Sequester Budget Cuts Take Bite Out Of Home Heating Oil Assistance

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) announced today that Connecticut is receiving about $4 million less than last year for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This loss in funding is yet another effect of the indiscriminate, deeply harmful budget cuts known as sequestration. The final fiscal year 2013 allocation is just over $76 million, compared to the nearly $80 million Connecticut received for fiscal year 2012.

"Time and again Democrats have warned that the sequester budget cuts are going to hurt Connecticut families. Heating costs may be the last thing on people's minds right now, but winter will come quickly and these cuts will put people at risk of going cold. These cuts are draconian and harm the health and well-being of thousands across the state. Continuing to put people at risk is unacceptable; we have a moral obligation to care for our most vulnerable citizens. That means fully funding LIHEAP."

DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers LIHEAP. Before the sequester cuts even took effect, LIHEAP had been reduced by $1.6 billion--almost one third--between 2010 and 2012. Nationally, LIHEAP's budget will decrease from $3.47 billion to $3.252 billion.

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