This morning, Congresswoman Annie Kuster renewed her call on Congress and the President to support funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP provides low-income households with heating assistance to help ensure they have access to heat during the cold winter months. This program is crucial for many seniors, families with young children, and individuals with disabilities across the state. Last month, Kuster joined Congressmen Peter Welch (D-VT) and Peter King (R-NY) in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to increase funding for the program in his fiscal year 2016 budget.
"LIHEAP provides heating assistance for some of New Hampshire's most vulnerable citizens, and failing to adequately fund the program puts many of these Granite Staters at extreme risk," said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. "We must ensure every Granite Stater stays warm during the freezing winter months, and I was proud to join my colleagues across the aisle in urging for increased funding for this vital program. I urge every Member of Congress to work together to ensure this program receives the support it needs."
Kuster has demonstrated a long history of support for the LIHEAP program; during the winter of 2013, she brought together members of the community during a visit to Southwestern Community Services in Keene to highlight the extreme importance of the program to New Hampshire residents. LIHEAP funding in New Hampshire has fallen every year since 2008, with its steepest cuts taking place in 2013 due to sequestration. Kuster has repeatedly called on Congress to permanently end the sequester, which threatens programs like this one, and she has continued to fight for LIHEAP funding throughout her time in office.