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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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(11/26/05 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
Keeping our families warm this winter
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
The holiday season is a special time of year. We begin with Thanksgiving - a moment in the year when Americans collectively give thanks for all that is good in our lives.
As we come together at family gatherings and at places of worship, we are called to express our gratitude for those whom we love, for our health, and for the opportunity that we, as Americans, have been given to create a better world.
Yet, this year, even as we give thanks, we must also acknowledge that Thanksgiving will usher in a cruel winter season for far too many Americans.
This year, the season is likely to bring significantly higher energy prices, particularly for natural gas and home heating oil.
This cold reality will force many to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the tables for the holidays.
In fact, the United States Energy Information Administration recently projected that the cost of heating oil could rise nearly 30 percent and the cost of natural gas could rise by nearly 50 percent over the prices that were charged just last winter. This means a household heated with natural gas could expect to spend about $350 more this winter on fuel.
While this sharp increase on heating bills is stunning for all of us, for seniors and lower income households, it may be insurmountable.
Recently, I held an Energy Town Hall Meeting that was overflowing with people who were worried about how they would meet their home energy costs this winter.
Many of these residents live on a fixed income that cannot accommodate even the most modest increase in spending.
The principal federal program available to help low-income residents meet the cost of heating their homes is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program - known by its acronym LIHEAP. This program provided nearly $2.2 billion in federal assistance during fiscal year 2005 to help households meet their energy costs.
Callously, and despite the significant increase we can anticipate in the need for such assistance this winter, President Bush and congressional Republicans have called for nearly $200 million in cuts to this critical program.
As they have so many times before, the Administration and its supporters in Congress are trying to chip away at a program that provides essential assistance to our own citizens - particularly seniors and low income residents.
They are discussing whether to spend or cut an additional $200 million from a program that costs only $2 billion per year at the same time that we are spending $2 billion in Iraq in a single week.
In an effort to increase funding for energy assistance this winter, I have joined my colleagues in challenging the House Appropriations Committee to include $1.3 billion in additional funding for LIHEAP in any additional relief packages that are prepared to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
I have also co-sponsored the Home Energy Assistance Targeted for Seniors Act.
(H.R. 1210), which would expand the eligibility of seniors to receive assistance from the LIHEAP program.
In addition, we are working to reduce energy costs in this nation.
The big energy companies are generating record profits by taking exorbitant amounts of money directly out of the pockets of working families. In the last quarter alone, the five major oil companies earned more than $32.8 billion.
This abominable profit took place at a time when Americans were paying more than $3 a gallon at the pump in the aftermath of supply disruptions caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
That is why I have co-sponsored the Federal Response to Energy Emergencies Act, (H.R. 3936), which would make it unlawful to charge unconscionable prices for gas, oil, and natural gas, and would outlaw any form of market manipulation at the wholesale level.
Essentially, this bill would establish a national anti-price gouging policy.
I will continue to fight to ensure that energy prices are fair and that programs are in place to assist those who cannot afford to meet rising energy costs.
While the battle over energy prices wages in the Congress, there are steps that everyone can take at home to lower heating costs.
First, contact the office that administers the LIHEAP program in your community to find out about the programs for which you are eligible. You can also visit the LIHEAP website, www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/liheap/.
I have also developed a resource guide that includes several energy-saving tips (such as lowering your thermostat at night, using a portable heater, and changing your filter on a monthly basis). For a copy of this guide, call my office at (410) 685-9199, or visit my website at www.house.gov/cummings.
Finally, if you know someone in your neighborhood, church, or community organization, who needs help meeting energy costs, please help them make contact with assistance programs or with the local utility, which may be able to structure payment plans that customers can afford.
In this season of giving, let's work together to ensure that everyone can stay warm in their homes this winter.
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.
