3/1 - KENNEDY, COLLEAGUES CALL ON PRESIDENT BUSH TO RELEASE EMERGENCY LIH

[Mass]

http://www.senatedemocrats.net/node/515

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Laura Capps/ Melissa Wagoner
March 1,

KENNEDY, COLLEAGUES CALL ON PRESIDENT BUSH TO RELEASE EMERGENCY LIHEAP FUNDS


Washington, D.C. -- Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and colleagues sent the following letter to the President requesting the release of the remaining $101.5 million available in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund. These funds are released or withheld at the discretion of the President. Soaring home heating costs and insufficient funds for LIHEAP have created an emergency situation for families across the country. These contingency funds are necessary to keep the heat on in low-income households.

Senator Kennedy said, “Countless families across the country can’t afford to keep their heat on any longer. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, Massachusetts has fully exhausted their LIHEAP funds. Time and time again Democrats have pushed to increase funding for LIHEAP, but the Republican majority has blocked our efforts. As we continue to fight to increase funds for this essential program it’s imperative that the President recognize the crisis facing hard working low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled and release the remaining emergency funds for 2006. The winter is far from over and we can and must do more for our most vulnerable citizens.”

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February 28, 2006


The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500


Dear Mr. President:

Freezing cold temperatures and severe winter weather remain across several parts of the nation at a time when many states have exhausted their program funds for the regular winter heating season. The high energy burden facing low-income households and cold weather in many parts of the country warrant the immediate release of the remaining $101.5 million available in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency funds.

According to a recent report by the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), which represents state LIHEAP directors, 12 states have now run out of program funds for the regular winter heating season: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Rhode Island, and Utah. Other states are reporting that they are running low on funds, and in some cases are turning people away, including Washington, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Wyoming.

Applications for LIHEAP assistance are up 12.3 percent over last year and 5.8 million households are expected to receive assistance, 627,000 more than a year ago. This is the highest level of applications in 12 years. Increases in applications of at least 20 percent are projected by the District of Columbia and 15 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

Contributing to the increase in demand for LIHEAP assistance are high energy prices that threaten to overcome low-income families, many of which include individuals with disabilities or senior citizens living on fixed incomes. According to information released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on February 7, 2006, households heating primarily with natural gas can expect to spend $178, or 24 percent more, for fuel this winter than last winter. Households heating primarily with heating oil can expect to pay $195, or 16 percent, more this winter than last. Households heating primarily with propane can expect to pay $150, or 14 percent, more this winter than last. To quote EIA, “Should colder-than-normal weather occur for the remainder of the heating season, expenditures could be significantly higher than currently projected.”

No family in our nation should be forced to choose between heating their home or putting food on the table for their children. No senior citizen should have to decide between buying life saving prescriptions or paying utility bills. We urge you to immediately release the remaining balance of funds in the LIHEAP contingency fund.


Respectfully,

Jack Reed Susan M. Collins Edward M. Kennedy Arlen Specter Tom Harkin Maria Cantwell
Olympia Snowe Norm Coleman Robert Menendez Mike DeWine Lincoln Chafee John Kerry
Richard G. Lugar Evan Bayh Jeff Bingaman Tim Johnson
Hillary Rodham Clinton James M. Jeffords Frank R. Lautenberg Charles E. Schumer
Patrick Leahy Christopher J. Dodd Joseph I. Lieberman Carl Levin Lisa Murkowski
Barbara Mikulski Herb Kohl Paul Sarbanes Debbie Stabenow Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Barbara Boxer Mark L. Pryor Richard Durbin Byron L. Dorgan
Mark Dayton Russell D. Feingold Barack Obama