U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today cosponsored an amendment introduced by Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) to the 2007 Farm Bill which would eliminate the new, mandatory $5.1 billion five-year agriculture disaster trust fund, and instead provide nearly $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The remainder of the savings achieved by eliminating the trust fund, which totals more than $4 billion, would be directed to reduce the national deficit. The amendment was also cosponsored by Senator John Sununu (R-NH).
“The LIHEAP program is in a desperate funding situation and I remain committed to raising this issue in every possible capacity,” said Senator Snowe. “Currently, our heating situation is in a crisis and the federal government’s priorities need to be reflective of this emergency. Heating is not a luxury; it is a basic necessity and we must recalibrate our funding allocations to mitigate the increase in energy costs.”
Senator Collins stated, “It is critical that Congress direct funds to low-income families and the elderly who need immediate help heating their homes. So many Maine families are currently struggling with the high cost of energy and are worried about being able to afford to stay warm this winter. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to provide additional funding for the LIHEAP program in order to help our neediest families overcome this energy emergency.”
Senator Gregg stated, “With home heating costs at a record high, LIHEAP is an important program which provides federal heating assistance to those in need. It is critical that we act now, so that low-income families and seniors can afford to heat their homes this winter. This amendment takes a more fiscally responsible approach to funding this important program by eliminating what basically amounts to a slush fund, money that is guaranteed to be spent every year on agriculture whether there is a real emergency or not. By passing this amendment we can ensure that those in need stay warm this winter, but also pay for such assistance in a way that is more taxpayer friendly than giving another wasteful handout to the agriculture industry.”
Senator Sununu stated, “This fuel assistance is essential to thousands of families across New Hampshire. It helps to ensure that they have the resources to stay warm in their homes during the winter months. There’s absolutely no reason why Congress can’t find the money to help those most in need across the nation. I have strongly supported LIHEAP since I came to Congress in 1997 and continue that commitment today through my support of Senator Gregg’s amendment.”