[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 105 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E574-E575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  OPPOSING H.R. 1615, THE ``GAS STOVE PROTECTION OF FREEDOM ACT'' AND 
               H.R. 1640, THE ``SAVE OUR GAS STOVES ACT''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2023

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to speak in opposition 
to the proposed legislation, H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection 
Freedom Act and H.R. 1640, the Save our Gas Stoves Act.
  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for 
protecting children and other consumers from unreasonable risk of 
injury or death from consumer products.
  The CPSC carries out its mission by investigating allegations that 
consumer products pose an unreasonable safety risk, working with 
industry to develop voluntary product safety standards, issuing, and 
enforcing mandatory standards on hazardous consumer products, and 
recalling unsafe consumer products or arranging for their repair.
  The CPSC has a history of protecting children and adults from safety 
risks across a wide range of products, including removing hazardous 
infant sleep products from the market, adopting corded window coverings 
standards to prevent strangulation of children, and working with 
industry to reduce the risk of fires from micro mobility devices like 
hoverboards and e-scooters.
  Republicans are deliberately misleading the American public with this 
legislation, which is designed to scare consumers and, unfortunately, 
Republicans are ignoring the reasonable steps the CPSC has taken to 
study and address the hazards posed to our children by gas stove 
emissions.
  Legitimate concerns have been raised about the health impact, 
particularly on children, of the nitrogen dioxide emitted by gas 
stoves.
  Observational studies have found that children living in households 
that use gas stoves are 42 percent more likely to have asthma.
  In December 2022, CPSC issued a recall on a specific gas stove 
product that was found to be a serious risk of injury or death from 
carbon monoxide poisoning.
  H.R. 1615 would prohibit CPSC from using its rulemaking authority to 
ban all such hazardous products to protect to Americans.
  As the Chairman of the CPSC explained earlier this year, the 
Commission does not have a proceeding to ban gas stoves but is 
researching gas stoves and exploring ways to address health risks.
  The Republicans' bill peddles the lie that the Biden Administration 
is attempting to ban gas stoves, but the facts simply are not on their 
side.
  H.R. 1615 will stifle scientific investigation into health hazards 
and create bad precedent when it comes to protecting our children from 
health and safety hazards.
  Protecting and improving the health and well-being of our children 
should not be a partisan issue.
  On a bipartisan basis, we should be encouraging the CPSC to explore 
all allegations that appliances or other consumer products put our 
children's health at risk and give the CPSC more, not fewer, tools for 
eliminating or mitigating safety risks they uncover.
  It is unconscionable to limit the CPSC's options for addressing the 
potential risks of gas stoves--a product found in homes across 
America--before the CPSC has fully explored the risks posed by gas 
stoves and potential solutions.
  Efficiency standards are not bans.
  Republicans are deliberately misleading the American public to 
prevent the Department of Energy (DOE) from fulfilling its statutory 
obligations and finalizing an efficiency standard that will save 
consumers money.
  H.R. 1640 prohibits the Secretary of Energy from finalizing or 
enforcing a February 2023 proposed rule that would improve the 
efficiency of electric and gas stoves, ultimately saving families money 
on their energy bills.
  The Republicans' bill simply peddles the lie that the Biden 
Administration is attempting to

[[Page E575]]

ban gas stoves, but the facts simply are not on their side.
  DOE cannot ban gas stoves. DOE is simply proceeding with a 
Congressionally mandated efficiency standard.
  The proposed efficiency standard will save Americans money through 
lower energy bills while cutting harmful indoor air pollution that 
disproportionately impacts children's health.
  DOE's proposed rule is one of their statutorily required standards--
and it follows years of inaction and missed statutorily mandated 
standards deadlines by the Trump Administration.
  In the Fall of 2020, multiple organizations and states filed lawsuits 
asserting Trump's DOE was in violation of deadlines for the review of 
25 of its energy conservation standards.
  This Republican bill doubles down on that legacy by obstructing DOE 
from doing what Congress and a court settlement have required it to do.
  Republicans' fearmongering over gas stoves is nothing more than a 
cheap political stunt designed to scare consumers and protect their 
fossil fuel friends.
  H.R. 1640 prioritizes profits for Big Oil and Gas over the health and 
economic well-being of everyday Americans.
  Efficiency standards save Americans money, while the Republicans' 
bill will only increase energy costs for Americans and pad the pockets 
of their fossil fuel friends.
  Republicans' scare tactics include pushing a false narrative about 
how ``96 percent of gas stoves on the market don't meet the proposed 
standard.''
  This is simply not true.
  This deliberate fearmongering is the result of Republicans 
purposefully misrepresenting DOE data to serve their own political 
goals.
  The statistic Republicans are referencing comes from a DOE test of 
high-end models that they anticipated would not meet the standard. The 
test, by design, was not representative of the entire market.
  The truth is, nearly half of products on the market today are already 
in compliance with the proposed rule, including all entry level models.
  In a testament to just how far Republicans are willing to go to prop 
up their polluter friends, H.R. 1640 goes beyond an amendment offered 
by Rep. Palmer (R-AL) that was added to H.R. 1 by significantly 
limiting future DOE rulemaking.
  This bill does not include a sunset clause--it could forever limit 
DOE from taking substantive action to improve the energy efficiency of 
Americans' cooktops.
  While the Palmer Amendment would prevent DOE from moving forward with 
one standard related to cooktop efficiency, H.R. 1640 goes even further 
by amending the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to restrict DOE from 
taking similar action in the future.
  This bill sets a bad precedent that polluters could seek to exploit.
  DOE is already prohibited from banning products based on their fuel 
source, but H.R. 1640 adds yet another hurdle: it requires DOE to prove 
that a conservation standard is not likely to result in the 
unavailability of a product based on the fuel it consumes.
  This added condition could significantly weaken and slow down DOE's 
ability to issue future energy conservation standards.
  DOE's proposed energy efficiency standard for gas and electric stoves 
is smart, commonsense policy that would cut pollution, improve 
Americans' health, and lower energy bills. And it can be achieved using 
readily available design changes.
  DOE's commonsense proposal will benefit Americans' health and 
pocketbooks.
  DOE estimates the proposal will: Save consumers as much as $1.71 
billion and slash nearly 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and 
245 thousand tons of methane.
  These benefits would come without imposing any undue burdens on 
manufacturers.
  DOE's proposed rule gives manufacturers three years after the date of 
the rule's publication to comply.
  Nearly half of products on the market today are already in compliance 
with the proposed rule, and there are readily available design changes 
available for those that don't.
  Energy efficiency standards are popular: three out of five Americans 
support stricter energy efficiency standards for appliances and 
buildings.
  It is time we stop the negativity and counterproductive efforts that 
are ripping apart our country, and to instead focus on coming together 
to work towards sensible and effective solutions that can work for the 
betterment and growth of our country.

                          ____________________