September 14, 2006

Midwestern states get nothing under Bush plan; governors urge administration to release additional funding

LANSING – Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today urged President Bush to reverse an unfair, illogical decision by his administration to release $80 million in energy assistance funding that excluded Midwestern states in favor of eastern states – including some with much warmer climates.

“This just shows how out of touch the Bush Administration is with the concerns of hardworking families in the Midwest,” Governor Doyle said.  “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Wisconsin and Michigan have longer, colder winters than Virginia and North Carolina.  While all parts of the country need help, to completely exclude the Midwest is not only unfair – it’s going to be devastating to tens of thousands of families.”

“Now that our drivers are finally getting some relief at the pump, I’m amazed that the Bush administration would choose to ignore Midwesterners’ home heating needs,” said Governor Granholm.  “This decision is just one more example of how out of touch the president is.”

This week’s announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services said that the aid would flow to states “in which low-income households make greatest use of fuel oil to heat their homes.”  Since most Midwestern states rely on natural gas, this arbitrary standard excludes many of the states with the longest and coldest winters and the highest heating costs.

The governors’ letter is attached.

This week’s announcement from the Bush administration is available online at:

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060912.html

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