Judd Gregg: “the reason I sent this amendment up as a first-degree amendment is that I believe we have an understanding with Senator…”

“the reason I sent this amendment up as a first-degree amendment is that I believe we have an understanding with Senator Reed and Senator Collins as to the voting sequence, and that is important, and that is why I originally asked to be protected with a second-degree amendment. The amendment is now pending. Once again, to summarize what the amendment does, it increases the funding for LIHEAP by $1.276 billion, which is the number which was asked originally of the administration about a month ago by 41 Senators, including Senator Collins and Senator Reed, in a letter sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee. It is a significant number. The number is reached by determining what the projected costs of the increased cost of energy will be to our citizens who are living on a fixed income.…”