Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 3759, which provides vital supplemental funding to assist victims of the recent California earthquake. It also provides additional needed funding for victims of last year's Midwest floods and critical assistance to low-income Americans fighting to stay warm during this bitterly cold winter. I am pleased to see a reallocation of $200 million to fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program [LIHEAP]. LIHEAP urgently needs more money if it is to help thousands of low-income Americans get through one of the coldest winters on record. In the city of Chicago alone, 115,000 households are served by LIHEAP assistance; 50 percent of those households have an annual income of less than $5,000. Throughout the State of Illinois, 238,573 households receive LIHEAP assistance. Almost 37 percent of those households include at least one child. More than 75 percent are headed by single women, and 50 percent include an elderly or disabled person. All count on LIHEAP to keep their homes at a livable temperature in the face of the bitter cold. Madam Chairman, Americans are calling on us to help them restore their lives to normal. The supplemental appropriation before us today represents the last hope for many people whose lives have been torn apart by nature. I urge strong support for this life-saving measure.”