Trump points to air conditioning and heating funds for low -income households
The Trump administration proposition budget reduces the low -income home energy program (Liheap), which provides funds for the heating and cooling of the home
A close -up view of red brick residential apartment buildings in New York City, which shows repetitive windows, air conditioning units.
Karolis Kavolelis/Alamy Stock Photo
Climatewire | The Trump administration proposes to eliminate a program that helps low -income families to heat and cool households, saying that “energy mastery” policies make electricity costs subsidize unnecessary.
The low -income energy assistance program provides support to some millions of Americans and has bipartisan support in Congress, partly among Republicans such as Maine Susan Collins Senator, whose components depend on funds to heat their homes in the winter.
As climate change has turbocharged heat waves throughout the country, Liheap has been based more and more to finance air conditioning costs. The legislators of the hottest states have submitted greater financing to help the low -income Americans remain safe in the summer.
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The vast majority of Americans who are killed by heat die indoor, or in homes without air conditioning.
“Liheap is essential to help people adapt to extreme heat,” said Mark Wolfe, head of the National Association of Energy Assistance Directors.
But the Trump administration argued in its budget I propose fiscal 2026, published on Friday, which is not necessary to subsidize heating and cooling costs.
“The budget proposes to finish this program and, on the other hand, support low -income people through energy domain, the lowest prices and a first American economic platform,” said the budget document.
The Administration also disagrees with the amount of Liheap funds that are destined for New York and California, two of the most populated states in the country that the White House described as “implemented the anti -consumption policy that increases the energy prices of the house.”
He called Liheap “unnecessary”, saying that many states have programs prevention services by closing the duration of the winter.
Wolfe questioned that the logic, noting that the client who benefits from the closing protections would still have to pay the audition and electricity costs that they could not pay.
“Even if the president succeeds in reducing energy costs, that change will not feel this year when people have electrical invoices to pay,” he said. “And families will only be more strict due to tariffs: how will they fix them?”
Liheap has been financed until the end of summer, thought that the Trump administration has placed the programs for the full registration of license administrative license part of an expansive reorganization in the Department of Health and Human Services. Programs staff will say goodbye on June 2.
Trump’s proposal to eliminate funds would begin to hit families this fall, if Congress agrees. Collins, who presides over the Senate approval committee, has been a firm defender of Liheap for years.
She and others in the committee sent a letter in early April to HHS urging the administration to “reverse the course about any personnel or fund cuts,” which said “threaten to devastate a critical program dedicated to helping Americans to pay their energy bills at home.”
“Access to affordable domestic energy is a matter of health and safety for many low -income households, children and elderly,” said the letter.
Reprint of E&E news With permission from politician, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.
