(Washington, DC)  --  U.S. Reps. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) and Martin Meehan (D-MA) today introduced legislation to immediately free up an additional $1 billion in federal funding to help low-income Americans with heating bills this winter. 

 He said an additional $1 billion in LIHEAP funding is already included in the recently passed Deficit Reduction Act, but it cannot be used until Fiscal Year 2007 due to the way the law is worded.  He said the money was included in the Deficit bill under the expectation that a like amount would be made available this year under the Defense spending bill.  Unfortunately, during last-minute negotiations, LIHEAP money for this year was not included in the defense bill.

 “Americans need this assistance now – not a year from now.  It’s shameful that this money is available but can’t be spent until next year,” LaTourette said.  “I hope the bill will come up for consideration quickly so low-income families don’t have to make a choice between heating their homes and putting food on the table.”

 LaTourette said the only LIHEAP money available this year is $2.183 billion appropriated under a different spending bill, and that money has been nearly exhausted in about a dozen states, including Ohio.  This year millions of Americans have seen their heating bills rise by 25 percent or more.

 LaTourette said his bill is a companion to legislation recently introduced in the Senate by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

 In addition, LaTourette recently introduced bipartisan legislation designed to help lower and middle income Americans defray the high cost of heating their homes this winter through a one-time refundable tax credit covering 25 percent of a family’s home energy costs.