The House was preparing to vote on the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act and Save Our Gas Stoves Act, which would prohibit the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Department of Energy from moving to ban gas stoves. Freedom Caucus members effectively blocked the bills when they opposed a procedural vote that would have allowed the lower chamber to move to a full vote on the legislation.

Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, one of the Republicans who voted against the rule, told reporters that the move was retaliation for threats House leadership made against Republican Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde. Clyde has alleged that GOP leadership promised to tank his bill repealing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ regulations on pistol braces in response to his vote against a rule that brought the debt ceiling bill to the House floor.

[Meh. Maybe everyone needs to calm down and get back to business. The CPSC rule on gas appliances needs to get blocked more than Rep. Clyde needs to get payback. Maybe they should focus on the voters a little more than themselves. — Ed]