(NewsNation) — The practicality of gas stoves and their potentially harmful health effects was the central point of contention in a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday.
Republicans slammed top energy officials for failing to attend the hearing. The Biden administration cited the rule-making process as the reason for not attending, while Republicans argued they should answer questions before a rule is passed, not after.
Some in the GOP have accused the administration of attempting to ban gas stoves, which officials have repeatedly denied. If the new energy-efficient standards go into effect, roughly half the gas stoves on the market would need to be modified to meet the new standards. People who already own those stoves would not be affected.
Some Democrats worry about studies showing possible links between childhood asthma and gas stove use. On the other side, Republicans are accusing those Democrats of government overreach and trying to upend a relatively cheap appliance found in more than a third of American homes.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka ignited this controversy in December by saying gas ovens should be regulated, and said an outright ban was “a real possibility.”
But Alexander Hoehn-Saric, another CPS commissioner, walked that back weeks later, saying, “I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.”
The product safety group has looked at possibly strengthening safety standards, but this has made gas stoves now a political issue.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute will be one of the groups testifying at the House hearing Wednesday. The group released a statement calling possible regulations “part of a larger Biden administration anti-natural gas agenda, despite the abundance and affordability of natural gas. This agenda prioritizes climate change policy over the interests of consumers.”
But Sen. Cory Booker (D, N.J.), wrote a letter alongside almost two dozen other lawmakers pushing the CPSC to enact higher standards for gas stoves, writing, “In addition to the climate impacts, these emissions represent real health risks to millions of Americans. We urge the Commission to protect consumers from these harmful emissions.”
New York recently became the first state in the country to ban natural gas in most new buildings. However, some states with Republican-controlled legislatures passed laws prohibiting natural gas bans. Later this morning, Congress will hear more about this issue.
Congress did take a step in this debate last year by passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a rebate for up to $800 if people buy an electric stove or other electric appliances.