[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15866]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        INCREASED FUNDING FOR LIHEAP MUST BE A NATIONAL PRIORITY

  (Ms. SHEA-PORTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SHEA-PORTER. Madam Speaker, it may be July, but New Hampshire 
families are already worried about how are they going to heat their 
homes this winter. The cost of heating oil has been rising dramatically 
all year. With $5 a gallon heating oil forecast, the average New 
Hampshire family could be spending $4,000 to heat their homes. This is 
a daunting figure for most families.
  With so many households relying on heating oil and with the Bush 
administration recommending a $500,000 cut to the Low Income Heating 
Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, for fiscal year 2009, Congress 
simply must step in and provide the kind of funding relief Americans 
need.
  I have introduced legislation that would provide $9 billion in 
emergency funding for LIHEAP, as well as an additional $1 billion for 
weatherization programs. Not only would this proposal ensure that 
Northern States receive increased aid to get through the long winter, 
but it would also help the Southern States get through their hot 
summers.
  Increased funding for LIHEAP must be a national priority. The 
administration's effort to slash funding is absolutely inexcusable. 
Congress must step in and provide adequate funding.

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