BOSTON - Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy today, along with 36 of their colleagues, urged the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee to provide an additional $1 billion in emergency Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding in fiscal year 2008 to provide for a total of $3.412 billion.

“No one should have to worry about how to put food on their table or have to choose about going without medical care just so they can heat their homes. This funding would go a long way in helping to prevent that very likely scenario. Thousands of people here in Massachusetts desperately need our help. I strongly urge my colleagues to make sure millions throughout Massachusetts and the rest of the nation aren’t left in the cold,” said Senator Kerry.

"Winter has already started for countless families in Massachusetts, New England, and across the country who can't afford the skyrocketing cost of heating their homes. LIHEAP was formed for just such emergencies, and Congress should act now to make sure that adequate federal funds are available to meet the urgent need,” said Senator Kennedy.

The text of the letter is as follows:
The Honorable Tom Harkin, Chairman                                     
The Honorable Arlen Specter, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC  20510

 
Dear Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Specter:

 
We are writing to request that you include an additional $1 billion in emergency funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in fiscal year 2008 to provide for a total of $3.412 billion.  We recognize the difficult budget constraints that the Subcommittee faces and appreciate your support for additional funding for the LIHEAP program in FY2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Appropriations Conference Report that was vetoed. 

           
With the price of oil hovering near $100 per barrel, and the Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimating that households can expect to pay between 10 to 26 percent more for heating fuels than during the 2007-2008 winter, states need additional funding immediately to reduce the energy burden of families, individuals with disabilities, and senior citizens and ensure their health and safety this winter.

 
Between FY2003 and FY2007 the number of households receiving LIHEAP assistance increased by 26 percent from 4.6 million to about 5.8 million or about 15.6 percent of the eligible population.  During this same period, the federal appropriation increased by only 10 percent with the resulting average grant declining from $349 to $305.  Unfortunately, energy prices are not decreasing proportionally, but instead continue to rise.  As a result, there has been a significant decrease in the program’s purchasing power.  According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, states are planning to reduce the number of households served by about 15 percent in the absence of additional federal and supplemental state funding.  The result would be a decline in the number of households served from about 5.8 million in FY2007 to 4.9 million.  For these reasons, we believe an additional $1 billion in emergency funding is warranted.

LIHEAP is vital to protecting the public health and safety of low-income families. According to the Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) out of Boston Medical Center, babies and toddlers who live in energy insecure households are more likely to suffer poor health, require hospitalization, manifest developmental problems, and lack adequate food. C-SNAP found that when families do not have access to sufficient energy, they may resort to unsafe heating methods and do not have the proper means to refrigerate or prepare food for their children.  In addition, without a sufficient LIHEAP benefit, seniors living on fixed incomes often have to decide between buying life-saving prescriptions and paying utility bills.  For individuals and households that may have to face these difficult choices, LIHEAP makes a real difference in their ability to cope with adverse circumstances. 

 
Moreover, the program helps low-income homeowners weatherize their homes to save energy and lower their energy burden.  Weatherization, on average, reduces heating bills by 31 percent and overall energy bills by $200 to $250 per year.

 
Thank you for your consideration.  We look forward to working with you to increase funding for the LIHEAP program to ensure that low-income seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families have the resources that they need to stay warm this winter. 

 
Sincerely,

John Kerry
Edward Kennedy
Jack Reed
Susan Collins
Max Baucus
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Olympia Snowe
Bernard Sanders
Debbie Stabenow
Norm Coleman
Ron Wyden
Barack Obama
Sherrod Brown
Robert Menendez
Joseph Biden
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Mikulski
Jeff Bingaman
Ken Salazar
Christopher Dodd
Sheldon Whitehouse
Russell Feingold
Joseph Lieberman
Jon Tester
Charles Schumer
Patrick Leahy
Robert Casey
Richard Lugar
Carl Levin
Herb Kohl
John D. Rockefeller IV
Amy Klobuchar
Frank Lautenberg
John Sununu
Benjamin Cardin
Evan Bayh
Richard Durbin
Gordon Smith

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