WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Josh Riley (NY-19) is demanding the federal government get heating assistance to Upstate families on time as energy costs rise and colder weather approaches. Riley joined a bipartisan group of 116 lawmakers calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to states as soon as possible, and no later than November 1, 2026.
“Upstate New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between staying warm or buying groceries. But while utility monopolies keep raising prices on working families, Washington bureaucracy is threatening to leave people out in the cold,” Riley said. “With winter right around the corner, the government needs to do its job, cut through the delays, and get this relief directly into the hands of the families who need it.”
Riley’s letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. highlights concerns about LIHEAP’s capacity to operate without dedicated staff following mass firings in April 2025. The letter urges Secretary Kennedy to ensure that the necessary personnel and resources are in place to make sure families receive assistance on schedule.
In addition to today’s actions, Riley has also signed onto a bipartisan letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to provide an additional $3 billion in emergency funding for LIHEAP to ensure that every family who qualifies for the program can receive the assistance they need. Across the nation, LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households afford their energy bills, including nearly 1.3 million households in New York; however, five out of six families who qualify for LIHEAP receive no financial assistance because of budget shortfalls.
You can read Riley’s letter to HHS HERE and his letter to the House Appropriations Committee HERE.
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