Washington, D. C. – The American Gas Association (AGA) today hailed the passage of a record $5.1 billion in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds and the end of a quarter of a century moratorium on natural gas and oil production on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
“Congress is to be commended for funding LIHEAP at a record level,” said Richard (Rick) Shelby, AGA’s executive vice president of public affairs. “This positive action will help ensure that millions of low-income American families will stay warm this winter and be better able to manage the rising cost of heating their homes.”
The LIHEAP funding was included in the House passed FY09 Continuing Resolution (CR) which will fund the federal government until March, 2009. In contrast, the language continuing the moratoriums on offshore production was dropped from the CR effectively ending the ban.
“AGA is pleased that common sense prevailed, and that the ban on offshore drilling was finally allowed to expire,” Shelby said. “We encourage Congress to standby this decision and to take up a meaningful dialogue next year that will strengthen America’s energy security and bring more, clean, affordable natural gas to market.”