The Trump administration abruptly laid off the entire staff overseeing a $4.1 billion program helping low-income households with heating and cooling bills, potentially crippling the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The firings were part of a larger purge of 10,000 employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, raising concerns about the program’s future and the distribution of remaining funds to states struggling with high utility costs. Democratic lawmakers criticized the move, highlighting the program’s importance in keeping households warm in winter and cool in summer to prevent winter mortality due to unaffordable energy costs.
Full Article