RFK Jr urged to release nearly $400m allocated to help families combat heat | Trump administration

Robert F. Kennedy Junior, Minister of Health and Humanitarian Services (HHS), faces new demands to launch approximately $ 400 million by Congress to help low -income American families to maintain air conditioning this summer.

The funds are threatened after the launch of employees who run an old program over decades-as a part of the “efficiency” campaign called the Trump administration.

Countries and tribal countries are still awaiting the financing that Congress allocates to the low income house energy Liheap Program – a program of two parties with a lack of chronic financing that helped about 6 million families to maintain energy bills last year.

The funds are suspended in forgetting after the Trump administration canceled this month the division of energy assistance (DeA)-the office within the Ministry of Health and Humanitarian Services (HHS), which oversees the old program for four decades-and the entire shooting was shot.

The pressure is now growing on Kennedy to restore employees and ensure the distribution of energy assistance to the states – according to the constitutional commitment to the administration to adhere to the allocations of Congress.

On Tuesday morning, the National Association of Energy Assistance Managers (NEADA), the State Manager Organization at Liheap, will send a letter to Kennedy asking for employee employees who are re -issuing funds by May 1 – which will give the states only 153 days to publish funds before the end of the fiscal year.

“The issuance of the remaining dedicated funds already approved by your agency would provide late support for the state programs. This money will be used immediately to help some of the country’s most vulnerable families maintain access to the electricity and gas service, to cover the distinct bills related to the unexpected fuel for fuel and allow the states to start planning their summer cooling programs.

“While many families are struggling to cover their expenses – the definitions are preparing to pay prices up – it is unreasonable to slip the assistance that Congress has already provided to people in need … Liheap saves lives in the states where summer heat and cold winter can be fatal,” the message continues.

About six families in their energy bills, according to Nada, which means that millions of families may be at risk of auxiliary tools for facilities that stop what is expected to be another hot summer in the record.

Liheap is a major part of the already funded American social security network, which also includes Head Start, Food Stamps and other income support programs to the Trump administration.

Amid a long cost of the living crisis, no one in four families was able to keep pace with energy bills last year, according to what he said Census.

Liheap has been customized 4.1 billion dollars in the fiscal year 2024The Congress continued to finance this level for 2025. About 90 % of the funds have already been released to the United States but about 10 % residue, which can not even be released by HHS.

Federal employees who shot them are necessary for operations. They operate the allocation formula, perform audit and tracking money to ensure that the receiving countries, tribes and regions receive their fair share of the money in slides. The entire Liheap Federal team consists of only 25 employees, without it the money cannot be distributed.

Liheap has wide political support and industry – helping families throughout the United States to keep up with energy bills while saving lives in places where winter freezing and summer heat waves can be fatal.

In the cold northern states, Liheap helped maintain heat for more than 43,000 families in Michigan and 26,000 Vermsters. But in the short term, most of the southern states are likely to suffer from the population first, especially with the increase in deadly heat waves due to global heating.

In Arizona, more than 37,000 residents qualified for Liheap help last year. In Phoenix, the most important major city in the United States, the population bears 113 consecutive days in or more than 100 Fahrenheit. Even with liheap, almost one in Four heat deaths in Maricoba ProvinceWhere Phoenix is ​​located, it happened inside. A large percentage of electricity and/or the operating air conditioning unit had no operating.

“The rapid change and uncertainty in the operations of the federal government office can challenge our ability to operate a program that works efficiently and effectively for Erzonan. With severe heat during the summer months of arrival, certainty and reliability are more important than ever.”

In the normal year, the states had already received a notification from HHS about when the remaining money would be distributed, allowing them to prepare for the summer season. Arizona is still waiting for $ 3.3 million and Florida for approximately 12 million dollars and ten million dollars.

Located all over the country calls for Kennedy’s intervention.

On Monday, the Congress delegation in Massachusetts, led by Senator Edward Market, wrote to Kennedy, calling for answers on how HHS planning to ensure the states and residents continued to receive Liheap – this year and move forward.

The lawmakers wrote on Monday: “Although Liheap was organized as a block -managed Block grant by the states, federal employees provide basic technical assistance. This is not a red tape, it is necessary to judge.”

Over the past decade, energy prices in Massachusetts have increased two to three times more than the national average, while doubled bills in the past winter due to high prices. Massachusetts has received more than 181,000 requests for heating assistance so far in this fiscal year, with applicants for the first time by 8 % last year. Nearly 60 % of families that are offered so far include at least one member of the elderly, while a third includes individuals with disabilities. The country is waiting for about 13 million dollars.

On Friday, Senator Fairmont, Bernie Sanders, Chairman of the Senate Health Committee, and 30 other Senate members, wrote to Kennedy, demanding Liheap employees immediately.

“Without this program from the two parties, Americans throughout the country will have to make an unacceptable decision between placing food on the table, paying for prescribed medicines, or heating their homes in the winter. In the richest country in the world’s history, no one must be forced to make this unacceptable decision.”

Kennedy said previously that some HHS cuts were made by mistake and will be canceled.

One in four low-income families already spends more than 14 % of its income on energy bills-which is more than 4.5 times average energy burden.

Energy and closure debts that are likely to threaten life during severe and hot days will increase without countries take steps to increase the bill assistance and adopt comprehensive emergency condoms about the separation of benefit to protect the vulnerable population, according to Sania Carley, the distinguished presidential professor at the Cleaniman Energy Policy Center at the University of Bennselvania.

“In the long run, the lack of employees to oversee the allocation of Liheap boxes can strongly enhance the presence of the program,” said Carley, who also participated in directing the university’s energy judge laboratory.

In order to calculate the high temperatures caused by the climate crisis and the effect of customs tariffs, $ 7 billion is required of $ 7 billion for Liheap in 2026, according to Wolf, who is also a co -manager of the Energy and Poverty Policy Center. “If the administration does not last in Liheap, the life of the poor will become more difficult. We will go to a very bad way.”

HHS was contacted to comment.