The soaring price of oil and natural gas has hit home for America’s consumers, making it more and more difficult for families to manage their monthly energy bills. Prices are so high in some regions of the United States that many families must choose between heating and cooling their home or putting food on the table for their children. Fortunately, the federal government has a Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help families through these difficult times. LIHEAP is not just an economic assistance program---it is a public health program that protects America’s low-income families during extreme weather conditions.          

               Congress created the LIHEAP program in 1981 to help low-income families pay their energy bills. The program subsidizes monthly energy costs and provides funding for weatherization repairs and improvements that can reduce energy bills. LIHEAP has become so popular in recent years, that some states cannot provide every family with the assistance they need to make it through a long winter or an extremely warm summer. Funding shortages are especially troublesome for southern states which receive less funding under the current formula than cold weather states. In Arkansas alone, demand for the program increased by 30% over the past year. Without a considerable increase in funding for LIHEAP, states like Arkansas will have little choice but to turn their backs on families struggling to make ends meet during periods of intense heat.

               Sadly, funding shortages in the LIHEAP program will disproportionately affect America’s elderly whose health depends on a comfortable living environment. These individuals are more likely to suffer during brutal weather conditions. Temperatures can rise into the low 100’s in Arkansas during the summer. Without some form of cooling assistance, many of our seniors could end up in the hospital suffering from heat stroke or other serious illnesses.

               Over the past twenty years, Congress has done nothing to address the increasing demand for LIHEAP. The Administration and the leadership in Congress continue to craft budgets that unfairly target the LIHEAP program and force states to shut off heating or cooling assistance early into the season. Without an immediate solution to America’s energy shortage, it is clear that Congress must do something now to help low-income families shoulder the burden of excessive energy costs. This is a serious public health issue that demands the support of individuals from both sides of the isle. I am proud to stand in favor of this program, and I hope to support a budget that provides increases in LIHEAP comparable to recent increases in the price of oil and natural gas.

               Air and heat are essential to a healthy lifestyle and something all families should enjoy. Although severe weather conditions catch us all off guard, they disproportionately affect low-income families who do not have the flexibility in their budget to turn up the heat or air conditioning. We must anticipate these problems in advance and create an effective energy assistance program that enables families to endure even the most intense season.