[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                 LIHEAP

                                 ______


                            HON. JACK QUINN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 23, 1995
  Mr. QUINN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to an issue of utmost 
importance to my district in western New York.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud congressional efforts to trim Federal spending 
and reduce our deficit. We are making some bold and difficult 
decisions. The rescissions bill takes many steps in the right 
direction.
  It is an injustice, however, to eliminate programs--which unlike the 
Small Business Administration's Tree Planting Program--people depend 
upon to meet their basic needs.
  I am referring to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or 
LIHEAP. I know this might not be a big concern to citizens in Florida 
or Arizona--but to those who live in areas like Buffalo, NY, it can be 
a matter of life or death.
  LIHEAP provides fuel assistance to disabled, working poor, and low-
income senior citizens who cannot meet their own total energy needs; 55 
percent of households receiving assistance have at least one child 
under age 18 and 43 percent include senior citizens.
  Some argue that LIHEAP was conceived in a time of energy crisis and 
that is no longer needed. We must remember, however, that energy is 
still not affordable to everyone.
  LIHEAP recipients have an average income of $8,257 per year--without 
some assistance their heat could be cut off; 18 percent of their 
incomes are spent on energy needs.
  LIHEAP is a vital program which is certainly not pork or luxurious 
Federal spending.
  I am very worried about the families and seniors from my district and 
districts across the Nation who may be unable to properly heat their 
homes next winter. I hope that the good and bad aspects of eliminating 
the LIHEAP Program will be more properly addressed during the 
appropriations process.
Vol. 141


WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1995

No. 54


House of Representatives