Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
The Keep the Heat On Act of 2025 would appropriate, from the Treasury, whatever sums are necessary to continue making payments under section 2602(b) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act (LIHEAP) during any lapse in discretionary appropriations in fiscal year 2026. Payments during a shutdown would be made at a rate equal to the corresponding month in fiscal year 2025.
Whether the humanitarian imperative to maintain LIHEAP during a shutdown outweighs concerns about bypassing the normal appropriations process.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly targeted appropriations measure that clearly identifies the purpose, statutory payment authority, temporal trigger, and a specific rate benchmark for continuity of LIHEAP payments during a FY2026 lapse in discretionary appropriations.
The Keep the Heat On Act of 2025 would appropriate, from the Treasury, whatever sums are necessary to continue making payments under section 2602(b) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act (LIHEAP) during any lapse in discretionary appropriations in fiscal year 2026.
Payments during a shutdown would be made at a rate equal to the corresponding month in fiscal year 2025.
The appropriation applies only for periods of lapse in discretionary appropriations during FY2026 and is intended to maintain LIHEAP payments despite a federal government shutdown.
On content alone, the bill is narrow, technically straightforward, and addresses a non-controversial policy goal (continuity of energy assistance). Those features improve its prospects. Countervailing risks include fiscal objections to ad hoc appropriations during shutdowns, the open-ended phrasing ('such sums as may be necessary'), and the practical likelihood that any change would be folded into larger appropriations or continuing resolution negotiations rather than passing as a standalone bill. Therefore it is moderately likely to be enacted either directly or as part of broader funding legislation, but not a sure thing.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly targeted appropriations measure that clearly identifies the purpose, statutory payment authority, temporal trigger, and a specific rate benchmark for continuity of LIHEAP payments during a FY2026 lapse in discretionary appropriations.
Whether the humanitarian imperative to maintain LIHEAP during a shutdown outweighs concerns about bypassing the normal appropriations process.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Whether the humanitarian imperative to maintain LIHEAP during a shutdown outweighs concerns about bypassing the normal appropriations process.
This persona would view the bill positively as a narrowly targeted, humanitarian measure that prevents vulnerable households from losing energy assistance during a shutdown.
They would emphasize protecting low-income families, seniors, and people with medical needs from harm caused by loss of heating or cooling assistance.
They would likely see the bill as an acceptable stopgap while advocating for more robust, permanent funding and adjustments for rising energy costs.
A centrist would generally view this as a pragmatic, narrowly tailored measure to avoid a humanitarian gap during a shutdown while noting procedural and fiscal questions.
They would appreciate the limited scope (only LIHEAP, only FY2026, only during lapses) but want clarity about cost, oversight, and precedent.
They would balance the immediate public-health benefits against protecting Congress’s appropriations authority and seek guardrails to limit unintended consequences.
A mainstream conservative would likely be skeptical or opposed, viewing the bill as undermining Congress’s appropriations power and enabling additional federal spending without the regular deliberative process.
They would be concerned about the ‘such sums as may be necessary’ language and the precedent of funding a program during a lapse in appropriations rather than resolving a shutdown.
Some conservatives might nonetheless reluctantly accept narrowly tailored humanitarian aid, but many will prefer either requiring private/state responses or making LIHEAP an entitlement funded in advance.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
On content alone, the bill is narrow, technically straightforward, and addresses a non-controversial policy goal (continuity of energy assistance). Those features improve its prospects. Countervailing risks include fiscal objections to ad hoc appropriations during shutdowns, the open-ended phrasing ('such sums as may be necessary'), and the practical likelihood that any change would be folded into larger appropriations or continuing resolution negotiations rather than passing as a standalone bill. Therefore it is moderately likely to be enacted either directly or as part of broader funding legislation, but not a sure thing.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Whether the humanitarian imperative to maintain LIHEAP during a shutdown outweighs concerns about bypassing the normal appropriations proce…
On content alone, the bill is narrow, technically straightforward, and addresses a non-controversial policy goal (continuity of energy assi…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly targeted appropriations measure that clearly identifies the purpose, statutory payment authority, temporal trigger, and a specific rate benchmark for co…
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