Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), along with Massachusetts Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Seth Moulton (MA-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), James McGovern (MA-02), William Keating (MA-09), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Joseph Kennedy III (MA-04), and Katherine Clark (MA-05) are calling for answers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on how the Trump administration is allocating state funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Massachusetts is estimated to receive no more than $127 million in LIHEAP funds for Fiscal Year 2020, down 14 percent from the Fiscal Year 2018 funding level. LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. This program helped more than 160,000 Massachusetts residents in FY2018. 

Congresswoman Trahan fought alongside her colleagues in the House to restore funding to Massachusetts and other states impacted by LIHEAP cuts in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill [H.R. 2740] which passed the House in June of this year. Congresswoman Lori Trahan is Massachusetts’ only Representative on the Education and Labor Committee, which has authorizing jurisdiction over the LIHEAP program.

“The Trump administration’s use of outdated and inaccurate formulas continues to disproportionately harm Massachusetts.,” wrote the Massachusetts lawmakers in their letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “It is frustrating and unfortunate that that Massachusetts continues to see a sharp decrease in actual dollars provided to protect the most vulnerable populations in the state, despite overall increases in LIHEAP funding and continued evidence of dire need.”  

A copy of the letter can be found HERE:

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