Making Available Funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, 2006

MAKING AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR THE LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, 2006

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for yielding.

Mr. President, I have sort of a long history with this program. Years ago on my watch we started this temporary program, this emergency program called LIHEAP, energy assistance. Well, here we are, 10 years later, almost 10, it is still here, and it is growing.

I guess one thing that shocked me, and this is an admission against my interests, when I realized it went from being ``heating'' assistance to being ``heating and air-conditioning'' assistance, I began to think: How far will this go?

I was in the ninth grade before we had air-conditioning, and we survived. We did not suffocate. It was damn hot down there on the Mississippi gulf coast. You could not open your windows because mosquitos would come in because we did not have screens on the windows.

So, now, millions is going into air-conditioning. And then we have heat. What is it we are not going to give people for free? Is there any limit? Is there any limit to the amount of money? I thought we were having global warming. I thought it was a mild winter.

Yes, my bills have gone up. Mine have gone up astronomically in my State because of the disaster.

I thank the Senators from Maine, particularly Senator Snowe, for this not being connected to the flood insurance proposal. Flood insurance is a completely different issue, and because people paid for this coverage, it has already been paid for, they paid the Government for their flood insurance, and now they are going to say: Gee, because the Senate once again does not do its job and is playing games with us, we are not going to get the checks for the coverage we already paid for? I don't understand that.

Second, Senator Coburn and others who are opposed to this LIHEAP proposal have acted responsibly. They could have been obstructionist, the way they have been on other bills around here, to insist on a vote on a motion to proceed. The Senators from Maine are going to make their case. Those who are opposed to it will make our case. We will have a vote. One side or the other will win, and then I recommend we go forward at that point.

I do think if we are going to have this program, we at least need a formula that is a national formula. I do not like the program. I would prefer not a nickel of it go to my State, but I would not be doing my job if I did not insist on a formula that is fair to all of us.

I yield the floor.

http://thomas.loc.gov/