[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21635]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN HONOR OF THE 23RD ANNUAL ``HEATS ON'' PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHELE BACHMANN

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mrs. BACHMANN. Madam Speaker, this weekend, the professional 
pipefitters of St. Cloud Local No. 539 and contractors from the 
Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association will head out to 30-40 
local homes to provide free furnace service for low-income, senior, and 
disabled homeowners. They are putting their skills and experience to 
work to help those who are less fortunate in our community.
  Maintaining a furnace is a very important household task. An 
inefficient furnace can cost a family hundreds of extra dollars each 
year--and the winters get pretty cold in Minnesota. With energy prices 
already high and with food and other costs skyrocketing as well, few 
can make room in their tight budgets for those hundreds of dollars. 
And, this is especially true of seniors and others on fixed incomes.
  The free services provided by these professionals, however, not only 
help save money, but also help save lives. By installing detectors 
during their inspections, they will help keep so many people from 
exposure to life-threatening levels of carbon monoxide.
  For 22 years, HEATS ON has provided more than 25,000 hours of 
services to more than 6200 households. While the money value on these 
services exceeds $2.7 million, the real value is so much greater. And, 
I commend these men and women for their work and their dedication to 
their community.

                          ____________________