appliances.

The DOE has not been the only Biden administration entity that had been targeting gas stoves.

In December 2022, Richard Trumka Jr., chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), said the federal government should ban gas stoves due to health concerns. He repeated the sentiment in January when he also said his agency was considering banning gas stoves.

A leaked memo showed that Trumka, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, wanted to ban gas stoves as early as October 2022.

–Wire services