State lawmakers are urging Congress to reinstate staff to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, calling it “one of the most critical components of the social safety net.”
More than 230 lawmakers from 38 states — all but two are Democrats — wrote to congressional budget writers Thursday to request they reinstate the workers who administered the program that provides heating and cooling aid to low-income households.
The staff running the $4.1 billion program were all laid off in April, as the Trump administration has sought to dramatically shrink the government and its workforce.
“State legislators understand firsthand how vital LIHEAP is to our constituents,” Maryland Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D), who spearheaded the letter, said in a statement. “The program plays a foundational role in helping households maintain access to essential heating and cooling services. The loss of federal administrative capacity jeopardizes timely distribution of assistance at a time when energy affordability is more important than ever.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing this month that the rationale for eliminating the program is that Trump’s “energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy so that everybody will get lower cost heating oil.”
The state lawmakers said the program, which has existed for more than 40 years, provides funding and support for roughly 6.7 million low-income households across the nation. In Fiscal Year 2023, the program helped more than 260,000 households restore power after it had been shut off.
Each state received between $11 million and $400 million in FY 2025 to help those in need. But the funding is set to run out at the end of September.
“In a time where many families are struggling with the rising costs of energy and fuel due to grid mismanagement, utility rate abuse, and extreme weather, social safety nets such as the LIHEAP program are more important than ever for low and moderate-income Americans,” the letter said.