January, 20 2022, 09:46am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Marcus Frias (Bowman), (305-979-4515)
Taylor St. Germain (Markey), (202-224-2742)
Rep. Bowman, Sen. Markey Introduce Heating and Cooling Relief Act to Transform Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
WASHINGTON
Today, Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, legislation to invest in and expand the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to universalize energy assistance. Currently, it is estimated that only 16 percent of households eligible for LIHEAP are actually served.
"There is no reason why, in the richest nation on Earth, people in our communities should be forced to choose between staying warm in the winter or cool in the summer and being able to make rent or put food on the table," said Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). "Senator Markey and I are working toward an America that respects our collective humanity and our Heating and Cooling Relief Act makes it so that every family can afford their energy bills. This is a racial and economic justice issue, with Black, Latino and Indigenous households all experiencing disproportionately high energy burdens. The lack of energy assistance is also a public health crisis, with high energy burdens associated with a greater risk for respiratory diseases and heat strokes. The fact is that no one, anywhere in this country, should have to resort to using their stoves or turning on space heaters because of exorbitantly high bills. This legislation is a bold approach to energy assistance that meets the moment by making energy assistance much more accessible to tens of millions more people and I am proud to have a partner in Senator Markey as we take on this fight."
"Access to life-saving heating and cooling is a basic human right that ensures our health and safety and should not be reserved only for those who can afford it," said Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.). "This winter, families should not have to choose between paying bills or suffering chills. I am grateful that Congressman Bowman and I are fighting to make sure that home energy funding--a critical lifeline for families throughout the country--will be available to all of those who need it. Our Heating and Cooling Relief Act would provide LIHEAP funding to millions more Americans and ensure that the program has all the support it needs to enhance outreach efforts and serve all eligible households. The bill also takes steps to reduce the energy burdens of LIHEAP recipients and cut down our fossil fuel use by increasing investments in weatherization. The Heating and Cooling Relief Act is the ambitious and comprehensive legislation we need to help ensure the health and safety of American families and support a just transition away from fossil fuel consumption."
Specifically, the Heating and Cooling Relief Act:
- Increases annual funding for LIHEAP to $40 billion and expands eligibility to ensure that no household pays more than three percent of its annual income on energy costs;
- Minimizes the barriers to administering and applying LIHEAP by allowing households to self-attest to eligibility criteria; increases g the administrative cap for outreach, technological and staffing purposes; and ensures LIHEAP coordinators are paid a living wage;
- Protects consumers by ensuring no eligible household has its utilities shutoff or pays late fees, that every household receiving funds can have their utility debt cleared, and that utility companies set up discounted payment plans to support consumers;
- Ensures states can use LIHEAP to address climate adaptation by increasing funding for cooling assistance and ensuring households can access utility assistance during major disasters; and
- Increases funding made available for weatherization through LIHEAP, and establishes a new Just Transition Grant for states and localities to help reduce energy burdens for LIHEAP-eligible households and promote renewable energy usage.
"The Heating and Cooling Relief act would end energy poverty in the US by providing that no family would spend more than 3 percent of their family's budget on home energy and would provide states with the flexibility to weatherize up to 1 million homes per year," said Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association (NEADA). "The net result will be an end to the stubbornly high utility arrears and shut-offs that low income families have been struggling with for many years."
Congressman Bowman and Senator Markey have been champions for energy and utility justice issues throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 5, 2022 Congressman Bowman, Senator Markey, and Rep Schakowsky led a letter to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) urging the Biden Administration to protect consumers from unfairly high heating and energy prices. Last year, Congressman Bowman introduced the Public Power Resolution with Congresswoman Bush to make power a public utility, and he also introduced the Broadband Justice Act to deliver accessible, free broadband to every subsidized household in the nation. As part of the American Rescue Plan, Senator Markey advocated for $20 billion in funding for Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) and $4.5 billion in additional funding to LIHEAP. Last Congress, he also introduced a bill that would have set the sense of Congress that states and utilities should issue a moratorium on gas and electric service disconnections, late fees, reconnection fees, rate hikes, and other penalties for all consumers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Original cosponsors of this legislation are Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Elizabeth Warren (MA), and Representatives Andre Carson (IN), Emanuel Cleaver II (MO), Adriano Espaillat (NY), Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia (IL), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Mondaire Jones (NY), Barbara Lee (CA), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY), Grace Meng (NY), Gwen S. Moore (WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Mark Pocan (WI), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Mark Takano (CA), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Nydia M. Velazquez (NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL).
