Technically, it’s called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, but it’s better known by its initials: LIHEAP. At issue is a program that has long served as a lifeline for millions of low-income households struggling to cover their energy costs.
In Donald Trump’s first term as president, the Republican administration initially proposed steep cuts to LIHEAP, but in the face of bipartisan pushback, the White House ultimately backed off.
Eight years later, the issue is back with a vengeance — and this time, Trump and his team appear to be advancing their goals more effectively. NBC News reported:
The Trump administration on Tuesday eliminated the entire staff of a federal program that helps low-income households pay utility bills, sources said. The staff of 10 employees accounted for only a small fraction of the 10,000 layoffs included in Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s purge of the Department of Health and Human Services. But those who work closely with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, now fear for its future.
The report quoted Andrew Germain, who was director of fiscal operations and accountability for the Administration for Children and Families, the HHS division that leads dozens of programs from welfare assistance to child abuse prevention, saying: “Ultimately, I believe the program will crumble from within without the federal office there to manage it.”Germain added, “For the communities that need the funding and need the support of the federal office, they’re going to be without those resources. You’re talking about individuals who rely on crisis assistance from the LIHEAP program to keep the power on, whether it be for a medical reason or some other potentially life-threatening purpose.”
CNN had a related report, which quoted Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. He told the network that he didn’t see how the agency can “allocate the remaining $387 million in funds for this year without federal staff. The program could well grind to a halt.”
I frequently find myself thinking about a report from The Washington Post that was published the day after Christmas, which highlighted the perspectives of several low-income voters who supported the Trump ticket in the November election. The article specifically referenced a middle-aged Pennsylvania woman who struggled to make ends meet despite receiving food stamps and Social Security benefits, who explained why she voted for the Republican ticket. Trump “is more attuned to the needs of everyone instead of just the rich,” the woman told the Post. “I think he knows it’s the poor people that got him elected, so I think Trump is going to do more to help us.” It’s difficult to count the number of steps the Republican president and his team have taken since then that have left low-income families worse off.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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