Save Our Gas Stoves Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to know, why are my Republican colleagues opposed to energy efficiency standards that will save homeowners money? Why?

Energy conservation used to be bipartisan. Over the years under Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Energy has updated efficiency standards for light bulbs, dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, and dozens more appliances.

The first efficiency rules were signed into law in 1987 by Ronald Reagan, and they included gas stoves. No one argued back then that the government was taking away your light bulbs or your refrigerator or your stove because it would have been nonsense, and it is nonsense here today.

Many of our appliances use less energy today than they did decades ago, and it is because of energy efficiency standards that help drive those improvements.

This saves Americans money after they buy a home appliance. Let me say that again. Energy efficiency saves Americans money. New efficiency standards for stoves are long overdue. They were delayed by several years by the previous administration. It is time to update them, not to delay it further.

The fear-mongering over efficiency standards for stoves is Republicans playing politics. Democrats are focused on saving money for American households on their energy bill. We are focused on the climate crisis. When household appliances use less energy, they will cause less pollution. We will not be distracted.

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Ms. BARRAGAN. We will not be distracted by this political stunt. The Republicans' bill peddles the lie that the administration or the Democrats are attempting to ban gas stoves. That is just not true. The Department of Energy cannot ban gas stoves. The Department of Energy is simply proceeding with the congressionally mandated efficiency standard.

So let's not be distracted about what this is. This has been a bipartisan issue. There is no need to peddle lies about anybody taking away gas stoves.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and to support energy conservation standards to save Americans money. Let's save Americans money.

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