Press Release: 12/2/2025

Senator Markey Statment on Release of $3.7 Billion in Federal Energy Assistance For Low Income Households

 



Massachusetts to receive $146 million through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program



Washington (December 2, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today released the following statement after the Trump administration announced the release of $3.7 billion in federal heating assistance funds that it had previously delayed. Massachusetts is set to receive $146,098,612 in funding, including from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, with an additional $220,591 for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.



“Low-income families deserve access to federal heating assistance funds, so I’m relieved the Trump administration is finally distributing these dollars to states—especially after the MAGA Republican shutdown froze funds and Trump chaos delayed their release. Trump and Elon Musk did everything they could to deny heating assistance to families in need, firing nearly all the federal employees working on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and even proposing to eliminate the program altogether. I will continue to fight for these dollars in Congress and for programs like LIHEAP to be strengthened and expanded, especially as energy costs continue to rise and families in Massachusetts and across the country stare down another cold winter. I’m proud to be leading efforts to increase LIHEAP funding, stop utility shut-offs during shutdowns, and support the federal workers running this life-saving program to bring critical energy assistance to low-income households.”



Senator Markey is a champion for energy access, affordability, and reliability, and he has consistently called out the Trump administration’s attacks on LIHEAP.




  • In November, Senator Markey joined Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and his Senate colleagues in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. calling for the swift release of LIHEAP funding.

  • In November, Senator Markey introduced the Stop Shut-Offs During Shutdowns Act, legislation that calls on electric and gas utilities across the country to immediately suspend shut-offs of service for nonpayment during federal government shutdowns.

  • In November, Senator Markey published an op-ed with the Executive Director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) calling for gas and electric utilities nationwide to stop all shut-offs during the shutdown.

  • In April, Senator Markey called out Secretary of the Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for firing nearly all the federal employees responsible for administering the LIHEAP program and led a letterwith the entire Massachusetts delegation on the resulting impacts to the state.

  • Also in April, Senator Markey and Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) reintroduced the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, bold legislation to significantly expand and modernize the severely underfunded LIHEAP.

  • In March, Senator Markey hosted a roundtable with Massachusetts LIHEAP providers, consumer advocates, and national energy assistance organizations to discuss the urgent need to strengthen and expand LIHEAP.