Congress protects heating aid for poor families during shutdown
H.R. 5687 — Keep the Heat On Act of 2025 · Filed by Chris Pappas (D-NH) · 14 cosponsors · Introduced Oct 3, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill ensures that the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) continues to pay heating and cooling assistance to eligible low-income households during a federal government shutdown in fiscal year 2026. It appropriates whatever funds are needed from the general Treasury to maintain payment levels at the same rate as fiscal year 2025, preventing a lapse in benefits when discretionary appropriations expire.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward emergency appropriation mechanism designed to maintain a specific social safety-net program (LIHEAP) during a shutdown. It uses unobligated Treasury funds to bridge a gap in discretionary appropriations, a standard legislative tool for protecting essential services.
What the text implies
- The bill does not require reauthorization of LIHEAP itself—it assumes the program's underlying authority remains valid and only addresses the funding gap. If LIHEAP's statutory authority expires or is repealed, this appropriation may not be sufficient to sustain payments.
- By pegging fiscal year 2026 payments to fiscal year 2025 rates, the bill freezes assistance levels and does not account for inflation, population growth, or increased energy costs, potentially reducing real purchasing power for recipients.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Low-income households receiving LIHEAP benefits