On January 23, New England Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) sent a letter to Senate Leadership requesting that the Senate economic stimulus package include an additional $3.62 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to fully fund the program at $5.1 billion in FY 2008, and provide an additional $800 million in funding. A total of 37 Senators signed, including Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Ed Kennedy (D-MA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and John Sununu (R-NH).
Sen. Reed's office requested letters of support from outside organizations. NEPPA sent a letter to Sen. Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in support of the Reed-Collins LIHEAP effort.
Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reached an agreement with the White House on a $146 billion economic stimulus package that did not include any LIHEAP funding. That bill, H.R. 5140, was passed by the House of Representatives today (1/30) by a vote of 385 to 35.
Additionally, late last week Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) offered an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill which would have increased LIHEAP funding by $800 million. The amendment failed, however.