WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to help millions of Americans who are struggling with their energy bills, the Appropriations Committee today approved a bipartisan amendment by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to boost LIHEAP funding by $150 million.  The amendment to the 2014 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-H) Appropriations bill increases the total funding for LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) in the bill from $3.46 billion to $3.61 billion in 2014.

“LIHEAP is an efficient, cost-effective program that is a real lifeline to nearly 32,000 Rhode Island households during periods of extreme weather.  It provides critical heating and cooling assistance to families and seniors struggling with high energy prices and a challenging economy.  I am pleased we were able to get strong bipartisan support for my amendment to increase this vital funding,” said Reed.

“LIHEAP funding is critically important to senior citizens and low-income families who would otherwise be forced to choose between paying for vital necessities such as food, rent, and prescription drugs and paying for heating costs.  At a time of record high energy prices, LIHEAP funding is necessary to ensure that no family is forced to suffer through winter without heat.  The assistance provided by LIHEAP has and will continue to save lives,” said Collins.

Over the years, President Obama has proposed significant reductions to LIHEAP.  This year, the President’s budget requested $2.97 billion for LIHEAP.

Last year, with Senator Collins' support, Senator Reed led the successful effort to secure language in the FY 2013 continuing resolution to fund LIHEAP at the FY 2012 level of $3.46 billion nationally through March 27, 2013.  Without the language, the program could have been reduced to as little as $2.82 billion.  Today, more than half of U.S. households devote more than 20 percent of their family budget to energy costs, nearly double what it was just a decade ago.

Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) were also key backers of the amendment.

Now that the Appropriations Committee has approved the language, it must be passed by the full Senate.  It also faces a hurdle in the U.S. House of Representatives, where its appropriators have allocated nearly $43.8 billion less for the overall Labor-H bill than the $165.6 billion that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved today.