Progress is being made on the release of first quarter LIHEAP funds. HHS told House Appropriations staff that they are hoping to get the first quarter LIHEAP apportionment and funds out to the states by the end of the week. NEADA will continue to monitor the situation until it gets resolved. On another note, the Senate passed the FY 2008 Labor, HHS Appropriations bill last night. The vote was 75-19 and would have been 80-20 had Kennedy, Dodd, Obama, Biden and McCain been present to vote on the bill. While the President has threatened to veto bill, there is now a veto-proof margin in the Senate and the House is short by about 6 votes. The Senate bill maintains LIHEAP the FY 07 funding level of $2.16 billion ($1.98 billion in basic grant and $181.7 million in contingency); the House includes a $500 million increase for a total of $2.66 billion ($1.98 billion in basic grant and $681.7 million in contingency). The next step will be conference where we will have to fight to keep the additional $500 million in contingency funding included in the House passed level for LIHEAP.
Mark Wolfe, National Energy Assistance Directors' Association
mlwolfe@neada.org
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