‘Shortchanging communities’: Lawmakers rip Trump, RFK after staff who administered ‘critical’ heating assistance program fired

A federal program that provides help for thousands of Spokane County residents could be at risk after the staff who administer the program were fired last week.

The move has sparked federal lawmakers to urge the Trump administration to reconsider cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, which they say could have a “devastating” effect.

“Even a brief delay could ruin the finances of working families who are hanging on by a thread if this money doesn’t get out – and leave seniors stranded in deadly heat waves this summer,” Sen. Patty Murray said in a statement last week. “If there are serious errors with calculations that end up shortchanging communities, we have Trump and RFK Jr. to thank for firing the very people who keep this program running.”

Last week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to slash the agency’s staff by 25%, or 20,000 jobs – a plan he said could save $1.8 billion a year. The plan includes closing half of the agency’s regional offices, consolidating 28 divisions into 15, and moving essential functions to other agencies.

Following the announcement, Murray joined Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., in requesting details on the plan.

“Authoritatively stating that these drastic changes will improve the health of Americans without any explanation insults the American public and defies logic,” the letter, sent Monday, states.

On Tuesday, though, the agency reportedly fired the 15 staff members who were tasked with administering the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which has existed for more than 40 years and provides heating grants directly to energy providers across the country.

According to data provided by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Washington received $66.2 million in funding for the program in 2025, which helped more than 84,000 households.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk would like us to believe that our country cannot afford to pay the salaries of the people who help working people across America heat and cool their homes – but that we can afford over $5 trillion in new tax breaks for billionaires like themselves,” Murray said in a statement. “It is as absurd as it is offensive – and it is working people across the country who will suffer the consequences of their recklessness.”

On Thursday, Maine Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an independent, wrote to HHS that the firings “threaten to devastate a critical program dedicated to helping Americans afford their home energy bills.”

“We are concerned that the reported staff terminations will undermine the HHS’ ability to deliver this critical funding to low-income seniors and families,” King and Collins wrote. “We are also concerned that the local community action agencies that help enroll qualified beneficiaries could be weakened by other actions and funding cuts being undertaken by HHS and the ‘Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE).’ ”

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Washington Department of Commerce said it was “too soon to tell what the impact of this will be.”

The department wrote to approximately 175 organizations across the state that help administer the program that “while this is an unprecedented development, LIHEAP remains a federally appropriated program” and “there are no immediate changes to LIHEAP operations.”

According to an Avista spokesperson, nearly 20,000 households received assistance from the program.

“We are closely monitoring the LIHEAP announcement,” the statement says. “We understand the current financial impact LIHEAP benefits have within the households of many of our most vulnerable customers and the role they play in helping these households keep up with their energy costs – especially during the coldest and hottest times of the year.”

In Spokane County, the program is administered through the Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners. In a statement Monday, the organization said it helped 5,286 households, totaling 17,225 residents, with funds from the program in 2024.

“We are closely monitoring recent developments at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and share concerns regarding potential impacts on LIHEAP funding. The loss of this vital resource would have a profound effect on our community,” the statement reads.

The statement noted that SNAP operates as an independent nonprofit organization, and that its staff were not impacted by the federal layoffs. The Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners also has funds available for those in need.

Appointments open on the third Tuesday of each month, with the next window opening at 8 a.m. on April 15. For more information, call 509-242-2376 or go to snapwa.org/energy-assistance.