The $2.5 billion cut from the $5 billion Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is one of the strategies that officials of the Obama administration are considering to control federal spending, according to key sources quoted by AP.
The National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association which manages the heating aid program stated the number of households who needed assistance with their energy bills is expected to reach record numbers this year for the third consecutive year. The group said it opposes any budget cuts in the program.
Households who will need the aid is expected to reach 8.9 million homes, an increase from 8.3 million in 2010 and 7.7 million in 2009. the year before. The increases are due to the weak economy and continuing high rates of energy.
Senator John Kerry (D-Mass) also opposed the idea of cutting the home heating aid’s budget saying over 3 million families would be affected by the proposal.
Kerry said, “I’ve always supported serious efforts to restore fiscal sanity, but in the middle of a brutal, even historic, New England winter, home heating assistance is more critical than ever to the health and welfare of millions of Americans, especially senior citizens.”
Meanwhile, Republicans in the House of Representatives proposed a plan calling for the immediate implementation of budget cuts amounting to $35 billion. The plan would “practically eliminate” the Home Energy Assistance Program’s contingency fund and slash it by $400 million.
President Barack Obama has earlier stated that tough decisions must be made to reduce the budget deficit and address the country’s mounting debt. Rober Gibbs, White House press secretary, said “When you see the budget come out, you’ll see very little that was spared.”
© 2010 Micmn.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Yes, I’m sure we’ll see “very little that was spared” other than anything that affects Defense spending, or the wealthy, or Wall Street, or the large corporations, or the exorbitant bonuses of CEOs. The most dramatic and first mentioned cuts are those which most affect the poor, the working poor, and the middle class of this country, those who can least afford to have any benefits or assistance slashed, while the wealthy in this country just continue to accumulate wealth. Our President, who told Mubarak that he should “listen to the people,” is only listening to the wealthy people in this country–he has nothing but disdain for the middle class and the poor (who are becoming a larger portion of our country now)–the very people who put him there. Our President would do well to begin “listening to the people” in his own country, especially as he has aspirations of a second term, as you can tell by his selling out on everything to the Republicans in hopes that he will be considered a centrist, and that he might garner more Republican votes if he can just make himself look like a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Anger and contempt is what he is garnering from many–though, they do say his approval rating is going up by his move to appease the Republicans…and he’s going to go with whatever is going to make his chances of re-election go up. His 2012 campaign began the end of last year when he sh*t on the 99ers and appeased the Republicans by extending the tax cuts to the wealthiest.
Sharon-GA – Amen, you’re preaching to the choir! How can this injustice continue?? (Don’t answer that – lol)
Our elected officials (I can’t call them leaders anymore), are playing games with peoples’ lives. More and more in our state are without – help, hope, ability to go on. We have headlines of ‘Frozen Homeless Man’ and animals shelters having been overwhelmed with people having to choose their human children over their furry children. I swear they should issue Prozac with the daily news!!
There is less (if that is even possible) on job sites for our surrounding areas than last year!! The job and housing markets are frozen and no thaw in sight…
Hope you are generating some energy to continue forward. I think some days I’ve ‘adjusted’ to conditions but still much anxiety and lack of understanding from many friends and family grows?? The idle mind is a terrible waste and especially in winter even volunteer aid is limited due to cost of gas and risk to vehicles of weather related accidents. Hoping for early spring to lift our spirits (and the untility bills are horrid). Peace to your heart.
Suri: Our souls are desolate, aren’t they? And they have reason to be because the hope on the horizon, the “light at the end of the tunnel,” all the cliches, they aren’t working anymore because our Gov’t seems intent on taking even the smallest of our hopes and ambitions, and even our will to live and continue another day away from us. Our souls are becoming as frozen as the landscape.
I know I’m probably adding fuel to the fire (were that it could keep us warm!!), but do you know that we are spending $26 million in pensions for FORMER members of Congress THIS YEAR. And that does NOT include potential payouts to dozens of newly retired lawmakers. If the GOP wants to cut spending, how about starting there? How about denying their ability to vote THEMSELVES pay raises? How about making them pay out of THEIR pocket (NOT ours) for their health insurance, the best in the land?
I’m getting sick and tired of Gov’t officials who think themselves above the rest of us, above the law in many cases. And our President has become unbelievable–in the SOTU address says we’re going to do this and this and this and build our country and economy, and now is saying we have to make cuts in the very things he said we had to invest in. You cannot CREATE jobs if you are instituting cuts that are going to cause tens of thousands of jobs to be lost…talk about creative math!! Do they all think we are STUPID?! Sorry, I am just so angry I can barely see straight.
Please see the NELP “article”–if you know anyone who meets the job qualifications, or know of anyone who might know of anyone—preferably a qualified UNEMPLOYED person who can have a chance at a good job, and a job that where they can be helpful to the unemployed, pass it on.
My utility bills have been really bad too. I thought this one might be better, but pretty much not–I was a bit shocked when I opened the electric bill today…I’ve been trying to reduce the gas by using electric space heaters in the room I’m in, but it just seems to be that you pay one or the other, it doesn’t seem to make much difference..!
Blessings to you, Suri.
Crap. I rely on LIHEAP to pay my electric bill (I have electric heating amd a very poorly insulated apartment). Without that, I have no idea what I’ll do to make ends meet.
:(
Michael – Sorry, this admin just seems to add insult to injury, huh?? I, myself, feel the plight of sooo many in my immediate area are ‘circling the drain’ due to the harsh weather, NO job prospects, nothing positive to hang on to — except for faith that this country will find itself and it’s God given ability to do good for those who have been left outside with no where to earn a living…
If we could all just agree ‘this isn’t our usual job cycle’ and provide an informed, educated, and helpful answers to this JOB CRISIS!! Peace.
Every winter, here in NY, I’ve seen commercials by Joe Kennedy Jr. for The Citizens Energy Corp. They help low income Americans in 23 states with home oil heating. The number is 1-800-JOE-4-Oil
M.D., I don’t think it will help with electric heating, but perhaps this info. will be of use to other 99ers.
Correction: 1-877-Joe-4-OIL
Sorry
We will see how long they can continue hurting the unfortunate (us who are victims of this ongoing crisis) before something stops them (the politicians) cold in thier tracks. We all know that you only can do wrong for so long before it catches up to you! How long?.. remains to be seen. But it will catch up to them because they are doing wrong! Ken (99er)
Our goverment could really not care about the poor and if they freeze to death. They will pry the voters registration card from your frozen hand after your gone. Millions out of work and no jobs to even apply for. Wake up Washington and get your heads out of the snow.
But, after further thought. You voted the Repubs in so live with the tea party you elected and stop whining.
jdm – The PROBLEM is ‘we’ all have to live, and die, with them!! NO, protest and revolt should always be the answer to against injustice. If it’s good enough for Egypt, it’s good enough for our country (see Wisconsin)! Peace.