by Brent Addleman
New England governors are pressing the federal government for a supplement aid package supporting home heating assistance to residents this winter.
Led by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, the governors penned a letter to congressional leaders expressing their desire to see approval of President Joe Biden’s request for the emergency supplemental funding package that would assist residents with home heating assistance.
Lamont is joined in writing the letter by Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.
The letter, according to the release, was written to Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, D-CT; ranking member Kay Granger, R-TX; Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-VT; and Vice Chairman Richard Shelby, R-AL.
In the letter, according to the release, the governors urge the delegation “to include emergency supplement funding” of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to include more funding into the program “to address increasing home energy bills that likely will be exacerbated this winter” due to “volatile global energy markets.”
The governors point to Biden’s request of “$500 million in emergency funds” and are requesting the committee to “allocate at least that amount.”
Citing LIHEAP as a “vitally important” program in New England, the program aids low-income households meet energy costs who the governors claim, “spend a disproportionate amount of their income on home energy.”
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Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor of The Center Square and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
