On January 11th, Congressman Mike Michaud sent a letter to President
Obama urging him to include full funding for the Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in his Fiscal Year 2013 budget submission to
Congress.
"When the President proposes a massive budget cut for LIHEAP it gives
congressional leaders an incentive to do the same," said Michaud. "We
need the President to show that he's listening to the thousands of
Mainers hurt by this funding cut by requesting full funding for LIHEAP.
Not doing so threatens the health and safety of Mainers struggling to
keep warm and make ends meet during cold winter months."
In November, Michaud sent a letter
to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging them to
restore funding to LIHEAP, sharing a few of the many stories he received
from Mainers by email and through his Facebook page detailing how
important the program is to them.
The full text of the letter Michaud sent to President Obama today can be found below.
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Obama:
As you prepare your FY2013 Budget, I urge you to include at least
$5.1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
We must ensure that struggling families have the assistance necessary
to heat their homes.
Last year, you proposed a total of $2.57 billion for LIHEAP, a
severe reduction from the amount allocated to the program in the
previous three fiscal years. While Congress ultimately provided some
additional support, the final funding level for this winter is still
significantly lower than it was in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Maine alone
faces a shortfall of more than $10 million. As a result, individuals and
families that have depended on the program are worried that they will
not have the resources needed to get through the winter.
I have received countless e-mails, phone calls, and Facebook
messages from Mainers concerned about their friends, families, and loved
ones. They worry that Washington does not understand that these cuts
have real world impacts. Families that have depended on the program in
the past may no longer qualify for assistance. Households that have seen
their savings wiped out by the recession might not have an important
safety net.
I know that we need to be prepared to make tough choices to balance
our federal budget and reduce the deficit. However, LIHEAP is not a
wasteful government program that benefits only a narrow set of special
interests or corporations that do not need the assistance. It provides
badly needed protection to the most vulnerable Americans to ensure that
they do not have to choose between buying food, paying for their
medicine, and heating their homes.
It is essential that we avoid making the same mistake again. I am
hopeful that you still set an example by requesting no less than $5.1
billion for LIHEAP in your FY2013 Budget.
Sincerely,
Michael H. Michaud
Member of Congress
