Washington, DC—Today, Rep. Ron Kind sent a letter to Republican and Democratic leaders encouraging them to find a different way to fund the nation’s emergency response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) than what was proposed by President Trump. The President reportedly put forward a request that would pull funds from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which supports heating systems for families across Wisconsin. In Wisconsin alone, 195,986 low-income households received LIHEAP funding in 2019.
“While the threat of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is a public health concern and its spread must be prevented, pulling funding from a program that helps thousands of Wisconsinites stay warm this winter is dangerous,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “LIHEAP has protected low-income families for decades and if additional funding is diverted from the program, families across the country could face the threat of having their heat turned off in the middle of winter. Instead, I urge leaders of both parties to work across the aisle and find a solution that will ensure our country has the resources it needs to prevent a potential public health crisis but does not put others in harm’s way.”
