Congress Approves Funds to Help Thousands of Families Afford Heat this Winter

Statement

Following the advocacy of Senator Jim Webb and other senators, Congress approved a three-month extension of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) this week to assist cash-strapped households with their energy bills. Last Friday, Senator Webb joined 36 of his colleagues in signing a letter to the Senate leadership stressing the importance of including LIHEAP in appropriations funding for next year.

LIHEAP helps low-income households meet their energy costs, intervene in crisis energy situations, and provide cost-effective weatherization and energy efficiency improvements. Virginia's share of the federal funding for FY2011 is $65.5 million. Last year, 191,000 households received assistance through the LIHEAP program.

"For thousands of low-income families across Virginia, home energy costs have increased beyond their ability to keep up," said Webb. "This extension of funding helps ensure they receive the energy assistance they need to make it through the winter."

The three-month extension passed by Congress keeps funding at FY2010 levels, the highest funding level in the history of the program.

Senator Webb has been a strong supporter of the LIHEAP program. In 2007, he fought efforts by the Bush Administration to cut LIHEAP funding in half. In January 2010, during Virginia's coldest winter in recent history, he signed on to a letter to President Obama urging swifter distribution of LIHEAP funds.

Source