Former Congressman Joseph Kennedy has signed a letter urging President Biden to increase funding to fuel assistance programs to ten billion dollars for the upcoming winter season. The letter comes amid skyrocketing oil prices and a threat by congress to reduce the current $8.3 billion dollar program to $4 billion dollars. Kennedy runs Citizens Energy, which provides help to those in need of home heating oil.
When the President visited Massachusetts last week- he made the case for LIHEAP resources to be used to get through extreme heatwaves. Kennedy said he is good with that but there needs to be more consideration for residents who need help to get through a cold New England winter.
“We’re here today to thank President Biden for his commitment to combatting climate change and to his long record of advocating energy assistance boosts to the LIHEAP budget,” said former U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III. “We’re specifically asking him today to go beyond the $8 billion in last year’s budget and support a $10 billion funding level for LIHEAP. The value of every dollar of heating oil assistance erodes by 50% when prices double as they have this year. Just to keep pace with those increases, more resources are needed. And we know that cooling assistance is a need that is not going away as the earth heats up further.”
According to the latest figures, the LIHEAP program serves 5.2 million people in the country.
There has been great concern about the upcoming home heating oil season. The cost of a gallon of heating oil has basically more than tripled since 2020 to a total of $7.60 a gallon in Massachusetts.
So far, the White House has not responded to the Congressman’s call for action.
(Photo provided by Citizens Energy Corporation)