Kerry, New England Senators Call on Bush to Increase Energy Assistance

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry, New England Senators Call on Bush Administration to Increase Energy Assistance for Low Income Families, Seniors
October 14th, 2005

I’ve been following the developments on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding issues in the wake of the high oil prices and today there were a couple of stories on that, that should be noted…

First is a story in the Boston Globe that reports that the “Bush administration has endorsed a Senate plan to close the Boston regional office of the US Department of Energy, which distributed tens of millions of dollars last year to help low-income New Englanders make their homes more energy-efficient.”

Though New Englanders would continue to be eligible for DOE grants, elected officials as well as the nonprofit agencies that administer the grant programs expressed concern that closing the Boston office would make it more difficult for local groups to apply for conservation grants, which they then distribute to eligible homeowners.

Under the Senate proposal endorsed by President Bush, Boston’s DOE office would be merged into a larger facility based in Morgantown, W. Va., which would serve the entire Eastern United States. Overall, the plan would combine six current regional offices into two larger offices. The plan drew fire from New England elected officials as the region braces for huge increases in the cost of home heating oil.

‘’I don’t want to think the administration would pay lip service to conservation one minute, then close the office that helps states develop smart conservation practices,” said Senator John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts.

Representative Edward J. Markey, a Malden Democrat, added that instead of ‘’shutting down regional efficiency offices,” the country ‘’needs a national policy that really takes energy efficiency seriously.”

Next, John Kerry released a statement today that the “Administration’s Own Report Predicts 30 - 48% Increase in Heating Costs this Winter.”

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