WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump wants to make some to Kennedy in April urging him to reverse course on LIHEAP staff cuts.
“We write regarding reports that you have terminated staff responsible for administering the LowIncome Home Energy Program,” reads their letter, signed by 13 senators. “If true, these terminations threaten to devastate a critical program dedicated to helping Americans afford their home energy bills.
“It is an indispensable lifeline, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and affording other necessities like food and medicine,” said the senators.
Separately, Murkowski directly told the HHS secretary in May how crucial LIHEAP assistance is for people in her state.
“For us it’s not a budget line item,” she told Kennedy as he testified before a Senate committee. “You’ve been to Alaska. You know that the temperatures there can get really, really tough. [LIHEAP] keeps people from freezing to death in their homes.”
The fate of LIHEAP will almost certainly come up this week on Capitol Hill, with both the House and Senate back in session and Trump’s budget request now awaiting their action.
20 Years Of Free Journalism
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
Your Support Fuels Our Mission
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.
Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
20 Years Of Free Journalism
For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
Aides to Murkowski, Collins and Lawler did not immediately respond to requests for comment relating to Trump’s budget request zeroing out LIHEAP funding.
