Lawmakers move to protect low-income HVAC program

A bipartisan set of lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill to protect a low-income, HVAC-focused program, as the Trump administration eyes cutting it. 

Why it matters: The ‘Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program’ (LIHEAP) is a $4 billion program that helps roughly six million U.S. households a year pay for heating and cooling bills and weatherization projects. 

What’s happening: Introduced by two congressmen — one Republican and one Democrat — the legislation establishes a minimum staffing threshold, requiring that at least 20 people work on LIHEAP.

• The backstory: The bill comes as the Trump administration in April laid off the program’s entire staff, leaving $400 million undisbursed from its current budget. 
• However, following pressure from 13 Senators, it then rehired one employee to release the remaining funds, keeping LIHEAP funded through the summer. 

State of play: Despite the fix, the administration in May proposed eliminating LIHEAP entirely, arguing that the president’s policies will bring down energy prices across the board, making the program redundant. 

• But, but, but: “Ultimately, Congress controls the purse strings of the federal government,” wrote nonprofit news site Grist. “Historically, Congress has championed LIHEAP.”
• “Since 2009, the program, which was created in the 1980s, has received no less than $3 billion from Congress,” it added. 

What to watch: The congressmen’s bill will now make its way through the legislative process, and the Senate is hashing out the separate ‘big, beautiful bill,’ which will ultimately determine the program’s future. 

• Of note: “In his first term, [President Trump] zeroed out the budget for LIHEAP twice,” wrote GBH News’ Craig LeMoult. “Both times, Congress responded by funding the program.”