WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Tina Smith issued the following press release:
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) and several colleagues are leading a bipartisan push for the federal government to release energy assistance funding as quickly as possible, helping families stay safe and warm as our weather cools and energy costs spike. More than 100,000 Minnesota households relied on the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) last winter. Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year. Demand for assistance is expected to increase as the average family will likely spend around $1,030 to heat their homes this winter, an 8.7% increase f...