Appropriations

House Increases LIHEAP Funding to $2.6 Billion

December 17, 2007

Chairman Obey (House Appropriations) released the House version of the Omnibus Appropriations bill on Sunday, Dec. 16. The bill includes funding for LIHEAP for FY 2008. The bill would maintain block grant funding at $1.98 billion (the bill sets the level at $2.015 billion and then applies a 1.747% across the board cut bringing the total down to $1.98 billion).

The bill also increases contingency funding from the $181.17 that was provided in FY 07 to $585.9 million ($596.379 million minus 1.747% across the board cut) for an increase of $404.8 million.

The House bill represents a significant increase from the $250 million in additional emergency contingency funding that was provided in the last version that was vetoed by the President. Note: the President has not agreed to this version of the spending bill and it includes $11 billion in emergency funding. Of this amount, $250 million of the $404.8 million increase is included as part of the emergency designation. As such, if the President does not agree to the emergency designation, then we could lose the $250 million of the increase.

Stay tuned - the House is expected to vote on the bill tomorrow.