{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-and-colleagues-urge-biden-administration-to-release-liheap-home-heating-aid", "Murkowski & Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Release LIHEAP Home Heating Aid", "2024-10-04", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", "murkowski", "https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/press-releases?PageNum_rs=11", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 With colder weather around the corner and Congress continuing its work on appropriations bills, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jack Reed (D-RI) and are leading a bipartisan call for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible.\n\n\u201cAs Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services, we urge you to immediately release the highest amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the Continuing Resolution (PL 118-83),\u201d Murkowski, Collins and Reed wrote.\n\nThe Senators say the federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that keeps vulnerable citizens safe and warm during winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. Murkowski helped provide a total of $4.1 billion for LIHEAP in fiscal year 2024, with $4 billion through appropriations and $100 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds. Nationwide, an estimated 5.1 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP in FY 2023. In Fiscal Year 2024, Alaskans got $21.3 million from LIHEAP.\n\nLIHEAP is administered by states, federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations, and territories. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources.\n\nSenior citizens and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but applications will be open to everyone through spring of 2025 \u2014 or until the funding is exhausted.\n\nFull text of the letter follows:\n\n\u201cDear Secretary Becerra:\n\nAs Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services, we urge you to immediately release the highest amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the Continuing Resolution (PL 118-83).\n\nAs the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. October marks the start of the heating season for many states, and with temperatures already dropping, low-income families and seniors are feeling additional strains on their household budgets.\n\nAs state agencies activate their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources on hand to help low-income households and seniors as soon as possible. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine.\n\nWe look forward to working with you on this critical program, and thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:55:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-and-colleagues-urge-biden-administration-to-release-liheap-home-heating-aid"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8922121487557888, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}