[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          DO NOT PLAY POLITICS WITH EMERGENCY FUEL ASSISTANCE

  (Mr. RAMSTAD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, President Clinton released $45 
million in emergency fuel assistance to 11 States to help low-income 
families and senior citizens pay their utility bills, States that have 
been unusually hit by cold weather.
  Mr. Speaker, I noted that New York, New Hampshire, and nine other 
States got these funds, but Minnesota got nothing. A State like 
Minnesota which has experienced very, very harsh winter temperatures, 
below zero windchills on a regular basis, where fuel prices are 30 
percent higher than last year has got nothing.
  As Senator Wellstone said yesterday, there is no reason to put 
families in New York or New Hampshire above families in Minnesota. I 
certainly agree with the good Senator from Minnesota. We are running 
out of money. And I have nothing against my friends in New York and New 
Hampshire, and perhaps their requests are warranted. But believe me, it 
is unfair, unconscionable, and unreasonable not to grant Minnesota the 
necessary funds.
  Ninety thousand Minnesota families in need are going to be at risk if 
we do not get this emergency fuel assistance. I urge the White House 
not to play politics with the emergency fuel assistance.

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