Pappas Introduces Legislation to Ensure Americans Aren't Left in the Cold During Shutdown
Pappas’s legislation would protect New Hampshire families’ home energy and heating assistance during a government shutdown
Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) introduced legislation to safeguard the 30,000 New Hampshire households that rely on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to lower their home energy bills and afford to keep the heat on during a government shutdown. The Keep the Heaton Act of 2025 would fund LIHEAP during a shutdown to ensure that Granite Staters are not forced to pay more to heat their homes or be left in the cold as we enter the winter months.
“Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House, and have chosen to shut the government down rather than engage in a bipartisan negotiation to fund vital services that Granite Staters rely on, like LIHEAP,” said Congressman Pappas. “New Hampshire families are already struggling to afford the essentials and face increasing energy costs because of this administration’s reckless tariffs and actions, and this government shutdown further threatens to raise costs and make it hard for Granite Staters to stay warm this winter. Americans should not be forced to suffer because Republicans’ partisan politics have forced our government to a standstill, and this legislation would fund LIHEAP during a shutdown to ensure that Granite Staters are not left in the cold.”
LIHEAP assists low-income individuals and families with the costs of heating and cooling their homes and helps to mitigate the impacts of rising energy costs and extreme weather events. Across the nation, LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households afford their energy bills. In Fiscal Year 2023, over 29,000 New Hampshire households benefited from an average savings of $1,579.
Background:
In April, Congressman Pappas led 89 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.
Last week, Pappas announced that he won’t be taking a paycheck during a shutdown, and reiterated his call on Speaker Johnson to immediately bring the full House back into session and reach across the aisle to get a bipartisan funding agreement that meets the needs of our communities.