Gillibrand And Colleagues Urge Trump Administration To Swiftly Release Home Heating Funds

Gillibrand And Colleagues Urge Trump Administration To Swiftly Release Home Heating Funds

Nov 14, 2025

With the federal government shutdown over but utility rates continuing to rise, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led a bipartisan push for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) swiftly and at the highest level possible. Currently, the Trump administration is sitting on $4 billion in federal LIHEAP dollars that have yet to be distributed this year.

"As Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services, we urge you to immediately release the highest amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the Continuing Resolution," the 31 senators wrote to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The bipartisan group of senators said the federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that keeps vulnerable citizens safe and warm during winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program also helps reduce energy costs through energy efficiency initiatives.

An estimated 6 million households nationwide - including nearly 1.2 million in New York - received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP in Fiscal Year 2024.

States and tribes typically receive their LIHEAP allocations from HHS by early November. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. While eligibility varies by state, most applicants must have a household income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline or 60 percent of the state median income.

The Trump administration has proposed eliminating LIHEAP, including zeroing out funds in its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget plan. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Gillibrand joined successful bipartisan efforts to save and fund the program. The Senate's Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill for FY26 would provide a $20 million increase for LIHEAP to $4.045 billion, while the House Appropriations Committee recommended a $10 million increase.

In addition to Gillibrand, Schumer, Reed, Collins, and Murkowski, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) Richard Durbin (D-IL) Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

According to a new forecast from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, home heating costs are estimated to rise nearly 8 percent over last winter on average, with costs for heating with electricity forecasted to increase even higher to 10 percent above last year.

Full text of the letter can be found below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

As Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services, we urge you to immediately release the highest amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the Continuing Resolution.

As the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. October marked the start of the heating season for many states, and with temperatures already dropping, low-income families and seniors are feeling additional strains on their household budgets.

As state agencies and tribes activate their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter, it is crucial that they have the resources on hand to help low-income households and seniors as soon as possible. As such, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds at the highest level possible, so that low-income households do not have to choose between paying for heat and affording other necessities like food or medicine.

We look forward to working with you on this critical program, and thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents.

Sincerely,

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