[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 200 (Friday, December 15, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S18699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 LIHEAP

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, one of the most serious effects of the 
current stopgap funding bill for the Federal Government is its 
treatment of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program that helps 
needy families pay their winter fuel bills.
  Under this program, the States receive the full amount of their 
LIHEAP benefits in October and November--the benefit levels that are 
set to deal with the emergencies.
  It is bad enough that the current stopgap funding cuts these funds 25 
percent below last year's levels. Even worse, it pays out those funds 
on bases that are prorated for a full year. So the States are receiving 
less than the usual share in October and November to plan for the 
winter.
  This chart illustrates it. Last year, on December 15, 1994, some $800 
million out of approximately a little over $1 billion had been 
distributed in LIHEAP. This year it is down to $231 million.
  The total amount in the LIHEAP has been reduced by 25 percent. But, 
nonetheless, this is what is currently distributed under the continuing 
resolution because of the way that continuing resolution is drafted.
  All we have to do is see what have been the temperatures of the last 
few days. In Boston it was 18; Duluth, MN, it was 22 below; Milwaukee, 
1 below; even down in New Orleans, 26; Des Moines, IA, 7; Burlington, 
VT, 13--an enormously cold snap.
  I know my good friend and colleague, Senator Wellstone, has talked 
about that issue as has the Senator from Iowa.

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