House Passes Major Funding Bill

Press Release

House Passes Major Funding Bill

Hodes votes for increased funding for LIHEAP and historic benefit increases for veterans

Late Monday evening, Congressman Hodes voted in support of the Omnibus Appropriations bill, end-of-year legislation which includes most discretionary funding for the federal government and which this year makes key investments in New Hampshire. This legislation was approved by a vote of 253-154. It includes additional funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and historic funding increases for our veterans.

The bill adds over $400 million to LIHEAP, which is known as the Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) in New Hampshire, to help low-income families and seniors to cope with an anticipated cold winter along with a major jump in home heating prices. LIHEAP, or FAP, provides thousands of income-eligible households with assistance in paying their energy bills during the winter heating season and prioritizes households where elderly, disabled persons and/or young children reside.

"For months, I have been working with a bipartisan group of my colleagues to fight for more support for home heating assistance in New Hampshire," Congressman Hodes said. "No Granite State family should have to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table. All New Hampshire families deserve to stay warm this winter."

In November, Congressman Hodes and several other members of Congress sent a letter to President Bush urging him to release $20 million in funding nationwide for LIHEAP. Hodes sent another letter to the Administration in September urging that emergency LIHEAP funds be released specifically to New Hampshire. After Hodes' repeated urgings, $3.2 million was finally released directly to the Granite State.

Congressman Hodes also voted tonight to provide historic increases in veterans' health care and benefits. This legislation provides the largest single overall increase in the history of the Veterans Administration (VA). It also includes a record increase specifically for VA health care, which will go to treat 5.8 million patients, including about 263,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

"Our brave service members have gone above and beyond in answering our nation's call," Congressman Hodes said. "This bill honors their service and their sacrifice with more than just words: it makes a real, historic commitment to giving them the care, benefits, and respect they have earned."

The bill increases funds for treatment of mental health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for veterans. This funding is crucial because one-third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan face mental health challenges, and up to 300,000 returning troops are expected to suffer from TBI.

Other key areas of investment in this bill include:

* Health Care Access: Provides $6.9 billion, $1 billion above the President's request, making targeted increases to programs like Community Health Centers to provide more underinsured Americans with access to health care.
* State and Local Law Enforcement: Provides $2.7 billion, $1.2 billion above the President's request, to help local communities across the country.
* Student Aid: Provides $14.2 billion, $1.7 billion above the President's request, for Pell Grants and other student aid programs.
* Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency: Provides $1.7 billion, $486 million above the President's request, for critical investments in Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Biofuels, and Energy Efficiency.

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