Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 3759. The American people have a long tradition of responding to tragedy and disaster with kindness and generosity. And we must continue this tradition in responding to the terrible damage wrought by the recent earthquake in Los Angeles. Fortunately, this bill also seeks to extend American generosity to the millions of citizens who have been suffering through a severe, record-breaking winter in the Northern States. In my district in central Maine, the average temperatures this winter have been 10 degrees below normal. Northern Maine is experiencing the coldest winter on record. As the temperatures plunge, the heating bills soar. And the increased heating costs begin to strain family budgets. For the poor, it becomes a matter of survival, of food, rent, and clothing--or heat. How do our less fortunate citizens cope with these conditions? During a typical winter, they rely on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP. But LIHEAP, thanks to repeated cuts since 1985, is one of the most underfunded programs in the budget, despite being one of the most essential. Even a normal winter can be harrowing for low-income citizens thanks to inadequate heating assistance. A winter like this one qualifies as a disaster. H.R. 3759 rightly addresses this serious problem in the context of disaster aid. It gives the President the authority to disburse up to $200 million for LIHEAP upon declaration of an emergency.”