Statement by the Honorable Bobby L. Rush in support of Increased LIHEAP Funding in the$838 Billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

WASHINGTON, DC ---- “Thank you all so much for inviting me to participate in this very important event this afternoon.

“As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have been a longtime staunch supporter of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program because I understand how difficult it is for families, in my district and across the country, to meet the rising costs of home energy. 

“I urge my Congressional colleagues to fully fund the LIHEAP program in FY 2010 at its most recent authorization of $5.1 billion.  I have personal experience with the need for assistance. I remember my mom; she had five children and was single. I have experienced the heat being turned off in the winter time. My siblings and I were shivering so much that it looked like we were dancing, but we were just trying to be warm.

 “I remember one of the things that helped solidify my commitment to the Civil Rights Movement. I was called to a basement apartment on the west side of Chicago and there were three or four small children gathered around a space heater. I will never forget the image of what I saw and what I felt that day. That motivated me to get involved.  Not only do I come to this as an advocate from Congress, but as a fellow activist and community organizer.

“That’s why we cannot be satisfied with $1.5 million. That’s a benchmark. We cannot be comfortable because we are going to keep coming back asking for more money for LIHEAP assistance; $10.2 billion, then $40.4 billion.

“I know that millions of Americans, some of whom are standing with me here, today, from my Chicago community, work day in and day out to juggle essential needs—everything from the rising costs of food, healthcare and clothing to education. LIHEAP serves as an essential safety net that, in many instances, can help vulnerable families survive the winter elements.

“At this time, please allow me to recognize representatives of the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, or CEDA, who have been instrumental in working with me, as a member of Congress, to champion LIHEAP as well as the Weatherization Assistance Program. 

“CEDA has also been instrumental in helping to transform Chicago into one of the leading “green” cities in the nation. They are Marsha Belcher, Patricia Vance, and Jennifer Smith of CEDA.

“Friends, it is with great enthusiasm that I join my colleagues here, as well as the assorted group of community leaders and LIHEAP advocates, to issue a bi-partisan call to action to include $1 billion in home-energy assistance funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. 

 “This proposed increase in LIHEAP funding will benefit our most impoverished citizens, nationwide, and it will help thousands of low-income families weather the storm, literally and figuratively, in the face of unprecedented economic hardships and massive unemployment.

“I want to thank all of you for allowing me to join you today. We must remain steadfast in our resolve to ensure that we include increased LIHEAP funding in the stimulus package and that we provide the assistance that is so badly needed by our most vulnerable families and communities. 

“Thank you.”

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