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<p>Citing statistics that suggest only about one-quarter of Pennsylvanians eligible for home heating aid actually get it, U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, D-Scranton, called for a big increase in federal money for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, from about $3.3 billion this year to 4.7 billion next year.</p><p>&#8220;Of 1.6 million eligible households in Pennsylvania, currently we can only help 398,498,&#8221; Casey said in a teleconference.</p><p>Acknowledging &#8220;there are many reasons&#8221; people may be eligible but chose not to apply, he still deemed the data as &#8220;an insult to Pennsylvania and an insult to America. No program can be considered successful if it only reaches 25 percent of those eligible.&#8221;</p><p>Casey praised the federal Department of Health and Human Services for heeding a call he and others made by releasing $3 billion nationwide &#8212; about 90 percent of the total &#8212; quickly this year. Enrollment in the program in Pennsylvania opens Nov. 2 and closes April 4 next year.</p><p>But he said too many people are forced to make the choice &#8220;between feeding their families and heating their homes,&#8221; and that funding for the program &#8220;has been cut by 30 percent in recent years.&#8221;</p><p>Casey read quotes from three constituents extolling the value of the program to them, including a single mother and couple on a fixed income, and challenged those who want to cut the program to justify their logic.</p><p>&#8220;This is real life. This isn&#8217;t some policy seminar in Washington, D.C., where people can blow a lot of hot air about how great they are at cutting spending,&#8221; Casey said.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m calling on every member of Congress to work to increase funds for the program to at least $4.7 billion&#8221; Casey said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what we all should be for, and if you&#8217;re not for that you ought to have a damn good reason why.&#8221;</p><p>Locally, eligible applicants can apply through the Luzerne</p><p>County Assistance Office, 570-826-2100, or through the Commission on Economic Opportunity, 1-800-822-0359. You can also apply online at www.compass.state.pa.us.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Sen. Casey calls for increased funding of home heating assistance program