Contact: Barbara Riley
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu (R-NH) today (9/16) announced that New Hampshire will receive $3.19 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency funds – part of $120 million that the  Administration will release on Wednesday, September 17. In a June 27, 2008 letter to the President, the Senators urged the release of the remaining $120 million in LIHEAP contingency funds.

Senator Sununu, who has strongly supported LIHEAP since coming to Congress in 1997 and co-sponsored legislation to double program funding for New Hampshire, stated, “With home heating costs at record levels, we need to double the LIHEAP funding available for families in need. This funding is step forward and good news for low-income families and seniors who are rightfully concerned about heating bill in the coming winter months. I will also continue to work with Senator Gregg to pass the WARM Act. Equally important, I will continue to work with Community Action programs in support of both LIHEAP and weatherization programs that are so essential to New Hampshire families as the winter months approach.” 

Senator Gregg stated, “Just last week we felt the first snap of cold weather in New Hampshire, a certain preview of the temperatures we will face this winter.  Though prices have come down slightly, heating oil is still significantly more expensive than it was last winter and it is critical that we provide the necessary funding to ensure that seniors and low income folks are able to keep their homes warm. I applaud the President for releasing these emergency LIHEAP dollars which will put money in the hands of State officials to provide assistance to those who need it most.  I will also continue to push for approval of my bipartisan WARM Act here in Congress. This legislation doubles LIHEAP heating assistance for low income individuals, families and seniors, triples weatherization funding, and provides a tax credit of up to $2,000 to help middle-income folks with heating oil costs. Most importantly, my legislation provides assistance in a fiscally responsible manner and does not pass the cost of heating our homes today onto children and grandchildren tomorrow.”
   

• On July 29, 2008, Senator Sununu and Senator Gregg wrote to Senate colleagues asking for their support of the “Weatherization, Assistance, and Middle-Income Relief Act” (WARM) that would provide an additional $2.53 billion for LIHEAP, an additional $523 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program, and a 50 percent credit for home heating oil expenditures.

• On July 24, 2008, Senator Sununu co-sponsored Senator Gregg’s “Weatherization, Assistance, and Middle-Income Relief Act” (WARM) which would provide an additional $2.5 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), nearly doubling its current level of funding.  It would fully fund LIHEAP to the highest authorized level for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 and ensure that every state receives additional LIHEAP funds this coming winter.   In addition, the WARM Act would more than triple the Department of Energy’s weatherization assistance program to its fully authorized level of $750 million for FY 2008, providing an additional $523 million to the program.  It also contains a new middle-income tax credit of as much as $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples for home heating oil purchases this winter. This legislation is fully offset by repealing the Section 199 “manufacturing” deduction for major integrated oil companies as well as making clarifications regarding the determination of foreign oil and gas extraction income (FOGEI).

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