Last Friday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved its fiscal year 2027 draft spending bill and advanced it to the full committee for markup. The measure passed along party lines with no amendments offered. While the proposed bill cuts the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) overall budget by more than $4 billion, or nearly 10% of its overall budget, LIHEAP is slated for a $10 million increase, bringing its total to $4.055 billion.

This outcome is a direct result of the advocacy by NEFI and its coalition partners from NEUAC. The program has always enjoyed bipartisan support; however, the fact that LIHEAP may receive a funding increase at the same time HHS is facing massive cuts shows how effective our outreach has been.

Having said that, the program is not without its challenges. The administration has repeatedly called for the program's elimination. And this year, because of the expiration of supplemental funding provided by the IIJA, the program will be $70 million short of last year, assuming it receives that $10 million increase.

NEFI will follow the bill closely as well as its senate companion, where we will continue to fight for the support of this lifeline for our member's customers. For more information, contact NEFI Manager of Government Affairs Liam Dotson at liam.dotson@nefi.com.