[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4857]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL LIHEAP ACTION DAY

  (Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about a critical 
Federal program that helps seniors and low-income families in Michigan 
and across the country with their utility bills.
  The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, provides 
short-term assistance to help households with their heating costs in 
the winter and cooling costs in the summer. In Michigan, more than 
600,000 households received LIHEAP assistance last year. Nationally, 
LIHEAP serves 6.7 million people.
  These mostly one-time payments provide a financial bridge to ensure 
that vulnerable populations do not have to choose between paying their 
energy bills and affording the other necessities of life, like food and 
medicine.
  Today is National LIHEAP Action Day, and constituents, businesses, 
and nonprofit organizations are all in town to ask Congress to provide 
adequate funding so residents across the country are able to continue 
accessing this vital program. Please welcome them into your offices, 
and please support the critical LIHEAP program.
  With this year being one of the coldest winters in decades, many 
agencies are struggling with record numbers of people seeking 
assistance. LIHEAP benefits have already been cut; it is not time to 
cut them again.

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