Legislative Update
2007 Budget
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) was slated to receive a significant cut in the 2007 President's Budget. The Administration asked for $164.2 million in WAP funds -- a $76 million (or 33 percent) reduction from 2006. This would mean that more than 33,000 families would be denied services based on these cuts in appropriations.
In response, NASCSP provided testimony to both the Senate and House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittees in support of a $242.5 million (House) and $275 million (Senate) in WAP funding level for 2007. We also supported significant increases in LIHEAP and SEP.
The House Appropriations Committee voted to provide $254.5 million for the Program. There was no final number agreed to in the Senate, but the subcommittee had initially agreed upon $204.5 million. Since Congress was unable to pass a budget for FY07, a Continuing Resolution was put in place, funding the WAP at the FY06 level of $242.5 million.
A Continuing Resolution offers leeway in determining final budget allocations and the Department of Energy may choose to fund WAP at a number significantly below Congress’s suggested amount. NASCSP, NEADA, and NASEO have worked with the Northeast/Midwest Energy Coalition in both the House and Senate to prepare "Dear Colleague" letters in support of the $254.5 million level. Several of these letters and individual responses from Members expressing their support have found their way to OMB and DOE. Most significantly, the Senate “Dear Colleague” letter received 35 signatures including Senator Robert Byrd’s. His support bodes well for our Program.
DOE and OMB are currently in the process of negotiating the final figures. We will keep you posted as these issues develop.
2008 Budget
In FY08, the Weatherization Assistance Program is once more slated to receive a cut in the President’s Budget. The Administration has asked for $144 million- a $98 million (41%) cut from the FY06 (and possible FY07) number of $242.5 million.
In response, NASCSP will provide testimony to both the Senate and House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittees in support of a $275 million in WAP funding for FY08 and $74 million for State Energy Programs. We also support significant increases for LIHEAP.
Potential Transfer from DOE to HHS
Last year brought rumors about a proposed transfer of the Weatherization Assistance Program from the Department of Energy to Health and Human Services. The DOE is the only federal department concerned with energy efficiency in housing and remains the only place for the WAP to operate. An upheaval of this Program to another Department would greatly impair WAP’s ability to operate and would be detrimental to the oversight and delivery of Weatherization services everywhere.
Fortunately, this consideration was met with nearly unanimous disapproval from our State Directors, Congress and even the Department’s own State Energy Advisory Board.
NASCSP, NASEO, and NEADA worked with the Northeast/Midwest Energy Coalition in both the House and Senate to secure “Dear Colleague” letters against the move and Senators Bingaman and Domenici expressed their disapproval in a letter to Secretary Bodman and OMB Director Portman.
Bodman’s response was that they were not, at this time, seeking to move the program but were rather “studying how greater integration and coordination of this program [WAP] and HHS’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program can better serve our communities”.
We will closely monitor these plans for greater integration and what they may entail.
