U. S. Senators Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe today asked President George W. Bush to provide an additional $200 million in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program. In a letter to the President, Senator Snowe and Collins requested the White House make contingency funds available to meet the increased energy demands of states affected by the recent abnormally cold weather.
“The frigid weather that has gripped much of the United States over the past month has resulted in a shortfall of funds for many states and many families who depend on LIHEAP assistance to heat their homes during the winter,” Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement. “We have long fought to ensure no family in Maine, or anywhere in the United States, would be forced to choose between heat and other life necessities. The significant strain the recent extended cold wave has placed on many states’ LIHEAP funding is further evidence that the federal government should increase annual funding for this vital program.”
The following is text of the letter sent to President Bush today:
The President
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
We urge you to immediately release $200 million which is available in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) emergency contingency fund.
The release of LIHEAP contingency funds is needed to help states meet additional energy-related needs resulting from the extended arctic cold wave which has covered much of the nation during the past several days, causing temperatures in some regions to dip to forty-two degrees below zero. At least nine deaths spread over five states have been attributed to the surge of cold weather.
Between FY 2005 and FY 2006 the number of households receiving heating assistance increased from 5.1 million to 5.7 million. Preliminary reports from state officials suggest that the number of households applying for energy assistance for FY 2007 is likely to remain at FY 2006 levels. However, as a result of the recent surge of cold weather, several states across the Union are already running out of funds. These states have few or no funds remaining to address crises conditions and the situation is expected to get considerably worse in the next few weeks.
No family in our nation should be forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table for their children. No senior citizen should have to decide between buying life-saving prescriptions and paying utility bills. We urge you to immediately release the remaining balance of funds in the LIHEAP contingency fund.
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