[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 26, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           LIHEAP ACTION DAY

 Mr. REED. Mr. President, today is National LIHEAP Action Day. 
Advocates from many different States are here to make the case for the 
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP. This 
important initiative helps low-income Rhode Island families and 
millions of vulnerable Americans across the country pay their energy 
bills. Simply put, access to affordable home energy is a matter of 
health and safety for many low-income households, children, and 
seniors.
  In Rhode Island this year, LIHEAP provided roughly $24 million, which 
allowed the State to deliver assistance to 27,700 households. However, 
despite bipartisan efforts that I have led with my colleague from 
Maine, Senator Collins, to press for robust support for the program, 
funding reductions in 2011 and 2012, along with sequester cuts, have 
led to a decrease in the number of households served. As a result, 
nearly 1.5 million vulnerable households have lost access to this vital 
lifeline.
  With one of the harshest winters in decades and the high cost of 
energy experienced in some regions of the country, including high 
natural gas and heating oil prices in New England, the importance of 
the LIHEAP program is even more pronounced. According to the Energy 
Information Administration, the average cost of home heating this 
winter will rise to nearly $1,000 on average, a 6 percent increase over 
last year. These cost increases are happening at a time when households 
are receiving lower benefits. The average LIHEAP payments have been 
reduced by more than $100 since 2010, dropping from $520 in fiscal year 
2010 to $406 in fiscal year 2013.
  I urge my colleagues to recognize the need to provide access to 
affordable home energy for the most vulnerable households in our States 
and join me in support of LIHEAP. This assistance is an indispensable 
lifeline, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose 
between paying their energy bills and affording other basic necessities 
such as food and medicine.

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