(The Center Square) – The majority of Americans oppose a federal ban on gas stoves, according to a new poll.
The Harvard CAPS Harris poll found that 69% of those surveyed opposed such a ban. The question rose to national prominence after news broke that the federal government was considering regulatory changes that would make gas stoves either banned or prohibitively expensive for Americans. Since that news broke, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic lawmakers in the state implemented a ban on gas stoves in most new housing buildings.
The survey asked respondents, “Would you favor or oppose governmental rules that would virtually eliminate gas stoves from kitchens?”
Opinions varied by political affiliation. Only 17% of Republicans favored a ban of this kind while 83% opposed. Democrats were more split, with 45% in favor and 55% opposed. Independents largely opposed the ban to the tune of 71% with only 29% in favor.
As The Center Square previously reported, The U.S. House passed legislation last week to prevent any federal action to ban gas stoves. So far, it has not been taken up in the Senate.
The “Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act” passed the House 248-180 with bipartisan support. That bill would prevent the Consumer Products Safety Commission from using taxpayer dollars to treat gas stoves as a “banned hazardous product” or put in place any regulations that would practically prohibit gas stoves by making them too costly.
“The Biden administration is intent on weaponizing every aspect of the federal government to achieve its ideological goals,” U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. “Consumer protection should be about safety, not used as a veiled push to eliminate fossil fuels and the millions of jobs they support. Americans should decide if gas stoves are right for their families, not the Federal Government.”
Environmental activists have pushed back, pointing to the impact of methane from the stove as well as potential research suggesting gas stoves could cause conditions like asthma.
“Banning gas cooking appliances would burden families with high electricity bills, remove consumer choice, and decrease appliance functionality,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. said after the bill passed.
