Governor Jeanne Shaheen went to a Concord neighborhood today, to illustrate the state?s need for federal heating aid money. Her actions looked a bit like those of a candidate for U.S. Senate, but Shaheen and her opponents say there is little politics involved in keeping needy people warm. NHPR?s David Darman has more.
Governor Shaheen stood out in the icy driveway of the Belknap/Merrimack County Community Action Program Office in Concord, and chided President George Bush. Shaheen said Bush?s administration has still not released money for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, and the state ran out of the funds two weeks ago.
01 327 Leaving people out in the cold, when there?s 600 million dollars available to help them heat their homes is irresponsible and its bureaucratic. 01 337 congress put aside this money for people who need this assistance to heat their homes. 01 345 The president needs to help us in new Hampshire, so that they can get what they need to stay warm. 01 352
The state says 700 people have been turned away for aid since January 18th, and that 2,000 families may not get the help they need if funding does not come through. The administration has said that it will release the money when temperatures plummet, or energy prices rise sharply. But Governor Shaheen points out that it is cold in New Hampshire. And, she added that even though she is now a candidate for U.S. Senate, she does not think the Republican president should hold back the money because of some spat with Democrats.
01 1111 this is a non partisan effort. Because ?cold weather doesn?t respect partisan politics. Cold weather effects everybody and we all need to work together to get this done. 01 1124
Shaheen?s Republican opponents for the Senate agree with her that this issue is not a political football between one side and the other. They say heating aid is more of a regional issue, since cold weather affects the northeast more than other regions of the country. Congressman John Sununu says the president is not being unusually obstinate in holding on to the money, either. Sununu says the battle between northeast congressmen and the president is more of an annual rite.
11 16 I think given that you have democrats and republicans in new England we?ve worked together on this issue year after year, in a bipartisan way. I don?t think the administration views this issue politically. I think it?s a mistake to view this as a political issue, no matter where you?re coming from. 11 35
Sununu is seeking the G.O.P. nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by fellow Republican, Bob Smith. Smith also sees no politics in the call for LIHEAP money. Smith says he?s been trying to get the money for home heating aid from the administration, along with the people who will be his opponents in the race for U.S. Senate.
14 329 I don?t believe that this is a political issue between republicans and democrats. Governor shaheen and I agree on this, that this money should be provided and that we?ve both been very aggressive in seeking those moneys. There will be plenty of stuff that I?ll be differing with the governor on, and the campaign will certainly contrast those differences very sharply. But this is not one of them. 14 351
Senator Judd Gregg and Congressman Charlie Bass, who are both Republicans, have also asked president Bush to release the money to further fund LIHEAP. The Senator and Congressman were not available for this story. And the President has still not indicated when, or if, he?ll release the LIHEAP money.
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