Senate Proceeding on Jul 24th, 2008 :: 4:16:32 to 4:27:24
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4:11:47 to 4:16:32( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bill Nelson

4:16:17 to 4:16:32( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: i want to yield the floor so we can hear from him. mr. casey: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: i want to thank the senator from florida for making the

4:16:32 to 4:16:47( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: important points he made on the question of energy. and how difficult this challenge is for the country. and the slogan won't do it and he made a very compelling argument about that tt we need to to hear

4:16:32 to 4:27:24( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Robert P. Casey, Jr.

4:16:47 to 4:17:02( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: in the senate. i wanted to talk today for a few moments about the low income home energy assistance program. known by the acronym liheap. for those who follow the senate and watch or listen, you

4:17:02 to 4:17:17( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: know we use a lot of acronyms and they can get a little tiresome. but this particular acronym stands for a program that works. there's no debate about that. there's no question about whether or not this

4:17:17 to 4:17:31( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: program works. it's worked for years. it's got support in both parties. not enough support, i don't think on the other side of the aisle. i will get to that in a moment. when we talk about that acronym

4:17:31 to 4:17:56( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: liheap, the low income energy assistance program, we're talking about a program which this winter can literally mean and will literally mean life or death for some americans. and there's no drama or overstement

4:17:56 to 4:18:09( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: in that whatsoever. unless we do the right thing on liheap this year, people are going to freeze to death it is as simple -- death. it is as simple as that. senator reid, senator jack rd of rhode

4:18:09 to 4:18:28( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: island and so many who fought for increased energy assistance funding every year. and i'm proud to be a cosponsor of the bill. it is a very simple title, but very important. warm in winter, cool in summer

4:18:28 to 4:18:44( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: act. that's what the sacramento. the bill meets a critical and fundmental need by providing an additional $2.53 billion in low-income home energy assistance program assistance for this fiscal year. it raises

4:18:44 to 4:18:55( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the funding to the fully authorized level of of $5.1 billion. for pennsylvania, that means that if -- if this bill is passed, our state will get an additional -- an additional $210 million. if there

4:18:55 to 4:19:10( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: is ever a time that the people of our state needed it, it will be this winter. like a lot of snaits the northeast, we -- a lot of states in the northeast, we have long, long winters and we have

4:19:10 to 4:19:27( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: a lot of vulnerable people. the second highest population of people over 65, a very large rural population that will be adversely impacted if we don't get help and extra money for liheap. we have in our

4:19:27 to 4:19:38( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: state grants, home energy assistance grants that help vulnerable people, the needy. almost 33.5% of the gras help older citizens. almost 30% of the citizens help disabled pennsylvanians. 18.5% of

4:19:38 to 4:19:58( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the grants help young children. these are people who need the help the most and they're vulnerable in the cold month that's are just around the corner for all of america and for pennsylvania. these

4:19:58 to 4:20:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: are the people who make up the 1,000 who died of hypothermia in their homes between 1999 and 2002. 1,000 people dying of hypothermia in just about three to four years. all of those deaths, every one

4:20:13 to 4:20:27( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: of them, was preventible and liheap is the cornerstone to providing assistance that keeps people healthy and safe. liheap is widely recognized as effective and successful, which is why the bill we're

4:20:27 to 4:20:41( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: considering and that i'm a cosponsor of is also cosponsored by 49 senators in total. from both sides of the aisle. we still have some problems which we'll talk about later. the bill is necessary because

4:20:41 to 4:20:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: liheap has been chronically underfunded, historically at a rate of less than half of the amount authorized. for people out there who watch our discussions here, h we know it's easy to authorize,

4:20:54 to 4:21:09( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: it's harder to make t sure you appropriate what you authorize. this is one of those examples where the authorization looks real good, but the appropriation doesn't meet the authority or the authorization

4:21:09 to 4:21:22( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: part of our legislation. so the need's never been greater and we've all talked a lot about th struggle of working families who are forced to choose between the need for heat and the need to eevment eat.

