正在面临艰难连任竞选的缅因州共和党参议员苏珊·柯林斯于周五宣布，联邦政府将提前拨付资金，用于帮助低收入家庭支付取暖费用。
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is facing a tough reelection fight, on Friday touted the early release of funds to help low-income people heat their homes.
“本周我与卫生与公众服务部部长及管理和预算办公室主任进行了会谈，随后超过3800万美元的联邦取暖援助资金将发放给缅因州的民众，”柯林斯在社交媒体上写道。“这是LIHEAP项目资金发放时间最早的一次。当前正值关键时期：不断上涨的取暖油价格给缅因州居民带来了沉重的经济负担，”她补充道。LIHEAP即“低收入家庭能源援助计划”。
“After my conversations with the HHS [Health and Human Services] Secretary and OMB [Office of Management and Budget] Director this week, more than $38 million in federal home heating assistance will be released to help Maine families,” Collins said in a post on“This is one of the earliest releases of LIHEAP funding. This announcement comes at a critical time, as rising home heating oil prices are placing significant financial pressure on Mainers,” she added, referring to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
此次宣布正值美国与伊朗冲突升级、乌克兰持续袭击俄罗斯炼油厂之际，包括东北部地区广泛使用的取暖油在内的各类燃料价格均出现大幅上涨。
Collins’s announcement comes as fuel prices, including heating oil, which is commonly used in the Northeast, have spiked amid the U.S.-Iran war and Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries.
高昂的能源价格不仅加重了美国民众的生活负担，也给谋求连任的候选人带来了巨大压力。
The high prices have put pressure on Americans’ wallets — and on candidates seeking reelection.
在最近的一场辩论中，柯林斯的民主党对手特洛伊·杰克逊呼吁增加LIHEAP项目的拨款、扩大受益人群范围并结束伊朗战争。
In a recent debate, Collins’s Democratic opponent Troy Jackson called for more LIHEAP money, expanding eligibility and ending the war in Iran.
柯林斯在辩论中提及自己已与特朗普政府沟通，请求提前发放援助资金，同时主张进一步扩大该项目规模，并增设帮助民众改善房屋保暖条件的相关计划。
Collins said during the debate mentioned her talks with the Trump administration to ask for early relief and called for expanding the program and expanding programs to help people weatherize their homes.
尽管LIHEAP项目在国会获得两党广泛支持，但特朗普政府却对该项目持批评态度，多次在预算提案中提议取消相关拨款。去年，政府还解雇了负责该项目的工作人员。
While LIHEAP has significant bipartisan support in Congress, the Trump administration has been critical of the program, repeatedly proposing to defund it in budget requests to Congress. The administration also fired staffers working on the program last year.
代表各州LIHEAP项目负责人的全国能源援助主管协会执行主任马克·沃尔夫在致《国会山报》的邮件中称赞这一决定具有积极意义，并希望国会也能为该项目提供更多资金。
In an email to The Hill, Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which represents state-level LIHEAP directors, praised the decision as a meaningful step. He said he hopes that Congress will also devote more money to the program.
“这创下了历史最快纪录。通常情况下，资金要30天后才能到位。此举必将帮助那些气候寒冷地区的州提前启动相关项目……并为使用取暖油的民众提供即时援助，”沃尔夫说道。他补充道：“希望这是解决资金缺口问题的第一步……毕竟目前取暖油价格仍在不断刷新历史高位。”
“This is record time. Usually we don’t see the money for 30 days. This will definitely help cold weather states get their programs started early … and provide immediate relief to families using heating oil,” Wolfe said in an“Hopefully it’s the first step in addressing the need for additional money…as prices for heating oil continue to hit record levels,” he added.
柯林斯是参议院拨款委员会主席，该委员会提出的法案决定了联邦政府的支出方向。
Collins is the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, whose bills dictate federal spending.