Wyden, colleagues urge more funding for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said Monday that he and Senate colleagues are urging federal agencies to act to reduce energy costs in Oregon and nationwide through added funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

In a letter from Wyden and 27 senators to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the lawmakers urged the Biden Administration to include supplemental LIHEAP funding in any additional request submitted for FY2024 appropriations.

“Amid increased energy prices resulting from Russia’s war in Ukraine and inflationary pressures, LIHEAP has become even more important for helping families pay their energy bills without foregoing other essentials.,” Wyden and colleagues wrote. “Unfortunately, supplemental funding is needed once again as we head into another winter heating season. Winter heating prices are expected to remain roughly as high as last year, and LIHEAP applications are up significantly. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, states are reporting increases of up to 20% in the number of LIHEAP applications since last year. With limited funding, states will face tough choices about the amount of assistance they can provide and the number of people they can serve.”

About 6 million households in Oregon and across the nation received assistance with energy costs through LIHEAP last year. The program factors income, family size, and availability of resources when determining eligibility.

The bipartisan letter was led by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Alongside Wyden, the letter was signed by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Robert Casey (D-PA), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Bernard Sanders (I-VT).

The text of the letter is here.