Reid to resist Obama cut in heating/cooling aid

President Barack Obama's budget plan to be released Monday is expected to contain at least one proposal that will be rejected by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Reid said today he is not in favor of cutting the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which provides poor families with aid to pay heating and air conditioning bills.

An early leak of Obama's budget this week indicated the president wants to cut about $2.5 billion from the 2009 authorized level of $5.1 billion. The president's allies are scratching their heads as Democrats have been perennial defenders of the assistance.

"The president's suggestion on LIHEAP is something we will take a look at but I am not going to rush to the fore there and say I accept cutting $3 billion from LIHEAP," Reid told reporters.

Reid, the Senate majority leader, said that a partial freeze on domestic spending Obama plans to propose will allow Congress to adjust individual programs up or down as long as the bottom line stays constant.

"if a program works we can keep it the way it is, or add to it," Reid said. "If it doesn't work, get rid of it."

From his comments, Reid indicated LIHEAP is a program that works. Nevada received $18 million in fiscal 2010, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"I personally am not a big fan of cutting what we have done with LIHEAP," Reid said. "I think we have done some very good things for people who are the poorest of the poor."