MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Could the ongoing government shutdown leave some Vermonters in the cold? As the political stalemate enters a third week, there are concerns that it could disrupt home heating subsidies for low-income households.
Now is the time Vermonters normally receive notice of their Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program benefits and how much of their winter heating bills those payments will cover. But the shutdown and a lack of a federal budget are complicating those plans.
Every year, Vermont pays out $12 to $15 million in heating assistance to some 26,000 families. The benefits come from the federal government in mid-November and help thousands of low-income families afford critical fuel deliveries.
But if the government shutdown continues and Congress does not have a budget, fuel experts say the federal LIHEAP block grant could be delayed. “When you’re talking about something so essential as heat and hot water and cooking gas, which is what these funds pay for, it has a lot of customers and their suppliers nervous,” said Matt Cota of Meadowhill.
This isn’t the first time funding has been in jeopardy. The state has stepped in to help, or they can adjust who is eligible for LIHEAP. But Cota adds that the current government shutdown and the political uncertainty around it are unlike years past. “If something isn’t done in D.C. by Halloween, it will be difficult to get the money out to the fuel dealers and to the customers in the timeframe we’re used to,” Cota said.
The state of Vermont has fronted the money to help bridge the gap in years past when there were budget issues. “We can survive a government shutdown for days, maybe weeks, but not months,” said Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont.
The Joint Fiscal Committee will meet on Thursday to understand the effects of a prolonged government shutdown and its impacts on state programs. State lawmakers could backfill funding for LIHEAP and other programs that could be impacted by a government shutdown. But when that dollar amount is so large, it would need a special session of the Legislature.
Governor Scott is not ruling it out. He’s also urging Democrats and Republicans in Congress to come to a deal. “They could come to a resolution in an afternoon if they both got together like we did trying to solve a problem for Burlington, and help the American people,” Scott said.
The JFC is also expected to hear updates on contingency planning for the shutdown, the impact of expiring federal health care subsidies, and the governor’s return to office work order for state employees.
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