Organizations endorsing the Heating and Cooling Relief Act include National Energy Assistance Directors' Association (NEADA), National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), National Housing Law Project, Public Citizen, Sunrise Movement, Evergreen Action, Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), Sierra Club, Local Initiatives Support Coalition (LISC), Food and Water Watch, Rocky Mountain Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, Ecological Justice Initiative, Elevate, Dandelion Energy, Building Electrification Institute, Rewiring America, Association for Energy Affordability, Sustainable Westchester, New York Lawyers for Public Interest, Bloc Power, NY Geothermal Energy Organization, and NYC-Environmental Justice Alliance, Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP), and NY Renews.
En Espanol:
NOTICIAS: El Rep. Bowman y el Sen. Markey Presentan la Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion que Reforma el Programa de Asistencia para Energia para Hogares de Bajos Ingresos (LIHEAP)
WASHINGTON, DC - Hoy, el Congresista Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) y el Senador Edward Markey (D-Mass) introdujeron la Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion, un proyecto de ley que invierte y amplia el Programa de Asistencia para Energia para Hogares de Bajos Ingresos (LIHEAP) para universalizar la asistencia energetica. Actualmente, se estima que solo el 16 por ciento de los hogares elegibles para LIHEAP realmente reciben esta ayuda.
"No hay ninguna razon por la cual, en la nacion mas rica de la Tierra, las personas de nuestras comunidades deban verse obligadas a elegir entre mantenerse calientes en invierno o frescas en verano y poder pagar el alquiler o poner comida sobre la mesa", dijo el Congresista. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). "El Senador Markey y yo estamos trabajando para que Estados Unidos respete nuestra humanidad colectiva y nuestra Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion hace que todas las familias puedan pagar sus facturas de energia. Este es un problema de justicia racial y economica, ya que familias afroamericanas, latinas e indigenas experimentan gastos energeticos desproporcionadamente altos. La falta de asistencia energetica es tambien una crisis de salud publica, los altos costos de la energia estan asociados a un mayor riesgo de enfermedades respiratorias e hipertermia. El hecho es que nadie, en ningun lugar de este pais, deberia tener que usar sus estufas o encender calefactores por facturas exorbitantes. Esta legislacion es un enfoque audaz para la asistencia energetica que la hace mucho mas accesible para decenas de millones de personas mas, y me enorgullece tener un gran aliado como el Senador Markey en esta batalla".
"El acceso a los sistemas de calefaccion y refrigeracion que salvan vidas es un derecho humano basico que garantiza nuestra salud y seguridad y no debe reservarse solo para aquellos que pueden pagarlo", dijo el Senador Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts). "Este invierno, las familias no deberian tener que elegir entre pagar facturas o sufrir escalofrios. Estoy agradecido de que el Congresista Bowman y yo estemos luchando para asegurarnos de que los fondos de energia para el hogar, un salvavidas fundamental para las familias en todo el pais, esten disponibles para todos aquellos que lo necesiten. Nuestra Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion proporciona fondos al plan LIHEAP que beneficiaria a millones de estadounidenses mas y garantiza que el programa tenga todo el apoyo necesario para mejorar los esfuerzos de divulgacion y servir a todos los hogares elegibles. El proyecto de ley tambien toma medidas para reducir los gastos energeticos de los beneficiarios de LIHEAP y reducir nuestro uso de combustibles fosiles al aumentar las inversiones en climatizacion. La Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion es la legislacion ambiciosa e integral que necesitamos para ayudar a garantizar la salud y la seguridad de las familias estadounidenses y apoyar una transicion justa para reducir el consumo de combustibles fosiles".
La Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion, especificamente:
- Aumenta el financiamiento anual para el programa LIHEAP a $40 mil millones y amplia la elegibilidad para garantizar que ningun hogar pague mas del tres por ciento de sus ingresos anuales en costos de energia;
- Minimiza las barreras para administrar y aplicar LIHEAP al permitir que los hogares auto-certifiquen que han cumplido con los criterios de elegibilidad; aumenta la capacidad administrativa para fines de extension, tecnologicos y dotacion de personal; y garantiza que los coordinadores de LIHEAP reciban un salario digno;
- Protege a los consumidores al garantizar que a ningun hogar elegible se le corten sus servicios publicos o tenga que pagar recargos por pagos atrasados, que todos los hogares que reciben fondos puedan liquidar su deuda de servicios publicos y que las empresas de servicios publicos establezcan planes de pago con descuento para ayudar a los consumidores;
- Garantiza que los estados puedan usar LIHEAP para abordar la adaptacion climatica al aumentar los fondos para asistencia para sistemas de enfriamiento y confirmar que los hogares puedan acceder a asistencia de servicios publicos durante desastres importantes; y
- Aumenta los fondos disponibles para la climatizacion a traves de LIHEAP y establece un nuevo convenio de Transicion Justa en la gestion de las Subvenciones para los estados y municipalidades para ayudar a reducir los gastos energeticos para los hogares elegibles para LIHEAP y promover el uso de energia renovable.
