Senator Collins Questions HHS Secretary Kennedy on Elimination of LIHEAP
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Washington, D.C. – At a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee, questioned HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the proposed elimination of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
During the Q&A, Secretary Kennedy committed to funding LIHEAP if appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.
At the urging of Senator Collins, HHS released more than $400 million in FY 2025 funding for LIHEAP earlier this month. Maine has received $41.6 million in FY 2025 LIHEAP funding.
Q&A with Secretary Kennedy:
Senator Collins:
The LIHEAP program, which we've talked about, is absolutely vital for thousands of older Mainers and low-income families. It helps them avoid the constant worry of having to choose between keeping warm, buying essential foods and medications, and other basic necessities.
Now, I was pleased to see the release of the rest of the Fiscal Year 2025 funds, but the Administration's new budget seeks to eliminate what is truly a critical program.
Will you work with this Committee in trying to restore LIHEAP so that we can avoid, literally, seniors and low-income families not being able to keep warm in the winter?
Secretary Kennedy:
Yeah, absolutely, and I'm from New England myself. My brother, for 40 years, has run Citizens Energy, which provides low-cost home heating oil to families in New England. And so many people have come to me over the years and said to me, thank you, your brother saved my life because I didn't have to choose between food and heat.
I was on the Navajo reservation three weeks ago, and Navajo President Buu Nygren said to me, at this point, if we cut LIHEAP, Navajo will die from it. So, I understand the critical historical importance of this program.
President Trump's rationale and OMB's rationale is that President Trump's energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy so that everybody will get lower cost heating oil, and in that case, this program would simply be another subsidy to the fossil fuel industry.
If that doesn't happen, and Congress chooses to appropriate the money, I, of course, will spend it. I've already directed the spending of $400 million in this year's budget. Do that, and I will work with you to make sure that those families do not suffer in that way.
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