Senator Jeanne Shaheen visited Dover on Monday to push for more federal heating assistance and weatherization funding.
The fight for more cash for the federal low income home energy assistance program is a winter ritual for state’s congressional delegation. As she met with local energy officials and aid workers in Dover, Shaheen said now’s the time to add money to next year’s budget for fuel aid, and said its common sense for the government to to help people weatherize their homes:
Because it does have benefits across the economy in terms of job creation, getting people working again.
Weatherization efforts are part of an amendment to the Shaheen Portman Energy Efficiency Bill, which Shaheen and Ohio Republican Rob Portman have been trying to push through Congress since 2011.
The federal government reduced weatherization funds to New Hampshire by 70 percent and heating assistance funds by 57 percent over the last six years.