House passes Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act in bipartisan vote

The House of Representatives passed the "Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act" on Tuesday, with all Republicans approving the legislation, along with seven Democrats.

The bill, which was introduced by Arizona Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko, "modifies the process by which the Department of Energy (DOE) amends, revokes, or implements energy conservation standards for certain consumer products (other than automobiles), such as household appliances," according to an official summary of the legislation.

The legislation was introduced after the Biden Administration's Energy Department proposed a rule that would have led to a ban on the sale of about half of the gas stoves currently on the market.

"My constituents in the north and northwest valley of Maricopa County, Arizona, do not want this government interference in their homes and lives," Lesko told reporters on Tuesday, per Fox News. "I know that millions of Americans around the country feel the same way."

Lesko said she was "saddened" that the bill was necessary in a statement, and slammed the Biden administration for imposing new regulations on common appliances. The bill, if passed by the Senate, would force the DOE to consider the cost-effectiveness of new policies, such as how updates affecting home appliances would hit low-income families.

"No government bureaucrat should ever scheme to take away Americans’ appliances in the name of a radical environmental agenda," Lesko added.

The House previously passed Lesko's "Save Our Gas Stoves Act " last year, which attempted to block the DOE from implementing a proposed efficiency standard for gas cooking products, but it never received a vote in the Democrat-led Senate.