Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) drew a line in the sand on Tuesday, breaking with some in his party and saying that he was not prepared to give up the gas stove that he and his family cooked on — and he didn’t expect other Americans to give theirs up easily either.
Manchin was responding to reports that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was considering a ban on gas stoves — mainly due to health concerns — and suggested that moving ahead with such a ban would be a terrible idea.
“This is a recipe for disaster. The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on,” Manchin tweeted.
If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 10, 2023
Manchin took his assessment a step further, saying that the commission itself should be re-evaluated if this was the kind of action being pursued.
“If this is the greatest concern that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has for American consumers, I think we need to reevaluate the commission,” he said.
As soon as the reports began to circulate, however, some immediately jumped on board.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) quickly pushed the narrative that gas stoves contributed to “reduced cognitive performance.”
You can read more about it here: https://t.co/JUgq1A4LaS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 11, 2023
CNN’s Bill Weir added, “The science is showing us having a gas stove, in a small apartment especially with bad ventilation, is like having a car idling there. If you have young kids, it can affect cognitive abilities, as well as asthma.”
CNN's @BillWeirCNN: "The science is showing us having a gas stove, in a small apartment especially with bad ventilation, is like having a car idling there. If you have young kids, it can affect cognitive abilities, as well as asthma." pic.twitter.com/L0KSDLqltA
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 11, 2023
However, the alternative may pose risks as well — according to a 2020 report from the National Fire Protection Association, electric stoves are linked to dramatically higher incidences of injury (nearly 5x), death (3.4x), and house fires (2.6x).
Electric stoves are 2.6x more likely to cause fires compared to gas stoves
Households with electric stoves have a 3.4x higher death rate and 5x higher injury rate compared to gas
Guess which type Biden wants to ban? pic.twitter.com/aRviCGoRw5
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) January 10, 2023
Following backlash from the initial reports, the CPSC chairman claimed that the commission was not exploring a ban on gas stoves but looking for ways to reduce emissions and make them safer for home use, particularly in smaller spaces and around children.
NEW: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman issues a statement on gas stove regulations/lack thereof, after Trumka's comments earlier this week ignited political frenzy. pic.twitter.com/WrGjT0WhXP
— Breanne Deppisch (@breanne_dep) January 11, 2023