Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006--Continued

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006--Continued -- (Senate - October 25, 2005)

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleague and friend from Rhode Island, Senator Reed, in offering an amendment that would increase funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, commonly known as LIHEAP, by $2.9 billion. I want to begin my remarks by thanking the manager of this bill, Senator Specter, for his strong commitment to the LIHEAP program. Despite difficult budgetary constraints, the chairman has found an additional $200 million in LIHEAP funding above the administration's request, bringing the total to approximately $2.2 billion. I do recognize and very much appreciate that effort.

Unfortunately, even with this additional funding, we are still far short of the amount of funding that is needed for this vital program. Just a few months ago, President Bush signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This law, which passed the Senate with an overwhelming vote, authorizes $5.1 billion for the LIHEAP program for fiscal year 2006. The Reed-Collins amendment would increase LIHEAP funding to the fully authorized level.

Our Nation has now been struck by three extremely powerful hurricanes in as many months. While these hurricanes have been devastating to the people of Florida and the gulf coast, they have also had a major impact on the rest of the Nation. Just as the Nation should be building oil supplies for the winter heating season, these hurricanes have disrupted our already strained supplies and sent the cost of both home heating oil and gasoline, as well as natural gas, to painfully high levels.

While high energy prices pose a challenge for almost all Americans, they impose an especially difficult burden on low-income families and our elderly citizens who are living on limited incomes. Low-income families spend a greater percentage of their incomes on heating their homes, and they have fewer options available as energy prices soar. High energy prices can even cause families to choose between keeping the heat on, putting food on their table, or buying much-needed prescription drugs. In our country, the most prosperous country on Earth, surely no family should have to make such terrible choices.

I believe our amendment reflects a realistic appraisal of the need for more assistance in this program. Let me briefly describe the situation that we are facing in my State of Maine, a State where snow is predicted for later today. While the official start of winter is still 2 months away, temperatures have already fallen below freezing in much of Maine. In Maine, 78 percent of all households use home heating oil to heat their homes. Currently, the cost of home heating oil is approximately $2.50 per gallon, although I recently paid 20 cents more per gallon to fill my tank.

That price, the $2.50 price, is some 60 cents above last year's already high prices. These high prices greatly increase the need for assistance and at least 3,000 additional Mainers are expected to apply for LIHEAP assistance this year. With more people in need of help, the benefit is expected to fall by roughly 10 percent, to about $440 per qualifying household.

Unfortunately, at today's high prices, $440 is only enough to purchase approximately 173 gallons of oil. That is far below last year's equivalent benefit of 251 gallons and not nearly enough, not even close, to what will be needed by these families to get through Maine's winter.

With rising prices and falling benefits, we have a real problem. To purchase the same amount of oil as last year, Maine would need an additional $10.8 million in LIHEAP funding. With winter fast approaching and energy prices soaring, home heating bills are set to pound family budgets mercilessly. For low-income families, LIHEAP funds can be a factor that prevents them from having to choose between turning down the heat to the point where they are at risk for hypothermia or putting food on the table, paying their bills or buying prescription drugs.

Surely we can do better to help those who otherwise will truly suffer during the winter months.

I call upon all of our colleagues to join us in this amendment or surely it will be too late to help those who are going to be in dire straits this winter. Let us act now to provide the funding that is so sorely needed.

I thank the Chair.

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