A House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee met to discuss efforts by the Biden Department of Energy (DOE) that Republicans say could restrict the type of stoves consumers purchase.
Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-Missouri) claimed the proposed rule is not a ban on gas stoves, but a step to improve energy efficiency and help the environment.
"Research proves that improving the energy efficiency of gas stoves and switching to electric stoves completely will save lives," Bush told the Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs subcommittee. "We'll save money, and we'll save our environment. I wish my Republican colleagues were as concerned about black and brown communities on the front lines of our climate crisis as they are about an appliance."
Jeff Stier, senior fellow at the Consumer Choice Center, tells AFN it is "disheartening to hear someone who claims to speak on behalf of struggling families use her authority to make housing and basic needs such as cooking more expensive."
"One of the many beauties of a free market is that individuals tend to make better decisions for themselves than others can make for them," he adds.
Republicans led by Chairman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) argue that the DOE proposal is a "de-facto ban" that will impact low- to mid-range products for consumers of all communities.
