Kerry Fights to Keep the Heat on for Low Income Families This Winter

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry Fights to Keep the Heat on for Low Income Families This Winter
October 5th, 2005

As the Bush administration is urging cutbacks on Food Stamps, Medicaid and other aid to poor and low income familes, John Kerry is fighting to keep the heat on on this winter for the poor and low income families. With American’s facing record prices for gas, oil, and propane this winter, the Bush administration has offered a paltry amount of assisstance for those who need it most. What should be obvious to all at this point is, George W. Bush is no friend to the little people; John Kerry is.

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator John Kerry (D - Mass.) offered an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill that will deliver $3.1 billion of emergency funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Bush Administration’s budget only requested $2 billion in LIHEAP funding. This amendment will allocate the necessarily $3.1 billion to bring LIHEAP funding to $5.1 billion, the level authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

This year American families are facing record prices for gas, oil, and propane, and the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has made these prices increase. The Department of Energy projects major increases in heating bills this winter heating season. Families in the Midwest could face a 69-77% increase in the price of natural gas and 39-43% increase for propane, families in the South could expect a 17-18% increase for electricity costs and families in the Northeast could face a 29-33% increase in the price of heating oil. These costs pose a crisis to low-income households this winter, and ensuring full funding of LIHEAP is one important step to lessening the burden on these families.

“For some families - especially low income families and seniors - this crisis in heating prices will mean a choice between a heated home or food on the table.

MORE & FLOOR SPEECH http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=769

[INdemo]

1. Just how far will this bill go.....;

Its DOA..

[Mass]

2. So, they should not try and just sit and wait.

Not what I expect my senators to do.

[kerrygoddess]

4. It has bi-partisan support

from 28 Governors - thanks for sharing negativity goes a long way too!

[Mass]

3. Thanks for those senators to continue to fight for us

The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Kennedy, Jack Reed, Dorgan, Jeffords, Mikulski, Lautenberg, Corzine, Kohl, Bayh, Durbin, Cantwell, Clinton, Schumer, Baucus, Harry Reid, Dayton, Stabenow, Harkin, Coleman, Snowe, Dodd, Levin, Byrd, Obama and Bingaman.

[blm]

5. Good....at least some good measures will be forced on the GOPers.

.

[Totally Committed]

6. I applaud him for this...

It will be cold here this winter, and will be much-needed.

Good for him.

Do any of you know if this will augment the Oil Subsidy Program that Joe Kennedy runs, or if it will be another place for those in need to go for assistance?

TC

[TayTay]

10. It would have augmented it in Mass.

The Mass legislature has an $80 million dollar bill pending to provide assistance for low-income people who need help with heating bills this winter. But it would be nice to have the feds kick in some too.

Oh well, refile as a separate bill after the upcoming recess. (And some Senators just do not deserve recess. They have been very bad and should stay inside and think about what they just did.)

[OzarkDem]

7. How about adults who are sick or disabled

and who are childless? They still have value as human beings, too.

We need to be very careful about dropping people through the safety net when they don't have children to help them qualify for assistance. Its the source of a great deal of hidden suffering in this country.

[Mass]

8. I dont think this addresses particularly people with children.

Families is a generic term, I think.

[OzarkDem]

9. Sadly no

Most assistance programs these days cover only those people with children at home or senior citizens, very little for the the folks in-between. Its less expensive that way, but wrong nonetheless.

[StopRoy]

11. Agreed.

This "only with children" business is just a big fat concession to Republican values. It's playing into the whole "family values" thing - allowing them to successfully define a lot of childless poor as unworthy of assistance.

[Mass]

12. You're right but this bill is just about giving more money to help

(it is an appropriation bill) and the Repubs could not even agree to that. They should be ashamed of themselves.

[GetTheRightVote]

13. The help must begin somewhere and hopefully it will catch on

that we should help all the people in this country who really need it the most, the elderly, children, and the poor, working or otherwise. Our country is rich enough to do all of these good deeds and still be strong in the economy for the rest of us. We, the public, need to be a community again, helping others is a part of a good neighborhood.

:kick:

[ngGale]

14. At least Kerry tries to help...

that's more than most do on the Hill. Thanks, John!