NRCS extends the EQIP

United States Senator Kit Bond today announced that in response to his request, the President will release $2.2 million in federal funds to help low-income families in Missouri meet high energy costs.

"Today's announcement is good news for Missouri families struggling with high energy costs," said Bond. "While these funds will help many needy families in Missouri pay their energy bills this winter, it is critical that Congress provides additional funding so we can expand low-income heating help for Missourians."

Recognizing the hardship the current energy crisis has placed on Missouri families, Bond, joined by a bipartisan group of 44 Senators, called on President Bush in June to release unspent federal energy assistance funds instead of sending them back to the U.S. Treasury. On Wednesday, the President announced the release of these critical funds.

The $2,216,911 in federal funds released for Missouri today were from Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program that operates in each to state to help low-income households with their home energy bills. Earlier in the year, Missouri received through this program more than $57 million in fiscal year 2008 to help eligible low-income families meet high energy costs.

As families struggling through summer cooling bills and high gas prices are hit next with high winter heating costs, Bond stressed that it is important that families aren't forced to choose between heating their homes and other skyrocketing costs like food and prescription drugs. To help families meet these increasing energy costs, Bond is supporting an additional $2.5 billion to be included in the Continuing Resolution Congress must pass before the end of the year. Bond encourages Missouri families that need energy assistance to visit http://www.dss.mo.gov/fsd/liheap.htm or contact the Missouri Family Support Division at (573) 751-3221 for more information about Missouri's LIHEAP program.