releases: http://franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2647
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2647 | As Extreme Cold Hits Minnesota, Sens. Klobuchar & Franken Fight to Increase Critical Heating Assistance for Minnesota Seniors and Families | 2013-12-20 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Democrat | House | MN | Al Franken | F000457 | franken.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) today pushed to increase critical heating assistance that helps Minnesota families and seniors get through cold winters. In a letter with a bipartisan coalition of their colleagues, the Senators called on the President to take into account the great need for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding in his upcoming budget priorities. LIHEAP is critical to supporting the most vulnerable households in Minnesota and across the country, but funding for the program has been slashed by more than 30 percent in recent years. "Access to affordable home heating is not a luxury--it is a matter of health and safety," said Sen. Klobuchar. "Families across Minnesota and the country rely on LIHEAP to heat their homes in these cold winter months. That's why we need to ensure that the program remains strong so that our most vulnerable citizens can continue to access the resources they need." "Anybody who's lived through a Minnesota winter knows that home heating is not a choice—it's a necessity," Sen. Franken said. "This assistance helps Minnesota families and seniors get through winter without having to forgo things like food or prescription medications in order to keep the heat on. I urge the President to make LIHEAP a greater priority." Since taking office, Sens. Klobuchar and Franken have successfully fought to ensure that tens of millions of dollars in emergency LIHEAP funding have been available to Minnesota families and seniors. The full text of the letter can be found here or below. December 20, 2013 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, 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. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |