[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 21 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 LIHEAP

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, our country needs additional funding for 
LIHEAP. Temperatures in rural Alaska have reached 62 below zero. These 
temperatures have frozen heating systems and water and sewer lines in 
many of our villages. Alaskans are struggling this winter and paying 
over $5 per gallon to heat their homes. In fact, the mayor of a North 
Slope community told me that at one point, a village paid $8 per 
gallon.
  While the home heating picture is not as bleak in other parts of our 
country, all Americans are feeling the effects of high energy prices.
  In December, I tried to address this situation by including emergency 
LIHEAP funding in the Defense Appropriations Bill. Our bill created a 
new revenue stream by authorizing oil and gas development in the 
Coastal Plain of ANWR--and used this revenue to provide funding for 
several emergencies. Our bill included $2 billion for LIHEAP and 
funding for the hurricane victims, first responders, and farmers.
  The ANWR provision would have created a long-term, dedicated funding 
stream for home energy assistance.
  Most of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle successfully 
filibustered consideration of this package under the guise of a Rule 
XXVIII violation. They then noted to remove the ANWR provision and the 
funds it provided from the bill, including emergency funding for 
LIHEAP.
  It was a sad display of good policy dying a quick death at the hands 
of partisan politics. It was a particularly sad day for the people this 
funding was designed to help.
  Despite this, Americans still need heating assistance this winter. I 
hoped the Senate would put partisan politics aside and create a long-
term funding stream for LIHEAP in December. I believe that would have 
been the best solution.
  The measure before us today is the only other solution available, and 
I urge my colleagues to pass emergency LIHEAP assistance.

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