President Trump proposed elimination of LIHEAP and WAP in the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

Last Month, Senators urged the Administration to prioritize LIHEAP and WAP funding in the upcoming budget proposal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith urged the Administration to reconsider the proposed elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. In a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney, Senators Klobuchar and Smith described the critical role both programs play in providing vulnerable populations and low-income households with affordable home energy. Nearly 126,000 households rely on LIHEAP in Minnesota and more than 75 percent of them have at least one member who is elderly, disabled, or a child. The Weatherization Assistance Program has helped over 300,000 low-income households in Minnesota upgrade their heating units and better insulate their homes.

“The importance of LIHEAP cannot be understated – especially in places like Minnesota that experience bitterly cold temperatures and lengthy winters,” the Senators wrote. “These programs provide resources that are critically important to thousands of Minnesotans. I urge you to reconsider their proposed elimination and express support for funding them in both this fiscal year and moving forward.”

On January 31, Senators Klobuchar and Smith joined their colleagues in a letter urging the Administration to prioritize funding in his Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).

The full text of the letter is below.  

Dear Director Mulvaney:

We are writing to express our concerns over the proposed elimination of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) in the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget. These critical programs have helped low-income households across Minnesota meet their energy needs and avoided making them choose between heating their homes and other basic necessities.

The importance of LIHEAP cannot be overstated– especially in places like Minnesota that experience bitterly cold temperatures and lengthy winters. Nearly 126,000 households rely on the program in my state and more than 75 percent of them have at least one member who is elderly, disabled, or a child.

The Weatherization Assistance Program has helped over 300,000 low-income households in Minnesota upgrade their heating units and better insulate their homes. This program has not only provided heating assistance, but has also helped consumers benefit from lower demand on the energy grid during months where demand is high.

In the winter of 2013-2014, Minnesota experienced an especially harsh winter, the effects of which were worsened by a spike in propane costs. At that time, the Joint Economic Committee released a study that discussed how maintaining aid for families in LIHEAP is especially important in situations when energy price spikes threaten consumers and regional economies. 

These programs provide resources that are critically important to thousands of Minnesotans. We urge you to reconsider their proposed elimination and express support for funding them in both this fiscal year and moving forward.

Sincerely,

###