President Donald Trump’s proposed gutting of a key energy aid program is getting pushback from Republican appropriators, who say they will likely keep funding the program in spending bills.
When Trump unveiled his “skinny budget” last week, it included over $4 billion in cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which would effectively end the program that provides support for some 6 million households. LIHEAP is the main federal source of funding to help low-income households heat and cool their homes. It has long enjoyed bipartisan support.
The White House’s budget document says that in lieu of LIHEAP, the administration will “instead support low-income individuals through energy dominance, lower prices, and an America First economic platform.”
A senior OMB official claimed Friday that the program has been rife with improper payments. The budget request referenced a 2010 report from the Government Accountability Office, that found evidence of fraud in LIHEAP applications.
