Increased Funding for LIHEAP Needed

INCREASED FUNDING FOR LIHEAP NEEDED -- (House of Representatives - October 20, 2005)

(Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to a problem that many Americans are facing as we approach winter: the cost of heating their homes.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently projected that the cost of heating a home this winter, regardless of the type of fuel, will increase dramatically from last year. In order to counteract this dramatic spike in energy costs, we need to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. It is a tremendously successful program that enables States to provide low-income families with energy assistance.

In my State of New Hampshire, LIHEAP funding helps people afford to heat their homes and not have to make the difficult choices of paying their rent, of buying food and medications, or keeping their homes warm.

In order to simply meet last year's purchasing power, we must increase LIHEAP funding by $1.276 billion. This is an issue that crosses State and party lines and one that needs to be addressed immediately.

Mr. Speaker, let us act today to increase this funding before Hurricane Katrina claims more victims this winter.

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