WASHINGTON, D.C. – As temperatures continue to drop and Americans brace for steep heating costs this winter, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today continued her fight for increased funding for the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

“Families and businesses in Maryland and across the country need our help. They are feeling stretched and strained by high energy costs and we need to show them that we are on their side,” said Senator Mikulski. “LIHEAP funds provide critical assistance to families in need. I will continue to fight with my colleagues to make sure no one goes cold in the winter.”

Senator Mikulski and her colleagues, led by Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), have introduced the Keep Americans Warm Act of 2007, which would provide an additional $1 billion in emergency funding to the program.

Acknowledging the fluidity of the current appropriations process, Senator Mikulski and a group of her colleagues led by Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) made a similar request in a letter to Labor, Health and Human Services (Labor HHS) Appropriations Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), asking that they include an addition $1 billion in this year’s spending bill, which was vetoed by President Bush last month.

The Labor HHS fiscal year 2008 spending bill provided $2.41 billion for the program, and increase from the President’s request of $1.78 billion. Although the future of the bill is unknown, Senator Mikulski will continue to fight for additional funds to be added as Congress completes this year’s budget process.