≡ Menu

GOP’s Plan to Save Gas Stoves Up in Smoke, For Now

GOP’s Plan to Save Gas Stoves Up in Smoke, For Now. Eleven House Republicans joined Democrats .

Eleven House Republicans joined Democrats to block a procedural vote in a rebuke of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) over the debt ceiling deal he brokered with President Joe Biden. The move torpedoed votes on two Republican-backed bills to prevent the banning of gas stoves, at least for now.

  • The defecting Republicans, mostly members of the House Freedom Caucus, voted with Democrats to defeat Tuesday’s procedural vote, 206 to 220. That kept the Save Our Gas Stoves Act and the Gas Stoves Protection and Freedom Act from going to a vote this week.
  • Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) said they voted down the rule “because we’re frustrated at the way this place is operating,” saying the commitments McCarthy made to get elected speaker “have been violated as a consequence of the debt-limit deal.” McCarthy could not immediately be reached.
  • Some GOP members are angry about the debt-ceiling deal, which helped avert a U.S. default. Rep. Ken Buck (R., Colo.) tweeted that McCarthy broke his commitment to keep spending at 2022 levels. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) “no” vote means the House can resurrect the procedural vote later.
  • Some Republicans have claimed the Biden administration is aiming to take away the gas stoves already in people’s homes, despite the White House repeatedly insisting it isn’t. Several studies found gas-stove emissions pose potential health hazards and contribute to climate change.

What’s Next: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget passed last month includes a measure banning gas stoves in new residential buildings up to seven stories tall starting in 2026, with exceptions for commercial and industrial buildings. The restriction doesn’t apply to current residences or commercial spaces.

Janet H. Cho and Liz Moyer