4:21:22 to 4:21:34( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: but the situation has gotten much worse. this is not news to people who are living through this and struggling in nightmare of foreclosure, the difficulty with watching wages flatten outeven as you're working

4:21:34 to 4:21:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: harder, and your food prices are going up, your gasoline prices are goingre up, college tuitions are going up, health care premiums are going up. and i could add more to that. families are being forced

4:21:54 to 4:22:11( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: to choose between heating, air conditioning, food, gasoline and mortgage payments. all of those difficult choices that families are making. today 50.5 million are behind in paying their utility.

4:22:11 to 4:22:29( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: according to au.s.a. today" article one of our energy companies in pennsylvania has disconnected 168% more -- 168% more homes than at this time last year. so we have a major challenge in our state.

4:22:29 to 4:22:42( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the good news is that in pennsylvania we've got over 400,000 families -- households, i should say, in pennsylvania receive assistance from liheap. but that's less than half of the 800,000 that are eligible.

4:22:42 to 4:22:59( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: 800,000 households in our state that are eligible. so we're -- we're happy that liheap has done so -- such a good job of helping 400,000 households, but we have another -- we have a doubling of that 800,000

4:22:59 to 4:23:13( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: who are, in fact, eligible. for those receiving assistancess in pennsylvania the average grant was $239 and it covered less than half of a quarter of their need. when people hear big numbers, people

4:23:13 to 4:23:26( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: say m y goodness the federal government wants to increase the liheap program by by $2.5 million. that sounds like a lot of money. spread it out person by person. and when it comes down to pennsylvania,

4:23:26 to 4:23:42( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: we're talking about assistance at last count -- this number is a few years old, it is not much higher than this, of $239. so if we increase it, we increase it by several billion nation ally, that

4:23:42 to 4:23:55( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: means that that individual pennsylvanian had get some help. but they're not going to get hundreds and hundreds of dollars more. they're going to get more than than $239 or $250 or $260 in help.

4:23:55 to 4:24:11( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: it's not a lot when it comes to that person. but it means a lot to that individual person and their family. here's the scenario: in the dark of night in the cold of winter, i don't want to have

4:24:11 to 4:24:28( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: a pennsylvanian or an american in their homes freezing to death because a couple of people here in washington didn't thinkn that that $2.53 billion was the right way to spend money. when we've

4:24:28 to 4:24:45( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: got an administration which sent a budget here for 2009, which had $51 billion for people i -- in tax cuts for people making over $1 million and up. so if -- for anyone listening, if you're a millionaire,

4:24:45 to 4:25:00( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: a multimillionaire, or a billionaire, or beyond that, this administration sent us a budget this year that gave that tiny sliver of america a a $51 billion tax break. so don't tell me that we can't afford

4:25:00 to 4:25:18( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: a little bit of an increase f or low-income home energy assistance. especially when older citizens are faced with the squeeze -- squeeze doesn't even begin to describe it. the vice grip on their head,

4:25:18 to 4:25:34( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: the nightmare of trying to pass for gasoline and food and oil in their tank, literally, to heat their homes. so we can afford this. 10 times over we can afford it. mr. president, i want to conclude

4:25:34 to 4:25:54( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: when we have the situation of an older citizen or a young child who's living in a home that's not heated or living without adequate nutrition, that child, as well as that older citizen, is harmed.

4:25:54 to 4:26:05( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: rate of growth in -- and development are jeopardized. a child, they're sicker, they miss more school, and they don't do as well in class. a large percentage of liheap goes not only to older citizens, but

4:26:05 to 4:26:18( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: those with a disability. this is important because someone who is frailed is more likely to be impacted by exposure if they're unable to pay to heat or cool their home. so i hope we pass this legislation

4:26:18 to 4:26:31( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: before we leave in august. why should we wait? no one here has to have a crystal ball to know that in the cold months ahead of us, a lot of vulnerable people are going to be put at risk. so this

4:26:31 to 4:26:44( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: is our chance to do something, not just to talk about it, but to do something that will provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable in our society. so what i -- i would ask my colleagues

4:26:44 to 4:27:24( Edit History Discussion )

Robert P. Casey, Jr.: to support the warm in winter, cool in summer act, which will help our families. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor. and would note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will

4:27:24 to 4:27:42( Edit History Discussion )

James Inhofe: call the roll. quorum call: a senator: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call in process be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. inhofe: mr. president, might i inquire

4:27:24 to 4:42:55( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: James Inhofe