WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 22, 2008 – As a major winter storm descended on the Northeast, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced Friday that New York will receive more than $14 million in emergency funding for home heating assistance. The funds represent the largest chunk of an overall $40 million allocation approved by the Bush administration today, following months of pressure from Schumer and other lawmakers from Northeastern states.
Schumer said that the boost, approved through the Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), would help New Yorkers, but he pledged to keep working for an even larger release of funds in the coming weeks.
“It’s not all we need, but it’s sure going to help a lot of people in need,” Schumer said. “This extra funding helps to restore a portion of the Bush administration’s cuts, but we will keep pressing to get even more assistance. When the price of oil goes up, it’s not just a disruption in global economics, it’s real money coming out of the pockets of average people, every single day. New Yorkers are being stretched too thin as it is — we must take immediate steps to ease this growing financial burden.”
LIHEAP helps pay the winter heating bills or summer cooling bills of low-income and elderly people. Schumer said that during extreme weather conditions, New York families should not have to choose between buying fuel to heat or cool their homes and buying food for themselves and their families.
The $40 million released today comes out of a LIHEAP contingency fund, and will benefit the 11 U.S. states that rely on fuel oil for at least 20% of their heating. At $14,045,921, New York’s share represents by far the largest portion of the overall sum. The contingency funds come on top of the $237 million in LIHEAP assistance New York has already received in FY08. Schumer is currently pushing to improve on that number even more, through the release of additional contingency funds.
Just this month, the President announced new cuts to the program in his FY 2009 budget request. Under that proposal, the President suggested slashing LIHEAP nationally by $280 million to $1.7 billion. For New York, that would represent a cut of nearly 11 percent. Schumer, however, has pledged to oppose funding LIHEAP at Bush’s suggested levels.
