The latest right-wing panic? Joe Biden is coming for your ceiling fans!

Kelly McClure

SALON

Fri, August 25, 2023

Photo by Gado/Getty Images

Much like any attempt to tighten up gun safety policies (or gas stoves, for that matter) tends to lead to a "MY COLD DEAD HANDS!" panic, news that the U.S. Department of Energy is proposing a new rule that would make ceiling fans more energy efficient is sending right-wingers into a flurry of heated emotion — with Joe Biden as the first choice for where to hurl the blame.

As Newsweek points out in their coverage of this, using intel from a DOE spokesperson, "These proposed standards, which are required by Congress [and] wouldn't take effect until 2028, would give Americans more energy efficient options to choose from, and would save hardworking taxpayers up to $369 million per year, while substantially reducing harmful air pollution—a crucial fact that some have conveniently failed to mention." They add that, "Biden has made climate change and the green energy transition a massive focus of his administration by passing laws like the Inflation Reduction Act . . . and has also has taken smaller steps to reduce the nation's carbon footprint as well, such as establishing stricter regulations for gas stoves and dishwashers." And while none of this accurately translates to him personally ripping appliances out of the wall, the intent here does not compute for a certain faction of the population. Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson is a good example of this, expressing his all-caps concern to social media on Friday with the message: "GET YOUR FILTHY TYRANT HANDS OFF OF MY CEILING FANS!!"

According to a proposed rule from the DOE published on June 22, "DOE's analyses indicate that the proposed energy conservation standards for ceiling fans would save a significant amount of energy." Where's the issue? Well, another Congressman, Ben Cline from Virginia, will present you with one, adding his own take on the matter: "First, they went after your car. Then, they targeted your gas stoves. Now, they are coming for your ceiling fans. America will continue to reject the Biden Climate Police's authoritarianism." Wait till these men learn about sunscreen! In the wake of that event, Biden could very well be accused of coming for the sun.