[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22015]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        AUTHORIZATION FOR LIHEAP

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, as the Nation faces crude oil prices of 
over $53 per barrel, the Federal Government must commit to helping 
families fight high home heating oil costs. This week, the Milwaukee 
Journal Sentinel projected that home heating oil costs will increase by 
18 percent this winter. Despite the higher energy costs consumers will 
face this winter, States are reducing benefit levels in order to try to 
serve an increased number of households. Congress must act now to help 
low-income families and the elderly pay for high home heating costs.
  To combat these high prices, I urge my colleagues to support a bill 
introduced today by the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Jeffords, to extend 
and increase the authorization of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance 
Program, LIHEAP. LIHEAP provides a vital safety net for our Nation's 
low-income households, who spend approximately 17 percent of their 
annual income on residential energy costs. Last winter, my home State 
of Wisconsin received more than $40 million in Low Income Energy 
Assistance and the program served over 112,656 Wisconsin households. I 
strongly support extending the LIHEAP program and efforts to increase 
the authorization to $3.4 billion each year to ensure that low-income 
families and the elderly have this crucial support to heat their homes. 
I urge my colleagues to support and pass this important legislation as 
soon as possible.

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