Bipartisan Group of 137 House Lawmakers Join Reps. Welch and King in Support of Low Income Heating Assistance

Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), the leading House advocates for funding the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), have rallied a bipartisan group of 137 lawmakers in support of this vital safety net program.  In a letter to the House Appropriations Committee, the group calls for LIHEAP to be funded at $4.7 billion for fiscal year 2015.  

“LIHEAP helps to ensure that people do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for food and medicine,” the letter reads. “The record breaking and life threatening cold that has swept much of the nation this winter is a reminder of the importance of this program.  A strong LIHEAP program is necessary to effectively meet the critical needs of our constituents, especially as energy costs remain high, the economy is still rebounding, and record numbers of families turn to the program for assistance.”

LIHEAP funding has been slashed 30 percent in recent years, leaving low-income families, children and seniors out in the cold. Ninety percent of the households that receive heating assistance have a child, a senior or someone disabled.

This winter, Vermont received $18.3 million in federal LIHEAP funding.  The State of Vermont appropriated an additional $9.7 million for the program and just under 28,000 Vermont households received heating assistance.

Vermonters seeking home heating assistance may visit the website of the Department of Children and Families at https://dcf.vermont.gov/esd/fuel_assistance.

You can read the original letter with signatures here.

Text of Welch-King LIHEAP Letter:

Dear Chairman Kingston and Ranking Member DeLauro:

As the Subcommittee develops its FY2015 appropriations bill, we respectfully urge you to prioritize commitment for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a vital safety net for our nation’s lowest-income households.  We write to urge you to include no less than $4.7 billion for the LIHEAP program in your FY2015 appropriations bill.

As you know, LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households, veterans, and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital and temporary assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months.  LIHEAP helps to ensure that people do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for food or medicine.  The record breaking and life threatening cold that has swept much of the nation this winter is a reminder of the importance of the program.

A strong LIHEAP program is necessary to effectively meet the critical needs of our constituents, especially as energy costs remain high, the economy is still rebounding, and record numbers of families turn to the program for assistance.  Furthermore, recent lower funding levels have impaired the program’s ability to meet growing demand.  According to the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association the total number of households receiving LIHEAP assistance has declined by 17 percent between FY2010 and FY2013, from about 8.1 million to 6.7 million.

Although economists Mark Zandi and Alan Z. Blinder estimate that every dollar invested in LIHEAP generates $1.13 in economic activity, recipients have seen their average LIHEAP grant reduced by more than $100 since 2010.  The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected that average winter home heating costs would rise six percent to $977 per household this winter, meaning that many low-income families and seniors will have fewer resources available to meet other basic needs.

Continuing lower levels of funding for LIHEAP will have a devastating impact on millions of American families already suffering during the economic downturn.  We urge the Appropriators to provide funding no less than $4.7 billion in the FY2015 appropriations bill.

Sincerely,

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