Sen. Kerry Fights to Keep Low-Income Heating Assistance in Budget

The Beverly Citizen reported February 11, 2011 that Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., has been fighting to keep oil heating assistance for low-income families in the budget for Fiscal Year 2012. President Obama has mentioned the Low Income Home Energy Heating Assistance Program as one that could be cut in the 2012 budget. 

Sen. Kerry has written letters to the majority and minority leaders of congress asking not to cut the program. Kerry also wrote letters asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to commit to giving more money to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development for heating assistance.  As of the 11th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agreed to an additional $1.6 billion in home-heating block grant funds.

 “I’ve always supported serious efforts to restore fiscal sanity, but in the middle of a brutal, even historic, New England winter, home heating assistance is more critical than ever to the health and welfare of millions of Americans, especially senior citizens,” Kerry wrote.

Read the entire Beverly Citizen article.