|
HIGHLIGHTS
·
Job Opening: Senate Legislative
Director
·
Clean Water Financing
·
LIHEAP Data
·
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Mayors
·
Oil Heat Research Program
Job Opening: Senate Legislative Director
The Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition is seeking a
legislative director. The bipartisan caucus is co-chaired by Senators
Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and addresses a variety of
economic and environmental issues important to the region. The
legislative director would work for all Members of the Senate Coalition,
regardless of party. Resumes should be sent by September 9th to dickmunson@nemw.org.
Clean Water Financing
Senator Jack Reed (R-RI), co-chair of the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition, is seeking signatures on a letter asking
the Treasury Secretary to provide arbitrage relief for water infrastructure
investments. States lack funding for needed wastewater and stormwater
treatment facilities, and Congress last year cut funding for the Clean
Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) from $1.35 billion to $1.1 billion.
Several states are leveraging their SRFs in order to increase funding, yet
federal arbitrage rules hinder these efforts. Contact: Kris Sarri with the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (202/224-0606).
LIHEAP Data
The Northeast-Midwest Institute has posted updated
information on its website about federal funding for the Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). One chart (http://www.nemw.org/LIHEAPchart_PurchasePowerCurrent82.pdf)
shows how energy inflation has eroded the purchasing power of LIHEAP
appropriations. A second (http://www.nemw.org/LIHEAPchart_AppropsCurrent82.pdf)
reveals that a fiscal 2005 appropriation of about $3 billion would have
been needed in order to account for inflation and keep LIHEAP even with its
1982 funding level. A data table lists
authorization levels, funding requests from the White House, and
allocations for the regular and emergency LIHEAP grants for fiscal 1982
through 2005. Click here for
links to all three new web postings.
LIHEAP, which provides federal funds to help pay for
energy costs, is an important program for northeastern and midwestern
states with winter heating needs. The full House has approved fiscal
2006 LIHEAP funding of $2.007 billion for regular program dollars and no
additional funds for emergency funds. The Senate Appropriations Committee
has approved LIHEAP funding of $1.883 billion in regular program dollars
and $300 million in emergency funds, but the full Senate has yet to
act.
Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Mayors
The recent edition of the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Cities Initiative’s quarterly newsletter is now available
at: http://www.nemw.org/glci/GLCI0705.pdf
Oil Heat Research Program
Reps. Marty Meehan (D-MA) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH), co-chairs
of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, are circulating a letter
that supports a $1-million appropriation in the upcoming Energy and Water
conference for the Oil Heat Research Program at Brookhaven National
Laboratory. The research program is designed to improve the
efficiency and technology of heating oil combustion. More than 10
million American households use oil to heat their homes. This program
has already saved over $7 billion for the 11 percent of U.S. homes
using oil heat. Contact: Lisa Mark with the
Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/226/5181).
Calendar | Media Links | Reports/Periodicals
Northeast-Midwest
Institute
218 D St, SE
Washington DC 20003
Ph. 202 544 5200
Email dickmunson@nemw.org with comments or to
unsubscribe from this mailing list.
|
