Reps. Garamendi and Pappas Oppose Cuts to Home Energy Assistance

72 lawmakers join call to reject Trump budget proposal to eliminate low-income energy aid program

Apr. 9, 2026 at 9:11pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of a solitary congressional office desk with a nameplate and American flag, conveying the serious, thoughtful nature of political decision-making around social programs.The bipartisan effort to preserve federal home energy assistance highlights the critical role lawmakers play in supporting vulnerable communities.Washington Today

Congressman John Garamendi of California's 8th district has joined Congressman Chris Pappas of New Hampshire's 1st district and 72 of their colleagues in opposing President Trump's budget proposal to eliminate the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides critical aid to help low-income families afford heating and cooling costs.

Why it matters

LIHEAP is an important federal program that helps millions of vulnerable Americans, including the elderly, disabled, and families with young children, afford basic home energy needs. Eliminating this program would place a significant financial burden on low-income households and potentially put their health and safety at risk.

The details

In a letter to congressional leadership, the bipartisan group of representatives urged the rejection of the Trump administration's proposal to zero out funding for LIHEAP, which has provided over $3 billion annually in recent years to assist households with home heating, cooling, weatherization, and energy crisis aid.

  • On April 9, 2026, Congressman Garamendi joined Congressman Pappas and 72 other lawmakers in sending the letter to congressional leadership.

The players

Congressman John Garamendi

A Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing California's 8th congressional district.

Congressman Chris Pappas

A Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing New Hampshire's 1st congressional district.

President Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, who proposed eliminating the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program in his budget.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let this critical program be eliminated, leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without the assistance they need to heat and cool their homes.”

— Congressman John Garamendi

“LIHEAP is a lifeline for low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who struggle to afford their energy bills. Cutting this program would be devastating for our constituents.”

— Congressman Chris Pappas

What’s next

Congressional leadership will now consider the bipartisan letter and decide whether to reject the President's proposal to eliminate LIHEAP funding.

The takeaway

This bipartisan effort to preserve the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program underscores the broad support for this critical social safety net program that helps millions of Americans afford basic home energy needs.