WASHINGTON, DC In a letter to Rob Portman, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME) have requested $5.1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) be included in the 2008 budget. As the temperatures drop, we are reminded how important LIHEAP funding is for those who would otherwise be forced to sacrifice necessities of life such as food, rent, and prescription drugs to pay heating costs. Record high energy prices necessitate increased program resources to ensure that no family is forced to suffer through a severe winter without heat. The assistance provided by LIHEAP has and will continue to save lives, said Senators Collins and Reed in a joint statement. In Rhode Island, more than 30,000 households rely on LIHEAP to assist with the costs of heating their homes each year. LIHEAP is a federal block grant program that provides states with annual funding to operate home energy assistance programs for low-income households. In addition to helping to pay energy bills for low-income families and the elderly, LIHEAP helps to fund energy crisis intervention programs, low-cost residential weatherization and other energy-related home repairs.Below is the text of a letter sent to the Honorable Robert Portman, Director, Office of Management and Budget:Dear Director Portman: As you prepare the Presidents fiscal year 2008 budget request, we urge you to support a funding level of $5.1 billion, the full amount authorized, for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Many Americans are struggling under the burden of this year's energy prices, which remain high by historical standards. High energy prices are especially difficult on low-income households, particularly those that include elderly residents, the disabled, and children. These groups are typically most vulnerable to rising energy costs and too often must choose between paying their energy bills or buying food and medicine. LIHEAP protects public health and safety by helping low-income families stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. In addition, the program helps low-income homeowners weatherize their homes to save energy and lower their energy burden. Weatherization, on average, reduces heating bills by 31 percent and overall energy bills by $200 to $250 per year. In fiscal year 2006, LIHEAP appropriations totaled $3.161 billion, the largest amount ever appropriated for the program. Even at this level, however, many low-income households eligible for LIHEAP still did not receive assistance. Unfortunately, funding levels for the program have not kept pace with the growing number of households eligible for assistance. In fact, at current funding levels, LIHEAP now serves only 15 percent of the eligible population. With so many American households still in need of the assistance, and with an expected rise in home energy prices, we believe increased LIHEAP funding should be a top priority your fiscal year 2008 budget. Your support for $5.1 billion in LIHEAP funding in the fiscal year 2008 budget process would help many more low-income households receive much needed LIHEAP assistance in the coming year.