Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006

TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE JUDICIARY, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006 -- (Senate - October 19, 2005)

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Mr. REED. Madam President, the topic of this amendment is increasing the funds available for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP. We are about to see a second tidal surge from Katrina and Rita; it is not rising waters, it is rising energy prices, and those rising prices are going to break with ferocity on people all over this country, particularly those individuals who live in States that are going to see a cold winter, which is beginning shortly. Low-income Americans are going to be faced with extraordinary challenges in meeting their energy bills this winter.

We have already seen huge increases in prices of heating oil, natural gas, and propane. We understand, without some further assistance, we will be in a very precarious position, and these families will be in a distressed position. I particularly thank Senator Collins, Senator Snowe, Senator Coleman, and Senator Smith for their bipartisan leadership on this amendment--particularly Senator Collins--for joining me in this effort. She has been a stalwart over several Congresses with respect to supporting the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

We are reaching across the aisle and across the country to provide more assistance to the LIHEAP program. We offer this amendment with 30 cosponsors. It is bipartisan, stretching across the length and breadth of this country. It seeks to add $3.1 billion to the HUD appropriations bill in emergency energy assistance.

Energy costs for the average family using heating oil are estimated to hit $1,577 this winter, an increase of $378 over last winter's heating season. For families using natural gas, prices could hit $1,099 this winter heating season, an increase of $354. Families using propane can see heating costs on average this heating season to be approximately $1,400. That is another increase of $300. For families living in poverty, energy bills now are approximately 20 percent of their income compared to 5 percent for other households. Unless we take action now, we are going to see families in this country, low-income working families, families struggling with the issue of poverty, seniors who are living on fixed incomes being devastated.

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