Labor, Health, and Education FundingBill Provides Needed Home-Heating Funds for Poor and Elderly

(Washington D.C.)- U.S. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry voted today to provide important federal funding for health care programs, schools, and the needy. The bill funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education was approved by the House today by a vote of 215-213. Fortenberry issued the following statement:

Today, Congress continued its support of children, seniors, and the sick, Fortenberry said. Thousands of elderly will get help with their heating bills, prescription drug costs, and their health care needs. Some of the states neediest schools will have more funding to keep their best teachers.

Highlights of the bill include:

• $54 billion to provide seniors and the needy with prescription drug benefits
• $2.183 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides home heating and air conditioning funding for seniors, the disabled and low income families nearly $300 million more than last years budget.
• $100 million for the Teacher Incentive Fund, a new program that rewards teachers and principals who help children learn
• $1.8 billion for Community Health Centers; a major source of rural health care.

Total funding of the bill provides $602 billion for Medicare, Social Security, the National Institutes of Health, state education programs, and a variety of other federal programs.

###