Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) spearheaded a recent letter to the Trump Administration urging against the cutting of funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), saying it is "nothing short of life-saving."
As Rep. Stanton's press release explained, LIHEAP provides utility bill and air conditioning repair funds to low-income housing and emergency cooling support.
The Trump Administration intends to forward a rescission package (canceling funds previously approved by Congress) by May, although it primarily intends to cut back on foreign spending.
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Of course, given how hot Arizona is, as Rep. Stanton argued, keeping money in LIHEAP's coffers is not a bad idea.
"If these reports are indeed true, we stand against any rescission of LIHEAP funding," the Arizona Congressman said in his letter, adding, "In the Arizona summers, when temperatures can climb well into the triple digits, this assistance is nothing short of life-saving."
After all, a February report found that approximately 600 people died from heat exposure in Arizona, as temperatures are expected to continue climbing. Stanton claimed in his press release that many victims' air conditioning units were "broken, disconnected, or turned off to save money on electricity costs," a fact verified by the Associated Press, further suggested that many were in mobile homes.
"In Arizona, the program is already oversubscribed—just 5 percent of the population eligible by income is able to access LIHEAP funding. Congress appropriated $4.1 billion for LIHEAP for fiscal year (FY) 2025, and every dollar is important to continue this program. We demand you to continue this life-saving program at its full, Congressionally approved amount," the letter concluded.
Last year, former Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced the Border Weather Resiliency Act, which mandates Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to devise strategies to safeguard the health and safety of staff and equipment under the relentless desert sun as record heat waves affect the Southwest.
