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The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a block grant program established in 1981 to ease the burden of energy bills on low-income individuals. Additional funds are set aside for weather emergencies and those in immediate need. Nearly half of the recipients of LIHEAP funds are elderly or handicapped individuals. Recent estimates indicate that more than 4 million households receive winter heating assistance each year.

I believe that high energy prices should never force families to choose between heat and daily essentials, like food and transportation. That’s why this program makes a real difference in the lives of Wisconsin's elderly and working poor families. LIHEAP is one of the most critically important federal programs we have, and I will continue to work to ensure that Wisconsin and other cold-weather states have the funds they need to get families through winter.