Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez taunted Republicans Thursday night for their “meltdown” over a report that President Joe Biden was considering banning gas stoves.
“I think it’s funny that there’s such a thing as a total Republican meltdown where they can take my gas stove out of my cold, dead hands,” she said in a video posted to her Instagram Stories.
The White House said Thursday that the president is not considering such a move. The frenzy began after Bloomberg reported Monday that such a ban was on the table, citing Biden-appointed Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., who called the home appliance a “hidden danger” with new research, the gas stoves associated with asthma in children.
Republicans blew up, with some saying the government could take gas stoves “off my cold, dead hands.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocked Republicans for their “collapse” over a report that President Joe Biden was considering banning gas stoves
Ocasio-Cortez defended the science earlier this week, pointing out that “prolonged exposure to NO2 from gas stoves is associated with decreased cognitive performance.”
That prompted Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson to lash out at her — and he shared a photo of New York’s congressmen’s gas stove.
“AOC Says Gas Stoves Cause ‘Reduced Cognitive Performance’ – Yet Does She Use a Gas Stove? Is that a self-diagnosis?’ Jackson tweeted. “AOC, as a doctor, I can tell you this: What’s wrong with your head is NOT caused by stoves. Something MUCH BIGGER is causing your decreased cognitive function!’
Ocasio-Cortez pushed back on this, noting that she has a gas stove because she rents an apartment.
‘I rent. Point,” she said on the Instagram story. “There is very worrying scientific evidence about some of the emissions from gas stoves, particularly in relation to young children’s cognitive development, asthma, cancer, etc.”
She also said there will be no immediate ban on the gas stove.
“This is about deciding what can be sold in the distant future and about regulations. Okay, so everyone lowers the temperature a little bit. No secret government agency will break down your door and take away your gas stove,” she added.
Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson said the federal government needs to “pry his gas stove out of my cold, dead hands.”
When Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that “continuous exposure to NO2 from gas stoves is associated with decreased cognitive performance,” Jackson hit out at her — and shared a photo of the New York congressmen’s gas stove
Additionally, some Republicans referenced a 2020 tweet in which Dr. Jill Biden cooks vegetables over gas.
“Rules for you but not for me,” Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz tweeted, sharing the picture of the first lady.
Jackson, a former White House physician, said he would rather die than electrocook.
“I will NEVER give up my gas stove. When the maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can snatch it from my cold, dead hands. COME AND TAKE IT!!’ Jackson said.
Jackson even went so far as to set up a URL – SaveTheStoves.com – that links to a WinRed fundraising page that asks visitors to sign a petition but also signs them up for texts and calls from Jackson’s congressional campaign.
“We can’t let the crazies in the White House get away with this! Add your name to the official petition now to save our ovens!’ says the website.
Four out of ten American homes have a natural gas stove.
Even before the White House announced that Biden was not considering a ban, the Consumer Product Safety Commission was already trying to retract Trumka’s comments.
Trumka caused a furore when he described gas stoves as a “hidden danger”.
He added that “every option is on the table” and “products that cannot be made safe can be banned”.
The agency could also choose to set emission standards for gas stoves.
But Trumka went back with his own comments.
“To be clear, CPSC is not coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products,” Trumka tweeted on Monday afternoon.
Alex Hoehn-Saric, the commission’s chairman, reiterated that point Wednesday morning, saying in a statement that the independent agency “does not intend to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no steps to do so.”
“The CPSC researches gas emissions in herds and explores new ways to address health risks. CPSC is also actively involved in strengthening voluntary safety standards for gas stoves. And later this spring we will be asking the public to give us information on emissions from gas stoves and potential solutions to reduce the risks involved,” he said.
A number of Republicans shared this 2020 tweet from First Lady Jill Biden, showing her cooking vegetables over a gas stove
A new study found that around one in eight cases of childhood asthma in the US is due to air pollution from gas stoves.
This puts emissions from gas cooking at the same asthma risk level as inhaling secondhand smoke.
Asthma affects about six million children in the United States each year, and nearly 13 percent of them get it from inhaling the myriad of toxins that gas stoves emit every day.