Credit where due (though Bush probably gets to keep what he doesn't spend)
Congress Adds $300 Mln for Heat Bills of Poor
Mon Nov 22, 2004 04:23 PM ET
By Tom Doggett
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress approved a $300 million boost in emergency funds to help poor and elderly Americans pay home heating bills that are expected to be sharply higher than last winter.
The government last week forecasted colder weather than normal in the U.S. Northeast and in other parts of the nation this winter. That, plus an increase in energy prices, mean the average home heating oil bill will jump 37 percent from last year and natural gas will be 15 percent higher, according to Energy Information Administration estimates.
Lawmakers included the money -- half of the $600 million boost initially sought by consumer advocates -- in legislation cleared last weekend to fund the government.
A total of $2.2 billion in funding was approved for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). That's $1.9 billion in regular funding plus $300 million in emergency assistance, which can be released to the states at the direction of President Bush.
