[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17365-17366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IMMEDIATE RELIEF FROM RISING FUEL PRICES NEEDED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, my constituents in Maine and millions of

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Americans nationwide face an unprecedented crisis as they agonize over 
how they will pay skyrocketing oil bills to keep their homes and their 
families warm in the winter ahead. Hundreds have written to me with 
their concerns. I want to share a few e-mails and letters to illustrate 
the magnitude of this problem.
  Amelia from Harrison, Maine, writes: ``I am a 16-year-old girl. This 
summer, instead of being a teenager and having fun, I am staying home 
to take care of the house because my parents don't have time. My dad 
works three jobs and my mom works one to pay for the constantly rising 
prices of gas, food and oil. With my parents working four jobs, you 
would think we would have enough money to get by. We don't.''
  Marie from Gorham writes: ``I am a single foster parent. I have two 
daughters with special needs. I am worried sick on how I am going to be 
able to pay $500 or more every 3 to 4 weeks to heat my home. I can't 
look my foster daughters in their eyes and tell them I can't afford to 
keep them. We are their family.''
  Michael from Topsham wrote on behalf of his 87-year old father-in-
law, who lives alone Auburn, Maine: ``Last year his oil fuel cost was 
approximately $6,400. He is a retired Army Reserve Master Sergeant with 
20 years of service. His annual expenditure for fuel oil this year 
would likely be $10,200. This would consume 85 percent of his annual 
income of $12,000. Our elderly American citizens will be unable to 
financially manage these costs. Our government needs to intervene and 
help our elderly citizens during this unprecedented fuel crisis.''
  Marie, Amelia and Michael's stories are just a few examples of the 
human toll from soaring heating oil prices. More than 8 in 10 Mainers 
rely on oil to heat their homes. The average Maine household uses 
between 800 and 1,000 gallons of heating oil a winter. The median home 
income in Maine is $43,000. At current prices, the average home will 
pay between $3,700 and $4,700 just to heat their homes. Many will spend 
more than $5,000. This is more than 10 percent of the gross income for 
the median income household in 5 months. Coupled with soaring costs for 
gasoline, food and other essentials, people worry they may have to 
choose between heating their homes and feeding their families.
  Madam Speaker, this Congress must act now before the winter freeze 
sets in. We need a new comprehensive energy policy to free ourselves 
from foreign oil. The people in Maine and America are suffering right 
now, and we need to provide them with immediate relief in the short 
term to help them get through the winter.
  I have a plan to do just that. First, we must fully fund the Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, and weatherization 
programs to help the poor, the disabled and the elderly on fixed 
income.
  Second, we must provide relief for middle-class families fighting to 
make ends meet.
  Last week, Carolyn McCarthy of New York and I introduced H.R. 6605, 
the Home Heating Fuels Cost Relief Act. Our legislation would provide a 
$1,000 refundable tax credit for individuals, $2,000 for families, 
toward the price of home heating oil, as well as a program to provide 
up to $10,000 in low interest loans for families to weatherize their 
homes
  Third, soaring gas prices and heating oil prices are crippling small 
business like independent truckers and lobstermen. These businesses are 
the backbone of the Maine economy. I have introduced H.R. 2133, the 
Small Business Fuel Cost Relief Act, to create a tax credit for 
eligible businesses for any amount they spend on fuel, including 
gasoline, diesel, natural gas and heating oil, over the price on Labor 
Day 2004, adjusted for inflation.
  Madam Speaker, families and small businesses in Maine and across 
America work hard for the money they spend on fuel. They deserve 
leadership in Washington that will act now to bring immediate relief 
from rising gasoline and heating fuel prices.
  They also demand leadership to change direction and implement an 
energy policy that harnesses American ingenuity and entrepreneurship to 
reduce dependence on foreign oil, maximize conservation and efficiency, 
perfect alternative fuels and technologies, create jobs, and put 
America on the path to sustainable, affordable energy future. That is 
the task this Congress faces.

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