On record breaking cold day, Welch leads bipartisan House effort to restore LIHEAP funding

As a brutal cold front grips much of the country, Rep. Peter Welch is calling on President Obama to restore funding for LIHEAP, the federal program that helps vulnerable Americans pay their energy bills. 

In recent years, funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has been slashed, literally leaving low-income families, children and seniors out in the cold. Citing a 30 percent decline in funding, Welch is urging Obama to fund the program in his upcoming budget proposal at no less than $4.7 billion.   

Last winter, Vermont received $18.3 million in federal LIHEAP funding, with the state contributing an additional $9.7 million. In that same period, just under 28,000 Vermont households received LIHEAP assistance.

Welch is recruiting House colleagues to join him in his bipartisan effort.  Joining him to date are Representatives Peter King (R-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Chris Gibson (R-NY), Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA).  When he returns to Washington this afternoon, Welch will be circulating his letter to all Members of the House of Representatives.

Rep. Welch letter to Pres. Obama on LIHEAP funding:

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

In light of record breaking and life threatening cold weather across the nation this winter, we are writing to request that you prioritize the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in your Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 budget proposal by including no less than $4.7 billion for this program that provides critical support to our most vulnerable citizens. 

LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months. LIHEAP households are among the most vulnerable in the country. According to the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association (NEADA), more than 90 percent of LIHEAP recipients have at least one household member who is a child, elderly, or disabled, and 20 percent of households contain at least one veteran. For these households, LIHEAP funding has been a lifeline during challenging economic times. Access to affordable home energy is not a luxury – it is a matter of health and safety.

We understand the ongoing discretionary budget challenges. However, we are deeply concerned that funding for LIHEAP has declined more than 30 percent in recent years. Moreover, the number of households eligible for assistance continues to exceed available funding. Sequestration has further exacerbated these funding challenges. According to NEADA, the total number of households receiving LIHEAP assistance has declined by 17 percent between FY 2010 and FY 2013, from about 8.1 million to 6.7 million. Nearly 1.5 million vulnerable households have lost access to critical LIHEAP assistance and struggle to pay for the basic necessity of home energy in addition to other essentials like food and medicine. 

Funding has declined, yet energy costs have remained high, reducing the purchasing power of LIHEAP assistance. Recipients have seen their average LIHEAP grant reduced by more than $100 since 2010, from $520 in FY 2010 to $406 in FY 2013. Meanwhile, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that average winter home heating costs will rise six percent to $977 per household this winter. The average LIHEAP grant is estimated to cover less than half of the average home heating costs for a household this winter, meaning that many low-income families and seniors will have fewer resources available to meet other basic needs.

As you finalize your FY 2015 budget request, we ask that you take into account the great need for LIHEAP. We urge you to reprioritize this program within your FY 2015 budget and restore funding to this program to a level no less than $4.7 billion.

Thank you for your attention to and consideration of this important request.

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