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Washington - Low-income and elderly Wisconsin residents struggling to heat their homes in the face of soaring fuel prices have received some good news from the federal government.
U.S. Rep. Tom Petri announced that the Bush Administration agreed Wednesday to release $450 million from its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency fund. Of that total, Wisconsin is in line to receive $17,916,977.
"Especially with fuel prices the way they are right now, our low-income residents need help, which is why I had signed onto a joint letter to the President urging precisely this action. Happily, now we can save the postage," said Petri. (Additional comments by Rep. Petri.)
Petri noted that Wisconsin has already received $69.75 million in LIHEAP money for this winter. About 145,844 households rely on the program for help in paying their energy bills.
President George W. Bush last month signed an appropriations bill that includes $2.6 billion for LIHEAP for fiscal 2008.
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