In a Thanksgiving photo posted by Vice President Kamala Harris, she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, posed in their kitchen. In the photo, whose caption read, “From our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving,” the couple were seen smiling. However, it wasn’t their smiles, the caption, or even the casserole on the slab that had people talking. It was the gas stove, as many never expected to see Harris beside one given the Biden administration’s stance on natural gas stoves.
Many conservatives took to social media to express their concerns. Conservative commentator “Catturd” wrote, “Good morning to everyone except the never-ending hypocrisy of the Commie Left – nice gas stove Kamala.”
Good morning to everyone except the never ending hypocrisy of the Commie Left – nice gas stove Kamala. https://t.co/p069eZy4jE
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) November 24, 2023
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) joined in, tweeting, “Wait… that’s a gas stove! The same kind Dems want to BAN you from owning.”
Wait…that’s a gas stove!
The same kind Dems want to BAN you from owning. 🤔 https://t.co/i4iqoPjtKj
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 24, 2023
Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) also chimed in, asking, “Is that a gas stove?” Rep. Scott Walker (R-WI) also asked the same question.
Is that a gas stove? 🧐 https://t.co/ElwpYe8kql
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) November 24, 2023
Is that a gas stove?!?! https://t.co/Md61XarsGH
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) November 24, 2023
In another tweet, Walker wrote, “Are they? A) Hypocritical B) That stupid that they didn’t realize it.”
Are they?
A) Hypocritical
B) That stupid that they didn’t realize it https://t.co/Md61XarsGH— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) November 24, 2023
“Everyone loves gas stoves! Stop trying to ban them and just let Americans cook how they please,” Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) wrote.
Everyone loves gas stoves!
Stop trying to ban them and just let Americans cook how they please. https://t.co/CfM3PYm1yG
— Rep. Pat Fallon (@RepPatFallon) November 24, 2023
The controversy stems from earlier discussions within the Biden administration about the potential ban on gas stoves due to concerns about the chemicals they emit. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. wrote a memo to another commissioner in 2022 saying that the consumer watchdog had enough evidence to kickstart the process to ban gas stoves.
Trumka also told Bloomberg in January that gas stoves, which 38% of American households rely on for cooking, constitute a hidden hazard and suggested that banning them might be necessary.
“Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned, “the Biden appointee said.
Consumer Product Safety Chairman Alex Hoehn-Saric eventually walked back the remarks after the idea received significant pushback, leading to the abandonment of the ban proposal. Instead, a Department of Energy regulation was introduced, aiming to impose stringent energy efficiency standards on gas stoves.
In response, the House of Representatives, with the support of several Democrats, approved an amendment in March that would prevent the DOE from enforcing strict new regulations on gas stoves. The vote, with 29 Democrats siding with the GOP, demonstrated bipartisan concern for the future of gas stoves in American households.
This would not be the first time a Democrat would be accused of doing differently than they preach on the natural gas issue. Earlier in January, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet that exposure to gas stoves is linked to brain damage, endorsing the Safety Commission’s idea to ban stoves using gas.
Did you know that ongoing exposure to NO2 from gas stoves is linked to reduced cognitive performance https://t.co/1bjmHqnHVa
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 11, 2023
But she was quickly schooled by social media users who dug out clips of her standing around a gas stove in her home. Her defense was that she rents.