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A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the United States Congress to End the Costly and Disastrous Federal Shutdown and Fast Track Funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), to Prevent Additional, Unnecessary Hardship this Fall and Winter
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Whereas, according to a 2020 study of U.S. household energy consumption done by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), American household’s primary use of energy is heating which, on average, accounts for 43% of the energy used by U.S. households; and
Whereas, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association predicts that home heating costs this winter will increase by 7.6% - rising faster than inflation - and this increase will equate to the average American household paying between $907 and $976 dollars to heat their homes this winter; and
Whereas, on May 2, 2025, President Donald Trump released the administration’s fiscal year 2026 (FY2026) “skinny” budget proposal, which includes approximately $163 billion in reductions from the federal budget to non-defense discretionary spending, including the elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other programs that support working families, children, and seniors; and
Whereas, the U.S. Congress once again failed to fulfill its constitutional duty to advance appropriations through the House and Senate and negotiate a budget for FY2026; and
Whereas, the U.S. federal government shutdown at 12:01 AM EDT on October 1, 2025 due to Congress’s failure to pass appropriations for FY2026; and
Whereas, the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers estimates that the federal shutdown costs U.S. taxpayers $15 billion per week (approaching $75 billion by the date this resolution is introduced in Council); and
Whereas, LIHEAP is a critical lifeline to millions of Americans, helping mitigate the financial impact of ever higher heating bills and allowing millions of seniors, ...
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