"Mr. President, I am very pleased to join with my colleague and friend from Rhode Island, Senator Reed, in offering an amendment that would increase funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, commonly known as LIHEAP, by $2.9 billion.
"I would like to begin by thanking the manager of this bill, Senator Specter, for his strong commitment to the LIHEAP program. Despite difficult budgetary constraints, the Chairman has found an additional $200 million in LIHEAP funding above the Administration''s request, bringing the total to roughly $2.2 billion.
"Unfortunately, even with this additional funding, we are still far short of the amount of funds that are both needed and authorized. Just two months ago the President signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This law, which passed the Senate overwhelmingly, authorizes $5.1 billion for the LIHEAP program for FY 2006. Our amendment would increase LIHEAP funding to the fully authorized level.
"Mr. President, our nation has now been struck by three extremely powerful hurricanes in as many months. While these hurricanes were devastating to the people of Florida and the Gulf Coast, they have also had a major impact on the rest of the nation. Just as the nation should be building oil supplies for the winter heating season, these hurricanes have disrupted our already strained supplies and sent both heating oil and gasoline prices to painfully high levels.
"While high energy prices have been challenging for almost all Americans, they impose an especially difficult burden on low-income families and on the elderly living on limited incomes. Low-income families spend a greater percentage of their incomes on energy and have fewer options available when energy prices soar. High energy prices can even cause families to choose between keeping the heat on, putting food on the table, or paying for much-needed prescription medicine. Mr. President, these are choices that no American family should ever have to make.
"Mr. President, I believe our amendment reflects a realistic appraisal of the needs for more assistance in this program. Let me describe the situation that we are facing in my home state. While the official start of winter is still two months away, temperatures have already fallen below freezing in much of Maine. In Maine, 78% of households use home heating oil to heat their homes. Currently, the cost of home heating oil is roughly $2.50 per gallon, some $.60 above last year''s already inflated prices. These high prices greatly increase the need for assistance, and at least 3000 additional Mainers are expected to apply for LIHEAP funding this year. With more people in need of assistance, the benefit is expected to fall by roughly 10%, to $440 per qualifying household. Unfortunately, at today''s high prices, $440 is only enough to purchase 173 gallons of oil -- far below last year''s equivalent benefit of 251 gallons and not nearly enough to get through even a small portion of a Maine winter. With rising prices and falling benefits, we have a problem. Just to purchase the same amount of oil this year as last year, Maine would need an additional $10.8 million in LIHEAP funds.
"With winter fast approaching and energy prices soaring, home heating bills are set to pound family budgets mercilessly. For low income families, LIHEAP funds can be the factor that prevents families from having to choose between turning off the heat or putting food on the table. I call on my colleagues to support our amendment to fully fund the LIHEAP program."
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