White House says it opposes GOP gas stove bills but stops short of veto threat

The White House on Tuesday expressed opposition to GOP bills aimed at restricting gas stove regulations, but it stopped short of threatening to veto them. 

The two bills are slated for votes Tuesday and Wednesday. One would prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves or implementing regulations that “substantially” increase their cost. The other would block a proposed efficiency rule from the Energy Department.

In a formal Statement of Administration Policy, the White House says it “strongly opposes” the two bills, but the statement does not contain language threatening a veto as it often does for bills that it opposes. 

The statement says that while the administration “does not support any attempt to ban the use of gas stoves” it also opposes the Consumer Product Safety Commission bill because it would “undermine the Commission’s ability to make science-based decisions to protect the public.”

It opposes the bill concerning the Energy Department because it would “deny the American people the savings that come with having more efficient new appliances on the market,” the statement said. 

However, a statement of opposition does not necessarily guarantee a veto if the legislation were to make it to Biden’s desk, given that the White House initially put out a statement expressing opposition to a resolution to overturn a D.C. crime bill he later signed.

But the gas stove bills could still face a tough road ahead in the Democrat-led Senate and may not make it to Biden’s desk.

The Biden administration has sought to distance itself from calls for a gas stove ban amid a political firestorm earlier this year over the issue. Republicans seized on comments from Consumer Product Safety Commission member Richard Trumka Jr. saying that a ban on new gas stoves was possible.

“The president does not support banning gas stoves and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves,” White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre told reporters in January.

Trumka has also come out against the idea of a ban, and the commission appears unlikely to take one up. However, it may seek to impose other regulations on the stoves because they have been linked to health impacts like asthma.