Republicans set fire to admin Biden for meeting with group pushing for gas stove ban: “Globalist Agenda”

Republican lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration for engaging in numerous closed-door meetings between senior officials and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a group advocating a ban on natural gas stoves.

Republicans in both the House and Senate have said the meetings, first reported by Fox News Digital, suggest the administration is working closely with entities intent on harming the US energy sector. They also expressed concern about RMI’s close ties to the Chinese government.

“RMI’s access to the Biden administration and ties to China are worrying,” Rep. Bill Huizenga, of Michigan, tweeted on Saturday. “Their globalist agenda adds to the cost to individuals, families and [small businesses] through [the U.S.] empowering competitors such as [China]. It’s no coincidence.”

He added that the meetings demonstrated the importance of the Energy Obsession Stopping Act, which he introduced with Representative Alex Mooney, RW.Va., in January. The law prohibits federal agencies from banning gas stoves or other gas appliances.

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Huizenga’s comments come after Fox News Digital reported that White House climate czar Ali Zaidi held a private meeting with three senior RMI officials in March 2022, and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm met with former RMI CEO Jules Kortenhorst a year earlier.

RMI is a non-profit organization based in Colorado that works to accelerate the global transition to green energy, in particular by electrifying the entire economy. The group made headlines in early January after funding a study showing that gas stoves pose a public health risk, cited by ban advocates.

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“The Biden administration and liberal dark money groups are working hand in hand to destroy the American energy sector,” added Rep. Gary Palmer, of Alabama. “They want to ban your gas stove, raise your electricity costs and make you dependent on unreliable energy sources. Republicans in Congress won’t let that happen.”

In addition to pushing for the electrification of home appliances, RMI has been criticized for its close ties to Chinese companies.

The group has previously partnered with China’s State Agency for National Development and Reform in exploring zero-emission paths for the country and is a member of the China Clean Transportation Partnership, a green group with close ties to the Chinese government. And RMI board member Wei Ding previously headed China International Capital Corporation, a bank partially owned by the Chinese government.

Rep. Bill Huizenga, D-Michigan, said the Biden administration’s “globalist agenda” is boosting spending by Americans and U.S. small businesses while empowering Chinese competitors. (AP)

“Now the Biden people are using China-backed discussion threads to remove gas stoves – crazy,” Missouri Senator Josh Hawley tweeted.

R-Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt added that “China’s fingerprints seem to be on everything, including our energy policy.”

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“HOLY MOLY! New Energy Department documents show that Jennifer Granholm met with a CCP-affiliated group to strategize to BANN gas stoves,” Rep. Ronnie Jackson of Texas tweeted. “This is unimaginably UN-American. This whole administration is 100% compromised by China! They BELONG to Beijing!!”

In addition, Rep. Tim Wahlberg, Michigan, hinted that Republicans in the House of Representatives may continue to investigate the administration’s collaboration with RMI.

“It is very worrying that we will learn more about the Rocky Mountain Institute and the study that was used to try to ban gas stoves,” he said. “As a member [House Energy and Commerce] Committee, I will demand more transparency about the situation and intentions.”

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm held a private meeting with the CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

In January, shortly after the publication of the RMI-led study, a President Biden-appointed member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission said a ban on gas stoves was under consideration. However, after heavy criticism from industry groups and GOP lawmakers, the White House said it would not support a ban on gas stoves, with Granholm saying the ban would be “ridiculous.”

The Biden administration also downplayed its meetings with RMI officials, saying the meetings did not discuss bans on gas stoves.

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“This meeting was about adding to President Biden’s historic track record of bringing new manufacturing jobs to America and lowering energy costs, not debunking a conspiracy theory,” White House spokesman Abdullah Hassan told Fox News Digital Saturday.

“While cynics try to tell the Zaidi story without a fizz or a steak, he’s working overtime to get the point across – good jobs, cost savings, and a stronger US energy sector than ever before.”

The Department of Energy said Granholm’s meeting with the former RMI CEO focused on infrastructure.