By Ivan Brandon, National Fuel Funds Network
Washington, DC (12/13/11) -- Governors and Lt. Governors from New England today urged Congress move quickly to provide adequate funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The state leaders said major funding cuts to the federal energy assistance program would create a “crisis” for cold weather states.
Speaking during a media conference call arranged by the American Gas Association, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, Massachusetts Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, Connecticut Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, and an advisor to Maine Governor Paul LePage all called for immediate action by Congress.
Peter Shumlin said we “need Congress to act this week to appropriate funds for LIHEAP.” He described proposed reductions in LIHEAP funding as “inhumane and unacceptable.”
A continuing resolution providing temporarily funding for LIHEAP is scheduled to expire Friday and today Congress is expected to begin consideration of legislation funding the program and other government departments for the rest of the fiscal year.
Last year, LIHEAP received $4.7 billion in funding but this year’s appropriation is expected to be considerably less. President Obama requested $1.9 billion for LIHEAP while the Senate version of the appropriations bill provides $3.6 billion and the House bill contains $3.39 billion.
The state government leaders speaking on the conference call urged Congress to pass the Senate version of the bill. Gov. Shumlin said Congress “must pass” the Senate version. The governor pointed out that home heating oil, the most commonly used source for home heating in Vermont, currently costs $4 a gallon and LIHEAP assistance grants will only cover the cost of a half tank of oil.
Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee called for swift action by the Congress. The governor said there are many elderly residents in his state living off of incomes between $11,000 and $21,000 a year. “We have to look after those most in need,” Chafee said.
Connecticut Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said “cold homes are unacceptable” adding that senior citizens and the families of service men are being affected by the loss of LIHEAP funds. She said 600 servicemen from her state will be deploying to Afghanistan in the coming months and “they don’t need to be worrying about whether their families are able to keep warm this winter.”
An advisor to Maine Governor Paul LePage called for “quick action” by Congress. He said 65,000 households received assistance through LIHEAP last year but added that the amount of the assistance grants this year would be reduced by one third because of the funding cuts. He urged that LIHEAP be funded at the “highest level possible.”
American Gas Association President and CEO David McCurdy released the results of a study showing that one out of every five natural gas customers are behind on their payments. The study also showed that disconnections were down by 9 percent compared to last year. McCurdy said the reduced number of disconnections demonstrates the importance of LIHEAP. The survey is available on the AGA website at http://www.aga.org/our-issues/liheap/Documents/Fall%202011%20Write%20Up%20-%20arrearages%20NR.pdf.
Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, told the media that a recent survey of LIHEAP recipients found that the number of recipient households containing at least one veteran has increased to 20 percent. The NEADA survey can be viewed at http://www.neada.org/communications/press/LIHEAP%20Veteran%20Study%20V3%20doc.pdf.
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