LIHEAP provides heating assistance for more than 26,000 Vermonters

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-At Large) called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate the staff of the Division of Energy Assistance and disburse funding to states for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps more than 26,000 Vermonters and 6.2 million Americans afford heat and air conditioning.  

“Your decision to close the Division of Energy Assistance (DEA) at HHS and terminate its employees is unacceptable. These arbitrary firings will threaten the continued existence of the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is a lifeline for more than 26,000 Vermonters and 6.2 million Americans across the country. The Administration must reinstate DEA staff immediately and continue to disburse Congressionally-appropriated LIHEAP funding to states so that thousands of Vermonters and millions of Americans are not forced to make the unacceptable choice between putting food on the table, paying for prescription drugs, or heating their homes in the winter,” wrote the Vermont Delegation. 

“As energy prices have increased across the country, LIHEAP has seen record utilizations in recent years. In Vermont, approximately 23% of households report that they were unable to pay their energy bills in full, with tariffs on Canadian energy products threatening to drive utility bills even higher. Vermont receives around $20 million in LIHEAP funding per year that provides energy assistance to more than 26,000 households. For children and seniors, for individuals with medical devices, and for working families, LIHEAP is a lifesaving service during the long winter heating months and hot summers,” the Delegation continued. 

“The administration has a moral responsibility to disburse LIHEAP funds to states and ensure the program lives up to its promise to help families keep the heat on. Failure constitutes an illegal impoundment of bipartisan, congressionally-appropriated funds and will put millions of households across the country at risk of energy insecurity. You must immediately reinstate DEA staff so they can continue the urgent work of administering LIHEAP and providing critical assistance to American families. Being able to heat your home is not a luxury. It is a matter of life and death,” the Delegation concluded. 

The Vermont Congressional Delegation’s letter was addressed to Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy. 

Read and download the full letter. 

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