John Sarbanes: “I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. Today, we are arguing…”

“I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. Today, we are arguing about a proposed Department of Energy efficiency standard for stoves, not just gas stoves, but every sort of kitchen stove. Let me be clear about what this proposed rule is and what it is not. It is not a ban on any type of appliance. Let me repeat that: It is not a ban on any type of appliance. Instead, it is a well-reasoned proposal to help us save energy and reach our environmental goals, two very important objectives that we need to undertake here in the United States Congress. Since the Energy Policy and Conservation Act was passed in 1975--so this is not something that came out of the ether; it has been around a long time--it has been the Department of Energy's job to put forth efficiency standards for kitchen ranges and ovens and to update them once every 6 years. This is what the Department has done here. In its detailed proposal, the Department of Energy examined its statutory ability to implement the standard, consider its economic impact on manufacturers and on consumers, and calculated the potential energy savings. Our job in Congress, as Congressman Pallone said, is not to be subject matter experts on stoves and cooktop efficiency. Hopefully, we have other things to focus on. Instead, our job is to tell the agencies what their jobs are and set forth the standards by which they should do them.…”