"La Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion terminaria con la pobreza energetica en los EE. UU. al establecer que ninguna familia gastaria mas del 3 por ciento de su presupuesto familiar en energia para el hogar y brindaria a los estados la flexibilidad para climatizar hasta 1 millon de hogares por ano", dijo Mark Wolfe, Dir. Ejecutivo de la Asociacion Nacional de Directores de Asistencia Energetica (NEADA). "El resultado neto sera el fin de los obstinadamente altos retrasos y cortes de servicios publicos con los que las familias de bajos ingresos han estado luchando durante muchos anos".
El Congresista Bowman y el Senador Markey han sido defensores de justicia energetica y de servicios publicos ante los problemas causados por la pandemia de COVID-19. El 5 de enero de 2022, el Congresista Bowman, el Senador Markey y el Rep. Schakowsky lideraron el envio de una carta a la Comision Federal Reguladora de Energia (FERC) instando a la Administracion Biden a proteger a los consumidores de los precios injustamente altos de calefaccion y energia. El ano pasado, el Congresista Bowman presento la Resolucion para un Sistema Publico de Energia, con la Congresista Bush para convertir el sistema electrico en un servicio publico, y tambien presento la Ley de Justicia de Banda Ancha que hacer del sistema de banda ancha uno accesible y gratuito para todos los hogares subsidiados de la nacion. Como parte del Plan de Rescate Estadounidense, el Senador Markey abogo por $20 mil millones en fondos para el programa de Ayuda de Emergencia para el Alquiler (ERA) y $4.5 mil millones en fondos adicionales para LIHEAP. En el ultimo periodo de sesiones legislativas, tambien presento un proyecto de ley bajo el cual el Congreso hubiese exhortado a los estados y a las empresas de servicios publicos a emitir una moratoria sobre las desconexiones de los servicios de gas y electricidad, cargos por mora, cargos por reconexion, aumentos de tarifas y otras sanciones para todos los consumidores como resultado de la pandemia de COVID-19.
Los co-patrocinadores de esta propuesta son los Senadores Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) y Elizabeth Warren (MA), y los Reps. Andre Carson (IN), Emanuel Cleaver II (MO), Adriano Espaillat (NY), Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia (IL) , Pramila Jayapal (WA), Mondaire Jones (NY), Barbara Lee (CA), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY), Grace Meng (NY), Gwen S. Moore (WI), Eleanor Holmes Nortton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio -Cortez (NY), Mark Pocan (WI), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Mark Takano (CA), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Nydia M. Velazquez (NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ) y Frederica S. Wilson (FL).
Entre las organizaciones que respaldan la Ley de Asistencia para Calefaccion y Refrigeracion estan la Asociacion Nacional de Directores de Asistencia Energetica (NEADA), el Centro Nacional de Derecho del Consumidor (NCLC), el Proyecto de Nacional de Derecho de Vivienda, Public Citizen, Sunrise Movement, Iniciativa de Hogares Verdes y Saludables (GHHI), Sierra Club, Coalicion de Apoyo a Iniciativas Locales (LISC), Food and Water Watch, Rocky Mountain Institute, Centro para la Diversidad Biologica, Iniciativa de Justicia Ecologica, Elevate, Dandelion Energy, Building Electrification Institute, Rewiring America, Association for Energy Affordability, Sustainable Westchester, Abogados de Nueva York para el Interes Publico (NYLPI), Bloc Power, Organizacion de Energia Geotermica de Nueva York (NY-GEO), Alianza de Justicia Ambiental de la Ciudad de Nueva York, Asociacion para la Accion Comunitaria de Massachusetts (MASSCAP) y NY Renews.
Jamaal Anthony Bowman is an American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 16th congressional district since 2021.
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