Schumer Calls on President to Release Remaining LIHEAP Funding
SCHUMER CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO RELEASE REMAINING LIHEAP FUNDING
NYS Is Running Low On Funds And Applications For Assistance Are Up
Schumer: Nobody Should Have To Choose Between Putting Food On The Table and Heating Their Home
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the President to release the remaining $101.5 million in LIHEAP funding. New York is close to exhausting their program funds for the regular winter heating season and the high energy burden facing low-income households and cold weather in many parts of the country warrant the immediate release
This winter Schumer led a bipartisan campaign for an additional $2.92 billion for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as part of an emergency spending bill. Schumer, joining a coalition of Democratic and Republican Senators urged, the Senate Leadership to take immediate action on the emergency designation funding. So far New York State has received approximately $263 million in LIHEAP funds. The Energy Information Agency forecasts that households heating with natural gas will experience an average increase of 35 percent over last winter. Households heating with oil will see an increase of 23 percent, and households using propane can expect an increase of 17 percent.
"Families and seniors in New York State need help from the federal government to heat their homes now," Schumer said. "With energy prices out of control, we have to help people pay for soaring heating costs. More people then ever are likely to qualify for LIHEAP assistance this winter and beyond, and we need additional funds so everyone who needs help will be able to receive assistance. Nobody should have to choose between putting food on the table and heating their homes."
Schumer has been a leader of a bipartisan push to expand LIHEAP funding in Congress. In fact, last year Schumer co-sponsored a bipartisan Senate measure to provide $2.92 billion for LIHEAP offset by placing a tax on the windfall profits of integrated oil companies. This would be a very small percentage of oil company profits.
In a bipartisan letter to President Bush, Senator Schumer and other wrote, "Contributing to the increase in demand for LIHEAP assistance are high energy prices that threaten to overcome low-income families, many of which include individuals with disabilities or senior citizens living on fixed incomes To quote the Energy Information Administration, Should colder-than-normal weather occur for the remainder of the heating season, expenditures could be significantly higher than currently projected.'"
In 2003, 750,000 New Yorkers received LIHEAP funding. These funds help LIHEAP recipients cover the gap between their existing LIHEAP benefit and their projected high heating bills. The New York State Public Service Commission recently reported that gas prices will be 35%-45% higher than last year, and that the average consumer in New York uses approximately 90,000 cubic ft of natural gas this winter. While last year's the New York average for natural gas price between October and March was $13.15, this year's could be $18.42. Funding in the budget reconciliation measure is for the FY07 funding cycle.
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/2006/PR78.LIHEAP.022306.html