Fully Fund LIHEAP Now or Watch Families Freeze This Winter

With winter already knocking and millions of households facing a “heat or food” choice, Congress must act now to preserve the lifeline that is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Because of the ongoing federal shutdown and earlier actions by the Donald Trump administration, millions of low-income Americans are facing an urgent threat to their safety and dignity this winter.

In April 2025, the Trump administration fired the entire staff at the Department of Health and Human Services office overseeing the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, leaving roughly $378 million in assistance frozen—even though Congress had approved the funds. Now, the 2025 shutdown has delayed federal LIHEAP funding — typically distributed by early November — leaving states like Maine, Minnesota, and others scrambling to postpone or cancel programs that serve about 6 million households.

Heating costs are projected to rise an average of 7.6% this winter, and some states warn the aid may not arrive until December, when the cold has already settled in.

We call on the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to mark up and advance the FY2026 spending bills immediately with full LIHEAP funding. We call on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his team to allocate the approved funds to states and ensure the program is operational before December 1.

Silence equals consent to letting people freeze. We need action now — before it’s too late.