Fresh off a lengthy fight over the debt limit, House Republicans are pivoting back to counter Biden administration moves. The starting point this week? Blocking any regulatory ban on gas stoves.
The lower chamber will consider two bills this week on the issue.
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Under the dome: The first of the bills – the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act – prohibits the use of Federal funds to ban gas stoves.
- The other bill, dubbed the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, targets a specific Energy Department rule that determines energy conservation standards for consumer products.
- House Republicans have argued that the rule lays a framework for banning 20 of the 21 top-selling gas stove models marketed in the United States, requiring manufacturers to completely redesign their products or abandon gas stoves altogether.
The backstory: The debate over gas stoves began last year when a Richard Trumka Jr., a commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), suggested new regulations on gas stoves, leading some Republicans to argue that it represents government overreach into the lives of Americans.
- However, the chairman of CPSC later said the group was not looking to ban gas stoves.
- Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has also stated that the proposed regulations for new gas stoves would not affect half of the gas stove models currently on the market.
What’s next: The House is also slated to consider the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which would increase Congress’s authority over the federal rulemaking process.
- The bill seeks to require that “major rules” are approved by Congress before they can take effect. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s office claims that the change would allow lawmakers to act before a rule takes effect “instead of expressing disapproval after” through the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
