Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ARMSTRONG. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, would prohibit funding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission for only two purposes: first, to regulate gas stoves as a banned hazardous product; and second, to impose any consumer product safety standard on gas stoves that would result in a prohibition on the use or sale of the appliances, or otherwise substantially increase the average price.

Simply put, this bill prevents the Commission from banning the entire product category of gas stoves. This bill does not prevent the Commission from its statutory mission to address specific models of gas stoves or any other product that may pose an actual safety hazard.

We are debating this bill because Commissioner Richard Trumka has made repeated statements that the Commission would consider substantial regulatory actions on gas stoves categorically.

His comments include a December 2022 statement advocating for a ban on gas stoves. The chair of the Commission has walked back Commissioner Trumka's impulsive statements by declaring: `` . . . I am not looking to ban gas stoves. . . . ''

However, despite the chairman's cleanup statement, the Commission has since issued a March 1 request for information that included repeated mentions of toxic emissions and chronic hazards regarding gas stoves.

We all agree that consumer product safety is important. Yet, it is apparent that the underlying motivation behind this veiled consumer safety plan is a green climate agenda with the goal to further restrict natural gas.

Mr. Chairman, 20 congressional Democrats sent a letter to the Commission in December 2022 that first mentioned the equivalent climate impact of regulating gas stoves before addressing the merits of any health concerns.

Let's discuss the alleged health concerns. First, multiple studies claiming that gas stoves create harmful indoor emission levels have been criticized for inaccurate conclusions and testing that failed to simulate real-world conditions.

Some of those studies measured indoor emissions in an area enclosed in a plastic tarp without any ventilation.

There are no studies establishing a causal relationship between cooking with gas stoves and asthma. Studies of actual homes under real- life conditions found that nitrogen dioxide levels were below the standard the EPA considers harmful to health.

Further, other cooking-related and non-cooking-related emissions factors have a meaningful effect on indoor emissions.

These are factors such as the chemical makeup of food and oils, cooking temperature, cooking methods, food surface-to-mass index, the use of exhaust and ventilation, and burning of tobacco, candles, and incense.

Again, all of this is secondary because we know the motivation of the CPSC, and throughout the entire administration, is a green climate push.

The goal is to dictate how you live every aspect of your life; how you save and invest for the future by pushing ESG; how you drive by banning gas-powered cars. Now the goal is to control how you cook and, literally, breathe inside your home.

I am confident in stating that the vast majority of North Dakotans don't want the Federal Government telling them how to live their life, particularly in their own home.

To my Democratic colleagues: If you agree with the chair of the Commission and don't want to ban gas stoves for over 187 million Americans, vote for the bill.

If you agree with Commissioner Trumka that the Federal Government should take away every gas stove in the country, oppose the bill.

Yet, before you oppose the bill, make sure you have a good answer for why your constituents can't cook the way they want, and be prepared to defend it.

I urge everyone to vote in favor of H.R. 1615 so we at least can end the Commission's misguided foray into the kitchens of every American.

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Mr. ARMSTRONG. Mr. Chair, the minority's views and committee report state that this bill restricts the Commission from protecting consumers and performing its traditional functions, such as safety research, working with industry to develop standards, and recalling unsafe products. None of those claims are true.

The bill does not prevent the Commission from engaging in any of those functions. The bill simply prohibits the Commission from banning gas stoves as an entire product category by imposing a direct ban as a hazardous product or imposing safety standards in a manner that would substantially increase the price of gas stoves.

Nothing in the bill prohibits the Commission from conducting research on gas stoves. Nothing in the bill prohibits the Commission from developing voluntary safety standards with the industry. Nothing in the bill prohibits the Commission from seeking to have a product declared an imminently hazardous consumer product, which allows the Commission to seek a public notice, recall, repair, replacement, or refund for consumers.

This bill is about ensuring Americans have continued access to the entire product category of gas stoves. It does not in any way limit the Commission's ability to address a defective or dangerous model. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is inaccurate.

Mr. Chair, I think that is the important part of what we are talking about here. The Commission can still do its function, but it has to stay in its lane.

We have plenty of different agencies in the Biden administration that want to push their Green New Deal agenda on Americans--EPA, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, FTC, the list goes on and on.

Can we at least let the Consumer Product Safety Commission stay within their lane, do their mission, deal with faulty products, deal with recalls, make sure that the product is safe, not push for an agenda that would take something away that millions and millions of Americans use every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

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