[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 26 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 26

 Stating the sense of the Senate regarding funding for the Low-Income 
                    Home Energy Assistance Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 5, 2001

   Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
Kennedy, and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Stating the sense of the Senate regarding funding for the Low-Income 
                    Home Energy Assistance Program.

Whereas home energy assistance for working, low-income, and middle-income 
        families with children, the elderly on fixed incomes, individuals with 
        disabilities, and others who need such assistance is a critical part of 
        the social safety net in cold weather areas during the winter, and a 
        source of necessary cooling assistance during the summer;
Whereas the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (referred to in this 
        resolution as ``LIHEAP'') provides a highly targeted, cost-effective way 
        to help millions of low-income residents of the United States pay their 
        home energy bills;
Whereas more than \2/3\ of the households that are eligible for assistance 
        through LIHEAP have annual incomes of less than $8,000, and 
        approximately \1/2\ of those households have annual incomes of less than 
        $6,000;
Whereas regular and emergency funding for LIHEAP for fiscal year 2001 has been 
        exhausted in some States and nearly exhausted in several other States;
Whereas as a result, more than 30,000,000 households around the Nation may be 
        left without energy assistance in areas that may face several more weeks 
        of cold winter weather; and
Whereas without additional funding, members of those households may be forced to 
        make an unacceptable choice between heating their homes or purchasing 
        food, medicine, or other basic necessities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the President and 
Congress should immediately prepare and enact a supplemental 
appropriations bill to provide $1,000,000,000 in regular funding for 
LIHEAP, $152,000,000 for weatherization assistance grants under part A 
of title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 
6861 et seq.), and $37,000,000 for State energy conservation plan 
grants under part D of title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.).
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