[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 27770]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       RISING HOME HEATING COSTS

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, right now it is 25 degrees near Washington, 
DC. It is 22 degrees in my home in Chicago. It is 3 degrees in Denver 
and a chilly 19 degrees in Dallas. As the song goes, ``Baby, it's cold 
outside.''
  But for millions of Americans this cold snap is just the beginning of 
a long cold winter. Why? Because while the mercury drops outside, 
inside home heating bills are getting a little too hot to handle. In 
fact, on Tuesday the Energy Department reported that the average 
homeowner's home heating bill will increase by nearly 26 percent, the 
largest increase in 5 years. Those who heat their homes with natural 
gas, nearly half of all Americans, can expect their home heating bills 
to increase by 38 percent; but taxpayers and seniors cannot expect any 
help from this Congress.
  In fact, the Republican Congress is cutting, cutting home heating 
assistance to our elderly; and the energy bill we passed this summer 
will do nothing to lower the cost of energy or gas at the pump, in 
fact, despite having handed out $14.5 billion to the energy companies 
in taxpayer subsidies.
  Mr. Speaker, these are the wrong priorities. You cannot hand out 
money to energy companies while cutting assistance to seniors. It is 
time to return the people's House to the American people. It is time 
for a change.

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