Senator had called for quick release of heating funds; Mass to receive $133 million
Washington (October 23, 2015) –Senator Edward J. Markey applauded the initial release of funds today to provide heating assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Under this initial release, Massachusetts will receive more than $133 million to help low income residents with heating assistance this winter. Today’s action comes following a letter that Senator Markey sent earlier this month with a bipartisan group of 39 of his colleagues in the Senate to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging that LIHEAP funds be released as quickly as possible and at as high a level as possible.
“As the leaves begin to fall, this release of home heating assistance funds will help Massachusetts residents prepare for the winter,” said Senator Markey. “I commend the Obama Administration for releasing these energy assistance funds in such a timely fashion. Today’s release will help us ensure that Massachusetts families will not have to make choices this winter between paying for fuel or paying for food, medicine or other necessities. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the Senate to return full funding to this vital program that protects hundreds of thousands of families in Massachusetts and millions more around the country each winter.”
Senator Markey’s letter to HHS earlier this month calling for the quick release of LIHEAP funds can be found here.
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