For Immediate Release

March 15, 2006

Washington, DC - Congressman Gene Green (D-Houston) strongly supported S.2320 on the House floor today, a bill that would provide Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding equity for Southern states, including an extra $39 million to Texas.  He distributed “Dear Colleague” letters on the floor and lobbied fellow Southern Members to support the bill.
 
Congressman Green supports the bill, because it provides an extra $1 billion for the LIHEAP program for 2006 — $500 million in formula funds and $500 million in emergency funds.  The program helps states provide assistance to the nation’s working families and seniors at a time when energy prices are soaring. 
 
Congressman Gene Green said, “The LIHEAP program has been controversial because the formula pits different regions of the country against each other.  This LIHEAP compromise would provide an extra $39 million for Texas allowing us to serve an additional 46,000 families statewide, and other Southern and Western states would also do very well.”
 
“In 2005 in Harris County, Sheltering Arms Senior Services administered $4,600,000 worth of LIHEAP funds and serving over 9,000 families,” continued Congressman Gene Green.  “S 2320 would approximately double those amounts for 2006, so that is why we worked hard to convince the House to approve it today.”
 
For the 1st $2 billion appropriated under the program, Northern states do very well, and relatively little funding goes to the South.  LIHEAP emergency funds are usually released to northern states, and Texas has received only 1.7% of LIHEAP emergency funding over the past five years.
 
The Senate compromise benefits the South by providing an extra $500 million in regular LIHEAP funds, over and above the $2 billion Congress previously provided for 2006.  The 50-50 Senate North-South compromise would guarantee the largest amount of LIHEAP funding for southern and western states ever, while also providing immediate assistance for northern states. 
 
S. 2320 is scheduled to be considered on the House floor later on this evening.  It will require a 2/3rd majority vote in order to pass, if it doesn’t receive the 2/3rd majority it could be considered on a later calendar that would only need a majority.

 

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