Heating Cost Assistance Approved by Congress, New Public Safety Funding
Dear Edwin and Chapincito Media visitors.
Today, I fought for the passage of the short-term government spending bill to prevent a government shutdown and provide $1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a program that helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program: Heating Assistance and Crisis Assistance. Earlier this month, I joined with a coalition of representatives from the New England Congressional Delegations in urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to include this additional funding in any spending bills. Information on additional programs that are available through our federal, local, and state government is below.
As we voted for this stop-gap measure today, I also reached out to all my colleagues, urging them to come together to craft a bipartisan long-term spending bill that addresses more of our national priorities – including providing funding for our public health responses to both COVID-19 and monkeypox, or MPV. Our public health workforce is depleted and exhausted from battling the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. They cannot stop the spread of these outbreaks without additional federal support. Both viruses disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Congressional inaction will deepen these disparities. We need to act.
