Pappas Leads House Bill to Increase Available LIHEAP Funding

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) announced he has introduced new legislation in the House of Representatives to invest an additional $1 billion into the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for Fiscal Year 2027, one of the most successful programs aimed at reducing energy costs for working families. The American Homes First Act would do so by redirecting $1 billion from President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ slush fund to LIHEAP. U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto leads this legislation in the Senate.

“President Trump’s reckless war with Iran is making it more expensive for Granite Staters to heat their homes,” said Congressman Pappas. “Heating oil prices have nearly doubled over the course of the war, with no end in sight. My legislation would increase funding for LIHEAP to provide greater relief and ensure Granite Staters can keep their heat on and their homes safe this winter.”

“Amid President Trump’s reckless war in Iran, Americans are going to be paying even more to heat their homes this winter,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Instead of working to help Americans lower their costs, President Trump has decided to put one billion dollars into a slush fund to be sent abroad with no guardrails. I’m glad Rep. Pappas has joined my effort to use that money to lower costs for working families instead.”

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 protect and strengthen LIHEAP. 

LIHEAP helps low-income individuals and families pay for heating and cooling and mitigates the impacts of rising energy costs and extreme weather events. Across the nation, LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households afford their energy bills, including nearly 30,000 households in New Hampshire, but Secretary Kennedy’s decision last year to fire all LIHEAP staff and President Trump’s repeated efforts to fully defund the program have put this assistance at risk. In response, Pappas led 89 of his Congressional colleagues in calling for the protection of LIHEAP and the rehiring of all HHS staff who manage the LIHEAP program that were fired in April 2025. Pappas also led a bipartisan letter in November 2025 calling for immediate distribution of funds following delays in LIHEAP allocations to states. In April of this year, Pappas again led his colleagues in a bipartisan letter following additional LIHEAP delays from HHS.