Gillibrand Asks RFK Jr. To Release LIHEAP Funds

FROM U.S. SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: “New Yorkers are already feeling the pain of President Trump’s economy at the grocery store, the gas pump, and the pharmacy. Now, as temperatures begin to drop, they’re getting hit again: this time at the thermostat. Fuel prices are soaring because of President Trump’s war with Iran, and New Yorkers need help heating their homes as temperatures drop. I’m calling on the Trump administration to immediately release LIHEAP funding to help low-income New Yorkers afford their energy bills.” Last week, the price of crude oil rose to $100 per barrel for the first time since July—a direct result of President Trump’s war with Iran. That has driven up the average cost of heating oil in New York up to $6.14 per gallon, which is a 66% increase from this time last year. At the same time, President Trump’s administration has yet to release the LIHEAP funding that helps New Yorkers heat their homes in the fall and winter, which was appropriated by Congress in the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 earlier this month. Under this bill, New York is slated to receive an estimated $360 million in LIHEAP funds.

“With temperatures beginning to drop and fuel prices continuing to rise, Senator Gillibrand sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding that the administration immediately release this funding.”

See the letter below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

Seven months into President Trump’s disastrous war of choice in Iran, the United States has reached an inflection point. New Yorkers have had to endure months of rising costs for necessities, everything from gasoline to groceries. And last week, global markets crossed another grim milestone. Due to this administration’s poor leadership, the price of crude oil once again rose to $100 per barrel for the first time since July—up 40 percent since President Trump brought us into war.

New Yorkers are already feeling the pain at the pump, grocery store, and pharmacy. But the rising price of crude oil is particularly concerning at this time of year. As New York prepares for the cold fall and winter months, the inflated price of oil will push home heating costs to
significant highs. As of September 14, the average cost of heating oil in New York is $6.14 per gallon, which is a 66.0 percent increase from this time last year.2 These costs will be felt most acutely by New York’s seniors, who are already struggling to afford the necessities of life and
who will see their budgets stretched even thinner due to the rising price of home heating oil.

Your Department is responsible for administering the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the essential federal program that aids seniors and low-income households with their energy and heating bills. LIHEAP provides direct financial assistance to help these households afford their bills during the coldest months of the year. As costs continue to rise across the board, this program will be a vital lifeline to help New Yorkers make ends meet.

Earlier this month, Congress passed the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 into law.3 This law provides continuing funding for essential programs like LIHEAP, which has now been made available to the Department of Health and Human Services for distribution. In light of the alarming rise in global oil prices prompted by this administration’s war in Iran, I urge you to immediately release the LIHEAP funding provided under this law so that states like New York can prepare for the coming fall and winter months. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,
Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator