Pallone Floor Remarks in Opposition to H.R. 1615

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, on the House floor today in opposition to H.R. 1615, the so-called Gas Stoves Protection Act:

I rise to speak in strong opposition to H.R. 1615.

This bill is an attempt to deliberately mislead the American people into thinking that they are at risk of losing their gas stoves. Let me be emphatically clear – the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is NOT planning to ban gas stoves. The idea that anyone is coming into American homes to forcibly remove gas stoves is ridiculous. But these facts have not stopped supporters of this bill from touting this false narrative to scare consumers and proposing legislation, like this bill, that will have detrimental impacts on our constituents' health and safety.

By limiting the tools that the CPSC can use to protect consumers, H.R. 1615 puts politics over people and consumer safety. It puts slogans over science-based policy decision making.

The CPSC is an independent federal agency with a long history of identifying and protecting children and adults from a wide range of products that are hazardous, or that pose a risk of serious injury or death. The CPSC carries out its mission in numerous ways. It investigates safety allegations and recalls dangerous products to keep dangerous products off the market. It also works with industry to develop voluntary product safety standards. And it issues and enforces mandatory standards for hazardous products so that it can ensure that these products are no longer dangerous for consumers.

In recent years, the CPSC has removed hazardous infant sleeping products from the market. It has adopted corded window coverings to protect children from strangulation. And it has worked with industry to reduce the risk of fires from hoverboards and scooters. The CPSC's work saves lives by protecting consumers, in many instances children, from dangerous products.

H.R. 1615 is dangerous legislation because it will prevent the CPSC from doing its job. Last December, the CPSC issued a recall of a gas stove product that was found to be a serious risk of injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning. The CPSC was doing its job and recalling a dangerous product. H.R. 1615 would prohibit the CPSC from using its rulemaking authority to ban all such hazardous products, which could endanger the lives of any American who has that dangerous product in their home. Imagine that – the CPSC determines that a product is dangerous but is prevented by this legislation from banning that product.

Each and every American benefits from the work done by the CPSC and it would be unconscionable to weaken the Commission's authority over a manufactured crisis.

This bill sets a dangerous precedent of stifling scientific investigation into health hazards and limiting the CPSC's authority to keep our children safe. Instead of taking actions to limit CPSC's authority, we should encourage their work to explore allegations that consumer products put our children's health and safety at risk. We should give the CPSC all the tools they need, not eliminate the tools they currently have to address health and safety risks as they arise.

American consumers should be confident that the products in their homes are not compromising their or their children's health and safety. They should also have peace of mind that products they are looking to buy on the market will not harm them or their children. This legislation ties the hands of the CPSC and therefore puts the lives of all Americans at risk. I urge my colleagues to vote no on H.R. 1615. We must protect the authority of the Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect the health and safety of America's children.