Federal funding needed for home heating assistance, energy solutions

I recently attended the annual Council of State Governments' Eastern Regional Conference where I played a role in the council's passage of a resolution urging Congress to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

I am calling on Congress to increase funding by $3.14 billion for LIHEAP so that more low-income families would become eligible for assistance in heating their homes and paying for utilities.

The cost of one tank of heating oil has nearly doubled in the last year and more and more low-income families are struggling for this basic necessity.

I also took part in a roundtable discussion on new policy strategies to tackle issues such as the economy, the energy crisis and health-care reform. The discussions were aimed at creating programs to help Pennsylvania citizens cope with the slowing economy and increases to health-care costs.

Creating new solutions to solve our energy crisis and assist Pennsylvania residents is one of my top priorities. I am excited to take the ideas we discussed at the conference and bring real solutions home to you.

For more information on energy assistance, visit LIHEAP's Web site.