Yesterday the Biden administration suggested they were considering a ban on gas stoves over ‘health concerns’.
Richard Trumka Jr., who works on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, was the commissioner who made the statement.
Now the head of the agency is quickly backing off that statement, saying that while they are concerned about the health implications of gas stoves, they are NOT considering a ban on gas stoves in any way.
Here’s more from Washington Times:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday walked back a claim made by one of its members that the Biden administration was weighing a ban on new natural gas stoves over health concerns.
The reversal follows fierce rebukes from politicians and the energy industry.
The chair of the federal agency, Biden appointee Alexander Hoehn-Saric, said previous assertions made by fellow Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. that the agency would consider a ban in the coming months was simply not true.
“Research indicates that emissions from gas stoves can be hazardous, and the CPSC is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards,” Mr. Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. “But to be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves, and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.”
Mr. Trumka, also a Biden appointee, appears to have vastly overplayed his hand when claiming earlier this week that a ban was on the table because of studies that say the emissions from natural gas stoves cause health conditions like respiratory issues and cancer.
Natural gas stoves are used by nearly 40% of U.S. households for everyday cooking, causing the energy industry and members from both parties in Congress to erupt with accusations that the CPSC was overstepping its authority and putting climate goals ahead of Americans’ energy needs.
Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, called it “a recipe for disaster” and fired a warning shot at the commission.
“The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner,” Mr. Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, said in a statement. “I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on. If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission.”
House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Washington Republican, described a ban as the “latest in a long line of power grabs by the radical left and Biden administration.”
“It is not about public safety,” she said. “It is about telling the American people the federal government knows best and will decide what kind of car they can drive, how they can heat their house, and now how they’re allowed to cook food for their families.”
Both Manchin and Rodgers are exactly right and I’m glad they’ve put out strong statements opposing this.
I suspect that the fallout is why they are suddenly reversing course on this. But I think this does show the authoritarian mentality of the democrats Biden appoints to these positions of power. They are elites who think we are stupid and they must protect us from our stupidity and ignorance.
And these elites are everywhere. Look here at CNN’s climate reporter jumping in to argue the merits of banning of gas stoves:
CNN's @BillWeirCNN: "The science is showing us having a gas stove, in a small apartment especially with bad ventilation, is like having a car idling there. If you have young kids, it can affect cognitive abilities, as well as asthma." pic.twitter.com/L0KSDLqltA
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 11, 2023
It’s idiotic. People have been using gas stoves for a very long time and this is the first I’ve ever heard about these so-called ‘health concerns’.