WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort to help the elderly, low-income families, and disabled individuals pay their heating bills, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME) today urged the White House to immediately release $200 million which is available in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) emergency contingency fund."The release of LIHEAP contingency funds is needed to help states meet additional energy-related needs resulting from the extended arctic cold wave which has covered much of the nation during the past several days, causing temperatures in some regions to dip to forty-two degrees below zero. At least nine deaths spread over five states have been attributed to the surge of cold weather," wrote the senators, who were joined by 34 of their Senate colleagues in signing the letter. "Too many families and seniors do not have adequate resources to pay their energy bills. This money will be a real help for those who continue to struggle with record high energy prices," said Reed, the Chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition. "In Rhode Island, nearly 30,000 households rely on LIHEAP to assist with the costs of heating their homes each year and to pay delinquent utilities bills so they can re-establish service.""LIHEAP is critical to so many families in Maine and throughout the nation. It is imperative that dollars be immediately available to help these families heat their homes this winter," said Senator Collins. "We will continue to work to ensure that the LIHEAP program is funded at a level to meet the needs of families this winter and in future years."LIHEAP is a federal block grant program that provides states with annual funding to operate home energy assistance programs for low-income households. Each year, over 5 million low-income families rely on LIHEAP to assist with the costs of heating and/or cooling their homes.The full text of the letter is below:February 21, 2007The PresidentThe White HouseWashington, DC 20500Dear Mr. President:We urge you to immediately release $200 million which is available in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) emergency contingency fund. The release of LIHEAP contingency funds is needed to help states meet additional energy-related needs resulting from the extended arctic cold wave which has covered much of the nation during the past several days, causing temperatures in some regions to dip to forty-two degrees below zero. At least nine deaths spread over five states have been attributed to the surge of cold weather.Between FY 2005 and FY 2006 the number of households receiving heating assistance increased from 5.1 million to 5.7 million. Preliminary reports from state officials suggest that the number of households applying for energy assistance for FY 2007 is likely to remain at FY 2006 levels. However, as a result of the recent surge of cold weather, several states across the Union are already running out of funds. They have few or no funds remaining to address crises conditions, and the situation is expected to get considerably worse in the next few weeks. No family in our nation should be forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table for their children. No senior citizen should have to decide between buying life-saving prescriptions and paying utility bills. We urge you to immediately release the remaining balance of funds in the LIHEAP contingency fund. Respectfully,Jack ReedSusan M. CollinsEdward M. Kennedy Olympia J. SnoweTom Harkin Arlen SpecterRichard J. DurbinGeorge V. VoinovichHerb Kohl Norm ColemanPatrick J. Leahy Richard G. LugarSherrod Brown John F. KerryHillary Rodham Clinton Barack ObamaChristopher J. Dodd Joseph R. Biden, Jr.Debbie Stabenow Jeff BingamanBernard Sanders Carl Levin Charles E. Schumer Evan BayhJoseph I. Lieberman Robert MenendezRobert P. Casey, Jr. Amy KlobucharMary Landrieu Sheldon WhitehouseBarbara A. Mikulski Maria CantwellKen Salazar Ron WydenMax Baucus Jon Tester