This vote is on an amendment by Sen. Weicker (R-CT) to restore funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to its fiscal 1987 level of $1.8 billion. The program was to be cut because of the Gramm-Rudman anti-deficits law which triggers automatic across-the-board spending cuts for most federal programs.

Up to 15% of the money in the program can be used to weatherize and insulate poor people's homes, thus conserving energy and reducing heating costs. The bulk of the money is spent of emergency aid for people who can't pay their heating bills. The Weicker amendment to the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations (H.R. 3058) bill would have restored funds to this important home energy assistance program by waiving the spending limitation in the Gramm-Rudman law. It was rejected by a vote of 47-50 on October 14, 1987. Yes is the pro-environmental vote.