EXCLUSIVE: White House to Cut Energy Assistance for the Poor

[democracy1st]

President Obama’s proposed 2012 budget will cut several billion dollars from the government’s energy assistance fund for poor people, officials briefed on the subject told National Journal.

It's the biggest domestic spending cut disclosed so far, and one that will likely generate the most heat from the president's traditional political allies. Such complaints might satisfy the White House, which has a vested interest in convincing Americans that it is serious about budget discipline. One White House friend, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), earlier today said a Republican proposal to cut home heating oil counted as an "extreme idea" that would "set the country backwards." Schumer has not yet reacted to Obama's proposed cut. On Wednesday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., declared: “The President’s reported proposal to drastically slash LIHEAP funds by more than half would have a severe impact on many of New Hampshire’s most vulnerable citizens and I strongly oppose it." A spokesman for Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., declared similarly: “If these cuts are real, it would be a very disappointing development for millions of families still struggling through a harsh winter.”

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, would see funding drop by about $2.5 billion from an authorized 2009 total of $5.1 billion. The proposed cut will not touch the program's emergency reserve fund, about $590 million, which can be used during particularly harsh cold snaps or extended heat spells, three officials told National Journal.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/exclusive-obama-to-cut-energy-assistance-for-the-poor-20110209

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Raksha]

10. +1000

[Catherina]

2. The class war will be over by the time people admit what's going on. Sad. Rec n/t

[Brickbat]

3. The problem with believing in three-dimensional chess is that there eventually has to be an endgame.

Clearly, there is no endgame -- at least, not one that has regular people in mind.

[laconicsax]

4. HELL YEAH! FUCK THE POOR! YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!

:grr:

[Obamanaut]

5. Additional discussion at these earlier threads ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=381418

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=382149

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=381910

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=382064

[Occulus]

6. That's ALLEGED discussion.

REAL disicussion hasn't happened yet. We have to wait and see. Who the hell ARE you citing anonymous internet posts as "discussion"? The discussion hasn't been confirmed yet.

We have to wait until it's actually being discussed to call it a "discussion".

;)

[Obamanaut]

9. Discussion in the form of additional responses to the same topic..

Do you feel better now? Breathe in, now exhale. Repeat.

[BlueCheese]

13. Occulus is clearly being facetious.

[Occulus]

14. I was mocking someone else.

You'd have to read those other threads to get the joke.

[Danger Mouse]

7. If true, this is extremely disappointing, to say the least.

[Radical Activist]

8. "In 2008, the government spent $2.6 billion on LIHEAP. In 2009, the figure jumped to $8.1 billion."

So even with these cuts it will still be about double what Bush was spending. Good to know the whole story.

[SidDithers]

11. Exclusive, except for the othe bunch of threads about it...nt

Sid

[WillyT]

12. K & R !!!

:kick:

[bigwillq]

15. K and R (nt)