Cantwell Disappointed in Senate's Failure to Increase Heating Assistance Funding, Vows to Continue Fight
Cantwell Disappointed in Senate's Failure to Increase Heating Assistance Funding, Vows to Continue Fight
Seventy-six percent of Washington's poor left in the cold last year
DC - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) expressed disappointment at the Senate's failure Thursday to add $3.1 billion to an emergency federal heating assistance program to help the elderly, low-income families, and disabled individuals pay their heating bills this winter.
"Right now, 76 percent of eligible recipients in Washingtonian aren't getting any help," Cantwell said. "It is imperative that we pass additional funding for home heating assistance. Families should not be forced to choice between heating, eating, and caring for their health. America can do better."
Cantwell joined Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to push for the additional funds. The amendment, introduced Thursday to the Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (TTHUD) appropriations bill, would have provided an additional $3.1 billion in emergency funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The $3.1 billion was in addition to $2 billion called for by the President.
With consumers expected to spend 32 percent more for heating oil, 48 percent more for natural gas, and 30 percent more for propane, the burden could financially wipe out many families and elderly individuals this winter unless LIHEAP is able to provide additional funds.
"What we're trying to do here would help an additional 36,000 Washingtonians during this time of high energy costs so that local LIHEAP providers don't have to struggle with the impossible choice of kicking people off the program or providing less help to current recipients," said Cantwell. "As energy costs skyrocket, we cannot leave seniors, the disabled, and the low income out in the cold in what is going to be a very cold winter."
Last year, the Washington state LIHEAP program received $41.6 million to help the state's poor handle their energy bills. With those funds, energy assistance was provided to 72,000 householdsroughly 24 percent of the state's eligible population. If Cantwell's amendment had passed the Senate, it is estimated that the state's LIHEAP program would have $60 million in its budget, allowing them to provide assistance for another 36,000 households this winter. After the Senate's vote, Cantwell vowed to continue the fight to bring heating assistance to those in need.
LIHEAP is a federal block grant program that provides states with annual funding to operate home energy assistance programs for low-income households. In addition to helping to pay energy bills for low-income families and the elderly, LIHEAP helps to fund energy crisis intervention programs, low-cost residential weatherization, and other energy-related home repairs.
http://cantwell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=247491&&