Trump administration, Healey continue to spar over low-income heating

The Trump Administration and Gov Maura Healey continue to spar over the release of Low Income Strength Assistance Venture LIHEAP funding and soaring strength costs as the weather gets colder After sending the Herald a written response Friday to Gov Healey s call for President Donald Trump to release the LIHEAP funding forthwith Wellbeing and Human Services Communications Director Andrew Nixon doubled down sending the Herald another comment late that night calling Healey a complete disgrace Governor Healey should apologize to their constituents for shutting down the regime and delaying this aid to the American people She is a complete disgrace to the commonwealth of Massachusetts disclosed Nixon They deserve better Earlier Friday Nixon had sent the Herald an original declaration in response to Healey s calls for LIHEAP funds pointing to the latest cabinet shutdown as the reason for the delay The Massachusetts Governor continues to blame the Trump Administration for the delay rather than acknowledging responsibility within her own party which held the executive hostage during the longest shutdown in American history Nixon disclosed Despite these setbacks the Administration for Children and Families ACF is moving swiftly to distribute annual awards and restore essential services that were stalled when the Democrat-led shutdown obstructed the Department s ability to serve the nation s greater part vulnerable families he announced Spokesperson for Gov Healey Karissa Hand responded to a Herald request for comment Saturday criticizing HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr for the back and forth between the two governing body offices Instead of name calling Secretary Kennedy necessities to do his job He s failing to help Americans heat their homes taking vaccines away from kids and now ridiculously placing blame for a federal shutdown on the Governor of Massachusetts stated Hand We deserve a Secretary of Medical and Human Services who spends his time working to lower soundness care costs and increase access instead of taking coverage away from Massachusetts residents Under the Continuing Resolution H R Congress appropriated billion for LIHEAP The Office of Neighborhood Services OCS which falls under the ACF umbrella revealed it plans to use the special authority to release a total of billion in LIHEAP funds including billion of FY regular block grant funding plus an additional million of the final supplemental funding available under the Infrastructure Capital and Jobs Appropriations Act The Department anticipates the funding will be published by the end of the month No more excuses Healey mentioned in a declaration Friday responding to the Herald s summary President Trump necessities to do his job and get LIHEAP money out the door so people can heat their homes Healey held a press conference Thursday calling on President Trump to do his damn job and release the heating assistance funds this instant saying it is unacceptable to me that Massachusetts families and residents are going to go without heating assistance that they are due from the federal establishment So my message to Donald Trump is get that money out the door and get it out this day She also sent a letter to Vitality and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought urging the administration to release the highest allowable amount of LIHEAP funding authorized under the Continuing Resolution H R The governor is seeing advocacy from at least one member of the state s federal delegation Democratic Congresswoman Lori Trahan MA- posted on X Thursday following Healey s press conference saying More than people across Massachusetts are struggling to keep their homes warm because the Trump administration is holding federal home heating assistance hostage Grateful to MassGovernor for joining our demand to release this winter s Low Income Home Potential Assistance Scheme funds Earlier this week a new analysis published by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation and disclosed on by the Herald exposed state state policies and mandates are the primary driver behind soaring vigor costs in Massachusetts The governor says she disagrees with the document s findings