EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is pressing a left-wing environmental group and a consumer advocacy organization for answers in connection to a payment totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars for anti-gas stoves research that is linked to the Biden administration's proposed crackdown
As part of a $375,000 grant in 2021 earmarked for "gas stoves and indoor air quality," Climate Imperative Foundation helped fund an Oct. 4, 2022, article that linked gas stoves to childhood asthma, tax forms show. Now, Cruz is demanding answers from both CIF and Consumer Reports, the product tester that published the article and was separately cited by Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in an Oct. 25 memo that proposed a gas stoves ban, according to Thursday letters obtained by the Washington Examiner.
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"CPSC’s blind reliance on Consumer Reports’ gas stove pieces to support potential rulemaking is troubling," Cruz wrote in his letters. "It suggests that activist organizations may be coordinating with the Biden administration to eliminate fossil fuel use without authorization from Congress."
Republicans have continued to scrutinize the Biden administration over proposals to restrict gas stoves in order to purportedly fight climate change. Trumka claimed in January that CPSC was mulling a gas stoves ban, Bloomberg News reported. The Energy Department is accepting public comment until April 3 for a proposed rule that would place restrictions on gas stoves in households across the United States, records show.
Trumka's October memo cited a Jan. 13 article titled "Pros and Cons of Induction Cooktops and Ranges," which in turn links to a Jan. 12 article titled "Induction Cooktops and Ranges Are So Good You May Not Miss Your Gas Appliance." The article published on Jan. 12 links to the CIF-backed Oct. 4, 2022 report titled, "Is Your Gas Range a Health Risk?"
In addition, Trumka's memo cited an April 2022 “Emissions in the Kitchen” report by New York University Law School's Institute for Public Integrity, which detailed the alleged "dangers of gas stove emissions." CIF granted $230,000 in 2021 to the law school for a "US buildings initiative," tax forms show.
In his letters, Cruz asked Consumer Reports and CIF whether any of its personnel have discussed gas stoves with the CPSC, White House, or anyone in the Biden administration. He singled out Wang Yi, who CIF has listed as an adviser and also serves in China's legislature. From 2013 to 2022, Yi was the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, a role overseeing the country's foreign affairs.
"What makes all this even more concerning is CIF’s reported close ties to the Chinese communist government," wrote Cruz in his letter to CIF.
READ THE LETTER TO CLIMATE IMPERATIVE FOUNDATION
The senator wants to know whether CIF is aware of how else its $375,000 grant has been used and if Consumer Reports has received more CIF funding beyond that. He listed a variety of grant questions to the green energy group relating to whether it reviewed research or testing performed by Consumer Reports, if it made any edits, or signed off on the final publication of the October report.
Cruz's letter to CIF also took aim over its $300,000 grant in 2021 to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, a group that has called for "ending our reliance on fossil fuels."
During a December 2022 webinar that the group hosted, Trumka said, “we need to be talking about regulating gas stoves, whether that is drastically improving emissions or banning gas stoves entirely. And I think we ought to keep that possibility of a ban in mind as we follow along because it’s a powerful tool in our toolbox [and] it’s a real possibility," according to Cruz.
The Republican also asked for documents related to CIF's over $2 million grants between 2020 and 2021 to Rocky Mountain Institute, a green energy group that funded a December 2022 study linking gas stoves to childhood asthma. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm promoted the study on Twitter in January.
"We can and must FIX this," tweeted Granholm. "Through ' Inflation Reduction Act, Americans will have greater access to Electric and Induction Cooktops: Keeps pollution out of the home. Cooks food faster. Helps families save money."
READ THE LETTER TO CONSUMER REPORTS
Cruz's Thursday letters come after he demanded Trumka and CPSC Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric on Wednesday preserve records related to the potential regulation of gas stoves.
The senator sent a separate letter on Wednesday asking for records from Rewiring America, a nonprofit group that now counts failed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as senior counsel, and has been tied to the December research promoted by Granholm linking gas stoves to childhood asthma. Rewiring America's research associate, Talor Gruenwald, co-authored the study.
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"How appropriate that Rewiring America, famous for pushing shaky 'science' and enriching its leaders, would hire Stacey Abrams," Scott Walter, president of Capital Research Center, a conservative investigative think tank, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.
Consumer Reports and Climate Imperative Foundation did not reply to requests for comment.