Moulton Joins 100+ Members of Congress in Urging Trump Administration to Immediately Fund LIHEAP

WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) joined 100+ Members of Congress in urging the Trump Administration to immediately fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. In the letter, the lawmakers warned that the delay in LIHEAP funding puts millions of seniors, children, and low-income families at serious risk as winter temperatures set in. 

LIHEAP provides critical support to households that cannot afford to heat their homes in the winter or cool them during extreme heat. Nearly seven million at-risk households nationwide rely on the program every year. With freezing temperatures approaching in many states, delays caused by the shutdown could leave families forced to choose between keeping their homes at safe temperatures and affording food or medication.

In the letter, the Members highlight:

• The Trump Administration’s FY26 budget proposal, which completely eliminated LIHEAP without proposing any replacement.
• Reports that the Trump Administration fired the entire LIHEAP staff at HHS earlier this year, creating further chaos and delaying states’ ability to distribute assistance.
• Skyrocketing utility costs and increasingly extreme weather, which have made LIHEAP more essential than ever.
• The fact that LIHEAP is already severely oversubscribed, assisting only about 17% of eligible households nationwide.

The Members warn that without immediate action, seniors and families who typically begin receiving assistance this time of year could be left without support until January. States and local organizations are attempting to fill gaps, but they cannot replace federal LIHEAP resources.

Congressman Moulton and his colleagues are urging the Trump Administration to use all available authorities to keep LIHEAP funding flowing despite the shutdown.

A copy of the letter can be found here.