Klobuchar: Don’t Leave Minnesota out in the Cold

Washington, D.C. – With temperatures in some parts of Minnesota already dipping into the teens and single digits, Senator Klobuchar took to the floor to urge full funding of a critical home heating program for seniors and working families. In the last few years, spiking energy costs have led to a significant increase in demand for the Low Income Home Energy Assistant Program (LIHEAP), meaning any drop in the program’s funding levels could push tens of thousands of Minnesotans out into the cold.

“Minnesota may be known as the land of ice hockey, ice fishing and other cold weather sports, but our tough winters can be downright dangerous for families struggling to pay their utility bills,” Klobuchar said. “In cold weather states like Minnesota, home heating isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline, especially in the northern part of our state where the average winter temperature is in the single digits, if not below zero. No one should have to choose between buying groceries and heating their homes, and I will continue to fight to make sure the LIHEAP program is fully funded for seniors and working families.”

Between 2008 and 2010, the number of Minnesota families relying on LIHEAP increased by 30 percent, with 165,000 households relying on the program in 2010. But access to LIHEAP now hangs in the balance for tens of thousands of Minnesotans. Current proposals for the program suggest funding levels that are $1 billion below where they were last year, levels so low that they threaten to push 38,561 Minnesota families out of the program.

Last month, Klobuchar joined 33 of her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Appropriations Committee Chair Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), urging them to maintain FY 2011 funding levels for LIHEAP in any new appropriations bill.

Senator Klobuchar is also a cosponsor of the LIHEAP Protection Act, introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), which would lock in secure funding levels for the program. Since taking office, she has successfully fought to strengthen the successful LIHEAP program for Minnesota families and seniors.

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