Philip Riley: “I particularly want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Martinez] and the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr.…”

“I particularly want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Martinez] and the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Goodling] for their effective work on this legislation and particularly address the LIHEAP or the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program which is being reauthorized here, has strong bipartisan support and with very good reason. There is a critical need out there in the country for us to continue this program. And indeed, as we look for welfare reform, there are many important changes that have occurred in this program, as it is run in many States, from which we can learn and benefit. This is ahead of the curve in terms of welfare reform in many of our States, because it seeks to bring in additional private and sometimes public resources to meet the need. It seeks to help the individual recipient better take care of their own energy needs and to pay as much of their bill as they can. I think it is headed in exactly the right direction. Mr. Speaker, we simply cannot at this point further cut back a program that has been dramatically cut back, as some have advocated that we do. The need continues to be great. In my written statement to be a part of the Record I have outlined statistically what has happened to people on the energy bills, and we continue to only meet about 23 percent of the need in this country.”