The Bernie Buzz

Last year, I asked you to submit ideas and proposals to my office for projects that would improve our communities and address long-neglected needs of Vermonters. I have good news: thanks to those submissions, covering a wide range of issues, we were able to secure over $38 million in funding for Vermont communities. This federal appropriations bill is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law by the end of the week.

When you think about the typical work of a U.S. Senator, you might think about introducing legislation and casting votes in Washington. But the reality is that some of the most important work my office does happens right here in Vermont. And that is thanks to having a great staff whose entire job it is to work directly with individual Vermonters like you to find solutions to the challenges you face each and every day.

It’s no secret that the last two years have been incredibly difficult for all of us. Please join me for a statewide telephone town meeting on Wednesday, March 2 at 5pm to discuss what we’ve gone through, where we are now, and what the future will bring.

Many of you are rightly concerned by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss this terrible conflict.

As you know, the bad news is that the cost of home heating is soaring. The good news is that, thanks to a major increase in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan, Vermont is getting a record $49 million – more than double our usual amount – to help you pay for heating bills, furnaces and fuel tank replacements or repairs. This means that more Vermonters than ever before will get the help they need from this program, which is known as LIHEAP.