Judd Gregg: “First off, I would note that the amount that is in my amendment is the exact amount which the Senator from Rhode Island…”

“First off, I would note that the amount that is in my amendment is the exact amount which the Senator from Rhode Island asked of the Appropriations Committee less than a month ago. It is the exact amount that the Senator from Maine asked of the Appropriations Committee less than a month ago. It is the exact amount that 41 other Senators sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee and asked for relative to LIHEAP costs, low-income energy costs. Why was that amount chosen? It was not picked out of the air. It was chosen because that is the amount necessary in order to hold harmless the various low-income energy programs across this country, in order to cover the costs of the increase of fuel oil estimated in September, which was actually at a higher cost level than today. So this actually will represent more money than is necessary in order to keep these programs whole. It will actually represent additional money. It represents over a 48-percent increase in funding. That is a rather dramatic increase. In addition, this amendment that I have proposed is paid for. Our job should be to set priorities in this Congress. We should say, what is the priority?…”