Reps. Cleaver, Pappas, 88 House Democrats Call on Trump Administration to Reverse Cuts to Home Energy Assistance Program
Last week, all HHS staff who manage LIHEAP were fired, leaving the program at risk and the families that rely on it vulnerable to higher energy costs
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced he has joined Rep. Chris Pappas and 88 other House Democrats in calling for the protection of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the rehiring of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) staff who manage the LIHEAP program that were fired last week by the Trump Administration.
In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, the lawmakers wrote, “This program is vital for millions of families, and in fact is oversubscribed. More than 25 million American households report foregoing food and medicine to pay their energy bills, and of those, 7 million households report that they face that decision every month. LIHEAP benefits target households who need the assistance the most, particularly those that have a high home energy burden and or have household members who are elderly, disabled, and or young children.”
“In Fiscal Year 2023, nearly 6 million households received LIHEAP assistance, and LIHEAP restored power or prevented disconnections over 2.7 million times for American families,” the lawmakers continued. “Moreover, LIHEAP supported 1.4 million households in crisis assistance. This is not funding that can wait; a team must be in place to support this program’s work. By removing the staff responsible for managing this vital program, this administration has directly burdened the families in our country who need our support most.”
“Gutting this program’s staff is a reckless and irresponsible decision which may cost these families’ lives. We urge you to immediately reverse this decision and do all you can to support the work of this vital program,” the members concluded.
LIHEAP assists low-income individuals and families with the costs of heating and cooling their homes and helps to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs and extreme weather events. Across the nation, LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households afford their energy bills. In Fiscal Year 2023, over 130,000 Missouri households benefited from an average savings of $1,533.
Congressman Cleaver has been a strong advocate for the LIHEAP program and efforts to lower energy costs for Missouri families. In 2023, Cleaver joined 115 House lawmakers to request increased home heating assistance funding through LIHEAP. In 2021, Cleaver supported efforts to increase funding for LIHEAP in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided additional investments that lowered energy costs for Missouri households. Moreover, Cleaver supported the Inflation Reduction Act, which supported and created numerous federal programs to lower energy costs for Missourians.
The official letter from lawmakers is available here.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.