Pappas Helps Launch Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus
Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) is helping launch the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus, a group of lawmakers dedicated to finding legislative solutions to the ongoing energy affordability crisis. The caucus will convene House Members around oversight strategies and tools to hold utility providers accountable for rate hikes.
“Families, working people, and seniors are being slammed by high utility prices, and they need relief and action. I’ve heard directly from Granite Staters who are worried about affording heat in the winter, spending as much on energy as they do on their mortgage, and juggling the cost of food and utilities,” said Rep. Chris Pappas. “Congress needs to step up, take on corporations raking in record profits, and deliver solutions that lower people’s bills and put more money back in their pockets.”
The other lawmakers in the caucus include Reps. Josh Riley (NY-19), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), John Mannion (NY-22), Mike Levin (CA-49), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Ami Bera (CA-06), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), and Seth Magaziner (RI-02).
Background:
Pappas is a fierce advocate for efforts that lower energy costs for Granite Staters and programs that help low-income families pay their bills. He has repeatedly called on both Democratic and Republican administrations to stop the export of oil to foreign adversaries and protect and strengthen the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), including successfully pressing the Department of Health and Human Services to take all necessary steps to ensure that LIHEAP funds were distributed to the states by November 30, 2025. He has also previously introduced, cosponsored, or called for the passage of the following legislation: his bipartisan Energy Burden Tax Credit Act, his bipartisan Transmission Facilitation Program Reauthorization, his Heroes Home Energy Savings Act, his bipartisan Bolstering Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve Act, the bipartisan Banning Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act, the Energy Independence and Affordability Act, the bipartisan Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025.
In 2025 Pappas led 90 of his Congressional colleagues in calling for the protection of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the rehiring of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) staff who manage the LIHEAP program that were fired, and he supports the bipartisan LIHEAP Staffing Support Act, which would set a minimum staffing level within HHS to administer LIHEAP. In the House-passed HHS appropriations funding package, Pappas helped secure language requiring HHS to report to Congress on their current staffing levels to ensure LIHEAP is properly staffed.