Rep. Shontel Brown (D., Ohio) claimed in a hearing Tuesday that the Biden administration’s bid to ban gas stoves does "not exist."
"I regret that this committee continues to hold hearings on things that do not exist, like a bogus ban on gas stoves, while ignoring the real economic and energy issues affecting people across this country," Brown said.
Brown’s claim ignores a proposed regulation and comments made by the Biden administration. A cooking appliance efficiency rule proposed by the Department of Energy in February, the department admitted, would effectively ban half of all gas stoves on the U.S. market. The Biden administration acknowledged the sweeping impact in an analysis published that month, but the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers says the proposed rule would prohibit a much larger proportion of gas stoves from being sold.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., a Biden appointee, in February questioned the safety of gas stoves and said a ban was "on the table."
New York in May passed a ban on gas stoves and heating systems in new buildings by 2026, while San Francisco regulators voted in March to eliminate gas furnaces and water heaters by 2027.
Brown suggested congressional Republicans’ push to prevent the Biden administration’s ban is "part of an effort by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to distract from the numerous wins of the Biden administration."