Sean Hannity: “The White House is now trying to ban all gas ovens and burners.”
PolitiFact solution: LYING
That’s why: Fox News viewers may think the government agency is preparing a plan to seize their gas stoves and ovens following comments from network host Sean Hannity.
“Now (President Joe) Biden will come not only for your paycheck, but for your stove. You understood me correctly.” Hannity said January 9 during his show. “The White House is now trying to ban all gas stoves and burners, it’s like half the country.”
The Washington Post reported that 40 million US homes have gas stoves.
Prominent conservatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, echoed the claim. So did Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
Fox News did not respond to our request for comment. But Hannity’s remarks appear to stem from a published interview with a commissioner from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency that regulates consumer products, saying a ban on gas stoves could be considered.
Hannity’s statement mischaracterized the commissioner’s remark and missed an important context. While the commissioner did not rule out the possibility of a ban on gas stoves, he also did not say a ban was in the works.
Gas stoves emit poisonous gas during operation, especially in poorly ventilated homes. Several studies have linked gas stove emissions to increased health risks. One study found that nearly 13% of childhood asthma cases in the US are related to gas stove use.
There are also environmental risks. CBS News reported that a 2022 study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that US gas stoves release 2.6 million tons of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the air every year.
However, commission chairman Alexander Hen-Sharik, who was nominated by Biden, said in a statement that neither he nor the safety commission is seeking to ban gas cooking appliances.
The White House also rejected Hannity’s claim. “The President does not support a ban on gas stoves,” a White House spokesman told PolitiFact.
Commission asks for more information about gas stoves
Commissioner Rich Trumka Jr. was quoted in a Jan. 9 Bloomberg News article discussing the health risks associated with gas stoves and what actions the commission could take to address them.
“Any option is being discussed,” said Trumka, also nominated by Biden. “Products that cannot be made safe can be banned.”
This was not the first time Trumka had mentioned a potential ban. Energy and environmental news organization E&E News reported that he made a similar statement in December during a webinar hosted by the US Public Interest Research Group.
“I think we should keep this ban option in mind as you follow along because it’s a powerful tool in our toolbox and it’s a real opportunity here, especially as there already seem to be readily available alternatives on the market,” – Trumka. said.
His comments come months after he received no support on the issue from his fellow commissioners.
At an October meeting detailing the agency’s plans for 2023, Trumka introduced an amendment to the proposed rule regarding the safety of gas stoves. No other members of the commission supported the amendment.
Trumka then proposed a second amendment, which received unanimous support, to the commission to get public opinion on the risks associated with gas stoves and possible solutions to address them. The request for information must be published by March 1st.
When we asked the panel about Trumka’s recent comments, public relations director Pamela Springs said his position was not the same as the agency’s.
The commission cannot seize goods already in consumers’ homes
Although there are no plans to ban gas cooking appliances, the commission has the authority to do so. However, such an action is only considered if there is no other reasonable way to protect people from the danger posed by the item.
The agency last banned the product in 2001, when it banned dive sticks, a pool toy, Springs told PolitiFact.
Even if products are banned, the commission does not have the right to remove products that are already in consumers’ homes. Prohibitions and rules apply to manufacturers and sellers.
“Our laws are about manufacturing, importing, selling, offering for sale and distribution for commercial purposes, not consumer ownership,” Springs said.
Trump repeated this after backlash from Representative Gary Palmer, Alabama.
“To be clear, the CPSC is not coming for anyone’s gas stoves,” Trumka said. tweeted January 9. “The rules apply to new products.”
Some states and cities have moved to regulate and ban gas stoves in new homes. In April, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a plan to ban gas connections in new buildings in the state budget. In May, the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban most gas appliances in new homes.
But several Republican-led states have passed bills to proactively prevent a ban on gas connections in new buildings.
Our Solution
Hannity said that “the White House is now trying to ban all gas ovens and burners.”
A Commissioner for Consumer Product Safety said in an interview that a ban could be considered. But the chairman of the commission denied that notion, saying the agency was not seeking a ban.
The commission is studying the health risks associated with gas stoves and will seek public opinion on the matter this year.
We rate Hannity’s claim as false.
Our sources
- Telephone interview with Pamela Springs, Director of Communications, Consumer Product Safety Commission, January 11, 2023.
- Email Exchange, White House, January 11, 2023
- Bloomberg, US Safety Agency to Consider Gas Stove Ban Due to Health Concerns, January 9, 2023
- tweet, Commissioner Rich Trumka Jr.January 9, 2023
- Consumer Product Safety Commission, About Us, accessed January 11, 2023.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission, Action Plan, October 26, 2022
- Consumer Product Safety Commission, Minutes of Commission Meeting, October 26, 2022
- Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering, 24-Hour Nitrogen Dioxide Concentration Linked to Cooking Behavior and Increased Use of Rescue Medications in Children with Asthma, August 7, 2017
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Gas Stove Population and Childhood Asthma in the US, December 21, 2022.
- Snopes, Biden administration bans gas stoves over climate change concerns?, January 11, 2023.
