Congress Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2009
Floor Speech
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 -- (Senate - March 13, 2008)
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Mr. REED. Mr. President, my amendment would increase LIHEAP funding by an additional $2.6 billion to bring it up to the fully authorized amount.
I call up amendment No. 4154.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Rhode Island [Mr. Reed], for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Obama, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Sununu, and Mr. Whitehouse, proposes an amendment numbered 4154.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To reduce the energy burden of low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities by increasing funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) by $2.6 billion in FY 2009)
On page 19, line 16, increase the amount by $2,600,000,000.
On page 19, line 17, increase the amount by $1,820,000,000.
On page 19, line 21, increase the amount by $728,000,000.
On page 19, line 25, increase the amount by $52,000,000.
On page 27, line 16, decrease the amount by $2,600,000,000.
On page 27, line 17, decrease the amount by $1,820,000,000.
On page 27, line 21, decrease the amount by $728,000,000.
On page 27, line 25, decrease the amount by $52,000,000.
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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I, too, urge adoption of this amendment. This has been a very hard winter in the Northeast, with extreme cold and very high prices. We can make a big difference by increasing this account to bring it to the authorized level. In my State of Maine, the last allocation was used up in a matter of 4 days.
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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, there has been an alarming increase in the diagnosis of autism in this country. Back in the 1980s, it was 1 in 2,500 children. As the Senator from Connecticut has indicated, the current statistics are 1 in 150. That means that some 1.5 million children and their families are coping with this disease. This is an area where more research can make a tremendous difference. I urge adoption of the Dodd-Collins amendment.
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