Save Our Gas Stoves Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 1640, which would add an important provision to ensure that nothing in this bill would harm U.S. energy security.

Before I share with my colleagues why this amendment is necessary, I want to take a minute to say what an exercise in absurdity this week in the House has been.

With everything going on in the world, we are considering nonsense bills about imaginary threats. That is the best that this Republican majority could muster, bills that are written so poorly they wouldn't even fake solve the fake problems they are making up to scare people.

In the case of H.R. 1640, this bill could do real damage. The Biden administration is not trying to ban gas stoves, period, but instead of just acknowledging that and moving on, my Republican friends are pretending that the administration is trying to ban them through an energy efficiency proposal that would save consumers money and improve America's energy security.

Consumers and experts recognize that energy efficiency is a key component of energy security. It is simple. If you can cook the same exact way with less gas, that means we are more energy secure.

I have heard for years from Republicans that they care about energy security. This vote is an opportunity for them to prove it.

This amendment contains a ``do no harm'' provision, which says that the bill should not take effect until the Secretary of Energy certifies that it would not have a negative impact on U.S. energy security.

This is simple. This amendment is a chance to affirm, in a bipartisan way, that Congress should be strengthening our energy security, not weakening it.

Mr. Chair, I urge support of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

If energy security is as important to Republicans as they say it is, this should be a no-brainer, because why would they bring a bill to the floor that could possibly weaken our energy security?

I suspect there might be something else at play here.

It is possible that the majority knows exactly what this bill would actually do, and they are eager to steamroll U.S. energy security and make consumers pay through the nose.

Why do I think that? Because that is exactly what Big Oil and the fossil fuel lobby wants. Follow the money. Google their donations.

If Republicans really care about energy security, they wouldn't all have voted against the Inflation Reduction Act last year, the single most ambitious bill on energy security that Congress has ever considered.

If Republicans really care about energy security, they wouldn't have voted against millions of new clean energy jobs that will make us truly energy independent.

With this vote, let's see what my Republican colleagues care more about, America's energy security or helping Big Oil and gas billionaires rake in more profits on the backs of our constituents.

I am sure my Republican friends will be generously compensated for their efforts here today. How sad. How pathetic.

I urge everybody to follow the money. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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