Half of that reduction was heating oil on the East Coast. Due to the dangerously low supply and skyrocketing price of energy, urgent action is required before you leave office. It is our judgment that this emergency funding should be targeted to the cold weather states who are, in fact, currently experiencing an emergency. In the United States of America, low-income senior citizens and children should not be forced to go cold in the winter. The number of crisis cases, those families in danger of losing fuel or utility services, are already on the rise this year.
Timing is critical.
Upon release of emergency funding last year, it took two to four weeks, depending on the state, for low-income households to actually receive the funds. Title III, Section 182 of Public Law 106-469 gives you the authority to sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of petroleum distillate from the Reserve. Given the dangerously low supply and skyrocketing price of home heating oil, we strongly believe that you have the authority to immediately release all 2 million barrels of heating oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. If this release is to have any positive impact on increasing the heating oil supply and providing relief to heating oil consumers, it must be done during your Administration. We thank you in advance for your attention to these matters.