Washington, D.C. – September 18, 2008 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Christopher Shays (CT-4) announced today Connecticut would be receiving $6,962,123 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding.
“I am grateful for this funding, which will benefit many across our state in the coming weeks,” stated Shays. “As gas and home heating prices continue to rise and consumers are feeling a bigger and bigger pinch, LIHEAP will provide critical short-term assistance.”
“But the key,” Shays continued, “will be a long-term energy policy to decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil, protect the environment, build a market for renewable energy and promote energy conservation.”
Last week, Shays joined 22 of his New England colleagues in writing to President George Bush, requesting he release emergency funds from LIHEAP to New England.
Shays is the lead cosponsor of Congressman Peter Welch’s (VT-At Large) legislation to double the funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Fiscal Year 2008 (FY 08) from $2.57 billion to $5.1 billion.
The bipartisan legislation H.R. 6427, the Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer Act, will provide Connecticut with an additional $59.8 million in LIHEAP funding for FY 08.
Shays also has introduced H.R. 1945, the Energy For Our Future Act, a comprehensive bipartisan energy reform bill which has three principal goals for our national energy policy: improving the fuel efficiency of passenger vehicles; incentivizing the purchase of energy-efficient appliances; and repealing extraneous tax breaks for industries that are very profitable and have plenty of incentive to develop additional supply.
Last month, Shays introduced H.R. 6784, the Home Heating Oil Assistance Act, which helps middle and lower income families with their home heating bills this winter.
The Home Heating Oil Assistance Act would allow for a refundable tax credit of up to $500, or 33 percent of the amount of the residential heating costs, whichever is lower. The eligibility threshold would be $200,300 in the case of a joint return, $182,400 in the case of a head of a household and $164,550 in the case of an individual who is not married.
