Senators Joe Manchin and Ted Cruz are introducing legislation to block bans on gas stoves

Senators Ted Cruz and Joe Manchin introduced a bill Thursday that would prevent a federal agency from banning the use of gas stoves, though there are no plans to ban them.

The move comes amid fierce public debate about the health and environmental impacts of cooking appliances that burn fossil fuels and the broader role of natural gas in the fight against climate change.

Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, have teamed up to pass the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, a law that would prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves .

The agency has said it has no plans to ban the device, but its chief commissioner, Richard Trumka Jr., caused an uproar last month when he told Bloomberg News that natural gas stoves were “a hidden danger” and suggested they should be banned.

He returned to those comments after they were seized upon by conservatives and energy groups to criticize the Biden administration for allegedly overdoing it on its climate and environmental agenda.

“The federal government has nothing to do with telling American families how to cook their dinner, so Senator Cruz and I introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure Americans choose how to cook in their own homes,” Manchin said in a statement.

Food and Water Watch, an environmental group, called the bill “absurd” and said it would “foment ridiculous right-wing panic over a non-existent war on gas stoves.”

Some research has shown that gas stoves can be harmful to health. A recent US study states that 13% of all childhood asthma cases can be linked to indoor air pollution caused by gas stoves.

Amid public health and climate concerns, dozens of cities across the United States have adopted or are considering policies that would ban or discourage natural gas in new construction. But they’ve met strong opposition from gas industry groups and restaurant and appliance lobby groups, who argue these studies are overblown.

The legislation would prevent the CPSC from using federal funds to ban gas stoves or enact rules “that would significantly increase the cost of gas stoves.” (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington Editing by Matthew Lewis)