Cuts in Energy Assistance Proposed by President Bush
By Lt. Colonel, Paul E. Bollwahn, ACSW, CSWM, The Salvation Army
April 10, 2001
During a time of historically high energy costs, the Bush Administration
has proposed cutting the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) from $2.25 billion to $1.7 billion for the fiscal year
beginning October 1. Ironically, candidates George W. Bush and Dick
Cheney vocally supported LIHEAP during the televised presidential
election debates last fall.
Technically, the proposed funding for LIHEAP is the same that Congress
appropriated for the current fiscal year last December. Normally,
this would be called level funding -- or a "freeze" in
the vernacular of budgetary experts. The term seems very appropriate.
What has been forgotten here is that Congress approved a $600 million
supplemental appropriation for LIHEAP last summer, $45 million of
which was used immediately for cooling. The remaining $555 million
was used during the winter that just ended. No money remains for
emergency purposes, should there be a dangerous heat wave this summer.
The increased money made available by Congress this winter enabled
5 million households to receive LIHEAP assistance, a million more
than the previous winter.
Even with this additional assistance, a recent survey completed
by the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association reports
that at last 3.6 million families in 18 states will face utility
shutoffs this month. Many of these families are in cold-weather
states that have moratoriums on shutoffs during the winter months.
These households need our help.
Many of the people who do not have the money to restore utilities
will be forced to move in with relatives, or, in the case of elderly,
with their children. Some studies have shown that next to non-payment
of rent, non-payment of utilities is the leading cause of homelessness.
Absence of utilities in a house is cause in many states for children
being moved to foster care. In the United States, families are the
fastest growing homeless group.
There also are direct connections between energy assistance and
other basic necessities of life. Salvation Army caseworkers report
that many elderly people reduce medication levels in order to pay
energy bills. Other caseworkers have reported some families saying:
"We can't afford food. Rent and utilities must come first."
Helping families pay energy bills helps to free resources to pay
for these other necessities.
The President and Congress must recognize and know that pain and
suffering will result if LIHEAP is not funded at a sufficient level.
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