Gas Stoves for Kamala, Not for Thee

Vice President Kamala Harris got lit up on Thanksgiving for sharing a holiday photo next to a gas stove.

“From our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving,” Harris posted Thursday on X, along with a photo of her next to second gentleman Doug Emhoff and a gas stove.

The sparks that ignited the controversy came in January, when Richard Trumka Jr., a commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, told Bloomberg a “ban” on gas stoves was being considered due to their emissions.

“This is a hidden hazard,” Trumka said. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”

But Trumka’s statement caused such an initial backlash that he was forced to walk it back.

“To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products.”

CPSC Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric also distanced himself from Trumka, stating, according to the New York Post, “I am not looking to ban gas stoves, and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so.”

The issue continued to cook when the Republican-led House passed a bill in June to prevent any potential ban on gas stoves, although the bill saw only a lukewarm reception from Democrats.

The Department of Energy called out the controversy as “absurd,” stating, “Neither DOE nor the federal government plans to ban gas stoves … In February 2023, DOE published a proposal that would improve efficiency of gas and electric stoves. If implemented, the standards would not go into effect until 2027 and help U.S. consumers save up to $1.7 billion.”

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm also weighed in on the proposed rule, explaining that it would mainly affect high-end gas cooktops and would require a $12 appliance to meet the new standards.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul passed a law in April mandating all buildings under seven stories go fully electric by 2026 and larger buildings by 2029 — which would effectively ban gas stoves in the state.