WASHINGTON, DC -- In response to a request by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and more than 50 of his Senate colleagues, the White House's Office of Management and Budget today agreed to release $131 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund. Rhode Island will receive $1.9 million of this federal funding.

"I am pleased that the President responded to our request and will release this critical funding. This money will help thousands of working families and seniors in Rhode Island. It will provide real assistance for people who continue to struggle with soaring energy prices," said Reed, who serves as the Chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition, a bipartisan group of senators that seek to advance policies that enhance the region's economy and environment. "This release of funding should allow more families who have fallen behind on their utility bills to have their power restored before the cold winter months."

LIHEAP is a federal block grant program that provides states with annual funding to operate home energy assistance programs for low-income households. Last year, nearly 30,000 Rhode Island 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. In Rhode Island there have been over 20,000 utility shutoffs for non-payment between January and the end of August 2007, the highest level for that period in a decade.

On September 11, 2007, Senator Reed wrote a letter to President Bush, which was signed by 51 of his Senate colleagues, including Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), stating: "We strongly urge you to immediately release the remaining $151.5 million in the LIHEAP contingency fund and provide funding to all states to address this emergency. If the Administration fails to release the remaining funding, $131 million of that balance will expire on September 30."