Press Releases
GOV. MALLOY JOINS COALITION OF GOVERNORS URGING RESTORED FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HOME HEATING AID
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy and a coalition of 13 other governors have
sent a letter
to Congress requesting that they adequately fund home heating assistance for low-income residents.
The governors are asking that Congress fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at the Senate-passed level of $3.6 billion for fiscal year 2014. Funding for LIHEAP has been cut by more than 40 percent since 2010, when Congress allocated $5.1 billion to the program. These reductions in appropriations, together with sequestration have severely weakened a vital safety net for our nation's low-income households.
"With our economy still recovering from the Great Recession and households facing high energy costs, millions of Americans rely on the targeted assistance LIHEAP provides to help them cover their heating costs in the winter," the governors wrote in their letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. "LIHEAP is a critical bridge for Americans - many of them elderly, disabled or caring for dependent children - who otherwise may be forced to choose between paying home energy bills and paying for food, medicine, or other essentials."
In addition to Governor Malloy, the governors of Massachusetts, Colorado, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Delaware, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Maryland, Illinois, West Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands signed onto the letter.
The governors wrote, "LIHEAP assistance remains an indispensable lifeline for millions of families struggling to heat and cool their homes, and we strongly urge Congress to adopt a responsible budget, which will put America on a path to continued growth and prosperity and give us the tools we need to serve our citizens."
###
For Immediate Release: November 26, 2013
Twitter:
@GovMalloyOffice
Facebook:
Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy
- Twitter: @GovMalloyOffice
- Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy