Senator Collins is asking that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provide the full amount of $1.788 billion, which is the amount Congress authorized last month for LIHEAP. The release of additional LIHEAP funds would result in about $3 million more for Maine families. Senator Collins sent a letter to President Bush last week, asking for these funds.
"LIHEAP funds are vital to Maine families who are struggling to pay the bills in order to stay warm this winter," said Senator Collins. "Maine has received an increased number of LIHEAP applications this winter because of a harsh combination of high energy prices and subzero temperatures. We must do everything we can to help."
A study by the Campaign for Home Energy Assistance found that, in 2001, 79,728 Maine households were eligible under the LIHEAP program, but only 54,421 received assistance.
"These recent statistics show that 30 percent of families eligible for LIHEAP did not receive assistance - that's more than 25,000 families left in the cold. This is unacceptable. Congress authorized more assistance and the government has an obligation to provide it," said Senator Collins.
The study pointed out that a vast majority of LIHEAP-recipient households include elderly, people with disabilities, or young children. In Maine, nearly all the households that received LIHEAP assistance were at or near the poverty level.
Senator Collins recently wrote a letter with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) asking President Bush to release the additional LIHEAP funds. The two Senators wrote a similar letter last month to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which resulted in the release of an additional $598 million to state heating assistance programs, $4.6 million of which went to Maine. Senators Collins has been instrumental in securing a total $19,556,740 for Maine LIHEAP so far in Fiscal Year 2004.