During negotiations over the bipartisan infrastructure bill in 2021, most Senate Democrats voted against an amendment that would have restricted gas stove bans — years before New York lawmakers approved a ban as part of the Empire State’s new budget.
The amendment pitched by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) would have limited grant funds from the bill going to new building codes that restricted or prohibited the use of natural gas. It was defeated 48-45 with two other Democrats — Cory Booker of New Jersey and Tim Kaine of Virginia — not voting.
“Major cities right now, including San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and New York, have enacted or proposed measures to ban or discourage the use of natural gas in new homes and in buildings,” Barrasso noted in a floor speech before the vote on Aug. 2, 2021.
“So I am coming to the floor with this amendment to point out that, as we are working on bipartisan legislation and there is money in the bill for building codes, no money can be used to prohibit natural gas hookups to homes, commercial construction, residential, and new construction, because consumers have to have a say in this.”
On Wednesday, New York became the first state to ban natural gas after Gov. Hochul struck a budget deal with Democratic supermajorities in the state legislature to prevent all new buildings under seven stories from having gas hookups by 2026.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was one of many Democratic members of Congress who waved away concerns from Republicans that gas stove bans were going to happen.
“MAGA Republicans are trying to distract from real issues Americans want solved—like the debt ceiling—by cooking up a silly, shameless, and desperate narrative that Democrats are coming for your gas stove,” he said on Twitter in February.
Along with fellow New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Schumer voted for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which as of last July had netted $5.9 billion in federal funding to the Empire State, according to a White House fact sheet.
Those funds included a $14.1 million grant for the Long Island MacArthur Airport to upgrade its main terminal to comply with current building codes.
Angelo Roefaro, a spokesman for Schumer, told The Post: “No one is taking away the gas stove you own. MAGA Republicans are trying to distract from real issues Americans want solved—like not defaulting on our debt—by cooking up a silly, false and desperate narrative.”
Gillibrand’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the amendment vote, or New York lawmakers’ move to ban gas stoves.
In a committee debate before the vote, Barrasso expressed concerns that without passage of the amendment the Energy Department would “fund activist groups seeking to restrict the use of natural gas in homes and in commercial buildings.”
But Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) dismissed the concerns, citing support from the American Gas Association for the building code provisions in the bill.
“I would be as concerned as Senator Barrasso if I thought that would happen,” he said at the time.
Manchin and fellow centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) also opposed the Barrasso amendment.
In February, however, Manchin reversed course and blasted the Biden administration for “telling American families how to cook their dinner” — introducing legislation with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to block the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves.
“Simply put, it is not the responsibility of the federal government to decide what kind of stove Americans can have in their kitchens,” the senators said in a joint statement.
“We have heard from many of our constituents who are now suddenly, and rightfully, concerned about the future of gas stoves.”
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Senate Democrats voted in 2021 against prohibiting gas stove bans - New York Post
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