On February 10, the Trump Administration released a FY2021 budget proposal that once again called for the elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Congress has not taken kindly to previous Administration proposals to eliminate the program and actually increased LIHEAP investment in back-to-back years. With LIHEAP Action Day around the corner, champions at the National Energy Affordability and Utility Coalition (NEUAC) and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) voiced their displeasure with the Administration’s proposal.
In a statement, NEUAC Executive Director Katrina Metzler commented “At this point the President’s budget isn’t a surprise, but we cannot afford to become complacent. Grandmothers, single parents, veterans and so many others depend on this funding to stay safe during the most dangerously hot and cold times of the year.”
“People on fixed incomes aren’t doing better this year than they were last year,” Metzler continued. “92 percent of LIHEAP recipients are vulnerable – our elders, the disabled, children. Imagine if we also considered the LIHEAP recipients who have asthma, COPD, or other chronic illnesses that make continuous utility service a matter of life and death. It’s not overstating to say that LIHEAP saves lives. It is imperative that the program continue.”
Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of NEADA, stated “this is the fourth year in a row that the Administration has proposed to zero out funding for LIHEAP. If the Administration had succeeded in its objective in eliminating funding last year, the 5.9 million poor families receiving LIHEAP would have literally been left out in the cold this winter, with many having to choose between paying for food or their energy bill. There is absolutely no evidence to support the Administration’s position that LIHEAP is no longer necessary.”
His full statement is available at https://neada.org/presidents-budget-would-eliminate-fy-2021-funding-for-liheap/
The full NEUAC statement is available at:
https://neuac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/NEUAC-Statement-on-Presidents-2020-Budget-Release.pdf
Information on LIHEAP Action Day is here: