WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and other members of the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition will co-host an outdoor congressional news conference today to try to draw attention to the need to approve full funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Currently, LIHEAP is slated to drop from $1.7 billion to $1.4 billion in this fiscal year, which began in October. The program is being funded at last year’s level under the continuing resolution that sets federal spending until Jan. 11.

“We actually set the event outside to remind people just how cold it can get,” said Greg McCarthy, press secretary for the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition. “When people run out of money to pay for their heating bills, the cold from outside comes in.”

Snowe noted Monday that by December, 43,000 Mainers had applied for LIHEAP – 10,000 more than at the same time last year and nearly as many as the 46,000 served by the program last year.

“The early onset of winter has increased the pressure on low-income families – particularly seniors – so Congress needs to act to help these residents,” Snowe said. “No one should ever have to face a choice between heating and eating.”

All of the New England states are changing their heating assistance programs this winter, based on the expectation of less federal aid.