Sanders Leads Bipartisan Coalition in Calling for Emergency LIHEAP Funding Targeted To Northern States

Sanders Leads Bipartisan Coalition in Calling for Emergency LIHEAP Funding Targeted To Northern States
1/24/2006

Burlington, VT - Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today sent a letter, signed by a coalition totaling 83 House members, calling on President Bush to release additional emergency Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding targeted to northern states most in need of heating assistance. The letter is in response to the Bush Administration's recent decision to release a portion of emergency LIHEAP funding using a formula that distributes funds throughout the country, rather than targeting the cold-weather states that are most in need. The signees on Sanders' letter include twenty-two Republican and sixty Democratic members.

Sanders said, "We call it emergency LIHEAP funding because it's supposed to help deal with emergency situations - whether it is a dramatic price spike in home heating oil in the Northeast during the winter, or a major heat wave in the South during the summer. Clearly, the emergency at this time is the fact that cold weather states are seeing a huge spike in home heating oil prices and funding should be distributed accordingly."

Earlier this month, the Bush Administration released roughly half of the $200 million in emergency LIHEAP funding at its disposal. But, instead of targeting this emergency funding to cold weather states, the Administration chose to distribute this funding based on the overall population of each state plus the percentage of low-income households using heating oil and natural gas. This negatively impacted cold-weather states, which received less money than they should have. The coalition's letter urges the President to release the remaining $101 million as soon as possible with a sensible formula that targets the regions of the United States that are most in need.

The letter also urges the Administration to ask Congress for an increase in LIHEAP funding in order to keep pace with skyrocketing fuel costs. Before Congress adjourned last month, LIHEAP was on-track to receive a $2 billion increase in funding, but at the last minute the Republican leadership chose instead to level-fund this program in retaliation for the defeat of controversial provisions that would have opened up the Alaskan wilderness to oil drilling.

Sanders said, "I will continue to do everything I can to make sure that no one in Vermont has to make the unacceptable choice of heating their homes or feeding their families. It is critical that the Republican leadership restores funding to LIHEAP and the Administration releases additional emergency LIHEAP funding to those that need it most.

Congressman Sanders is also currently in negotiations with the Venezuelan government and Citgo oil company to bring discounted home heating oil into Vermont. The deal, which Sanders expects to announce shortly, will provide millions of dollars worth of discounted heating oil to Vermonters.

http://bernie.house.gov/documents/document.asp?issueNum=4743