Ayotte Calls on Appropriators to Provide Additional Funding for LIHEAP
WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 13, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Continuing her efforts to ensure proper heating assistance for low-income families and seniors across New Hampshire, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte is urging Senate appropriators to provide additional funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in final fiscal year (FY) 2016 government funding legislation.
“LIHEAP provides a crucial lifeline to many low-income families and seniors across New Hampshire and our nation. According to the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, in 2014 the state accepted 41,328 applications for LIHEAP assistance and was able to certify 35,073 of those applications,” wrote Senator Ayotte. “We must ensure that low-income families and seniors who are struggling from financial hardships in cold weather states do not have to make the dangerous sacrifice of going without life’s most essential needs in order to heat their homes during the frigid winter months.”
Senator Ayotte has continually advocated for sufficient funding for LIHEAP, as well as called for the timely release of these critical energy assistance funds. Previously, in March, she joined a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on the Appropriations Committee to provide at least $4.7 billion for the program in FY 2016.
The full text of the letter can be found below:
The Honorable Thad Cochran, Chairman
The Honorable Barbara Mikulski, Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Cochran and Ranking Member Mikulski:
I write in strong support of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and urge you to provide additional funding for this vitally important program within the impending fiscal year (FY) 2016 government funding legislation.
LIHEAP provides a crucial lifeline to many low-income families and seniors across New Hampshire and our nation. According to the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, in 2014 the state accepted 41,328 applications for LIHEAP assistance and was able to certify 35,073 of those applications. We must ensure that low-income families and seniors who are struggling from financial hardships in cold weather states do not have to make the dangerous sacrifice of going without life’s most essential needs in order to heat their homes during the frigid winter months.
Over the past several years, I have joined a number of my colleagues in writing appropriators in support of LIHEAP, specifically calling for no less than $4.7 billion in funding for the program. It is of the utmost importance that we restore funding for this program, which helps our nation’s most vulnerable as we head into harsh winter months. While the Senate Committee-passed Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill provided $3.39 billion for LIHEAP, I urge you to direct additional funding to this vital program in the final FY 2016 funding bill.
Thank you for your support for LIHEAP and attention to my request. I look forward to working with you on this important matter.
