The Trump administration has abandoned all employees of a $4.1 billion program that helps millions of low-income families pay calorie fees in the winter, and their disturbing state officials now wonder if they will still receive millions of dollars in expected federal payments.
Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, said about 10,000 of the 20 workers who carried out energy assistance programs for low-income households, as part of the dramatic restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services.
He said several senior employees who oversee the program serve about 6.2 million families a year, telling him they were locked in the building after they went to work on Monday.
“The way they did it, there was no warning,” he said.
On Thursday, 13 senators, including two Republicans, warned Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the termination would undermine the agency’s ability to provide a “critical lifeline” for low-income elderly and families.
The program has already provided most of the aid to states during the fiscal year, but has not allocated $378 million.
It can also help families pay for air conditioning during the stuffy summer months.
HHS Deputy Press Secretary Emily Hilliard said when asked about Liheap and the outstanding fate: “HHS will continue to comply with the statutory requirements and will be better positioned to be executed on the statutory intent of Congress due to the reorganization.”
Speaking about the wider overhaul of his agency, Kennedy said it needed to be “recalibrated.”
Without any staff, states are questioning how and whether they will get the rest of the money, especially for the upcoming summer cooling plans.
“Will we receive the remaining funds? If we don’t, some states will not run their cooling plans this summer. They will cut them down.”
State officials involved in the allocation of aid said they were worried that Liheap would not collapse without federal support.
“The people we’ve worked with over the years have rebounded for many years and they know the program very well,” said Peter Hadler, deputy director of the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
In Minnesota, the northern part of the state received snow on Wednesday, and the state’s Department of Commerce predicts that by mid-April it will run out of money to help new applicants seeking help with heating and electricity bills.
The state is expected to receive an additional $12 million to $13 million in federal funds that Congress has approved. The funds will help more than 10,000 families pay their utility bills and prevent production shutdowns. About 130,000 Minnesota families receive assistance through Liheap each year.
“The winter is still happening in Minnesota. “We really need extra money to get us through the rest of the winter,” said Pete Wyckoff, deputy commissioner for energy resources at the department. ”
Qualifications may vary by state and the specific services provided. Typically, the program assists families in covering utility bills or paying for home heating oil. It has gained bipartisan congressional support for decades.
Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, two Republicans, signed letters pleading with Kennedy to revoke any cuts of people or funds that would harm the program.
Susan Haigh, Associated Press
