The Biden Administration is coming under fire for proposing regulations that would amount to a “tidal wave” of government control over daily household items. On Tuesday, at a congressional hearing held by the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Republican Chairman Pat Fallon of Texas highlighted how the Department of Energy proposed rules will affect a range of home appliances, not just gas stoves.
“This slate of rules includes the controversial Consumer Convention Cooking Products Rule, which imposes stricter requirements on gas stoves. But it doesn’t stop there,” Fallon said during the hearing. “There are other rulemakings under consideration for dishwashers, refrigerators, water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, and other household appliances under the guise of improving energy efficiency.”
We share a planet with China, yet environmental activists are more concerned with getting rid of your gas stove in the name of saving the world from climate change.@RepPatFallon opens hearing on the Biden Administration’s continued regulatory assault on Americans’ home… pic.twitter.com/2x1oKpf6f6
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 18, 2023
Adding insult to injury, the Energy Department has so far refused to make government officials available to answer questions about the proposed regulations. “In May, this Committee invited DOE officials to discuss the gas stoves rule, which would impact 40 percent of American households, but the Department refused to make witnesses available,” Fallon said.
The developments have sparked an uproar from conservatives who were skeptical when news about the regulation of gas stoves first emerged earlier this year. At the time, Democrats and their left-leaning media allies dismissed it as a conspiracy theory. Now, however, it appears that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has been working diligently behind the scenes to push through regulations and bans that would affect everyday Americans in their homes.
BREAKING: We’ve uncovered new internal Energy Department documents, showing that Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm met with a CCP-connected, liberal dark money group pushing to ban gas stoves, just prior to the admin getting caught trying to do the same:https://t.co/P6CVm4ufDY
— Americans for Public Trust (@apublictrust) February 10, 2023
The proposed regulations, which are still under consideration, have alarmed conservatives who argue that this amounts to yet another overreach by the Biden Administration.
Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas echoed that sentiment and said the government should stay away from telling Americans how to manage their daily lives.
“The government does not know best when it comes to energy efficiency and this administration needs to get its hands off the knobs and switches of our daily lives,” Arrington said.
Other Republicans voiced similar concerns, noting that this is just the latest example of the Biden Administration’s “overzealous regulation” that is infringing on the daily lives of everyday Americans.
Still, Democrats argue that this is an issue of energy efficiency and that the regulations would help reduce emissions and make households more energy efficient.
Whether the proposed regulations will become law remains to be seen, but the debate is sure to continue and intensify as the proposed regulations move through the regulatory review process.
Junk. We have used gas stoves for hundreds of years. There is no correlation between an increase in childhood asthma and their use. This is an overreach based on a subjective hypothesis from a bad study. More fodder in the war on gas that will hurt low-income homes and small biz. pic.twitter.com/i3mOlT5T9D
— Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) January 9, 2023
