Trump administration, Mass. Gov. Maura Healey continue to spar over low-income heating

Tim Dunn, Boston Herald on Nov 23, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The Trump Administration and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey continue to spar over the release of Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding and soaring energy costs as the weather gets colder.

After sending the Boston Herald a written response Friday to Gov. Healey’s call for President Donald Trump to release the LIHEAP funding immediately, Health and Human Services Communications Director Andrew Nixon doubled down, sending the Herald another statement late that night calling Healey a “complete disgrace.”

“Governor Healey should apologize to their constituents for shutting down the government and delaying this aid to the American people. She is a complete disgrace to the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Nixon. “They deserve better.”

Earlier Friday, Nixon had sent the Herald an original statement in response to Healey’s calls for LIHEAP funds, pointing to the recent government 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 government hostage during the longest shutdown in American history,” Nixon said.

“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 most vulnerable families,” he said.

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 government offices.

“Instead of name calling, Secretary Kennedy needs 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,” said Hand. “We deserve a Secretary of Health and Human Services who spends his time working to lower health care costs and increase access, instead of taking coverage away from 300,000 Massachusetts residents.”

Under the Continuing Resolution (H.R. 5371), Congress appropriated $4.025 billion for LIHEAP. The Office of Community Services (OCS) — which falls under the ACF umbrella — said it plans to use the special authority to release a total of $3.7 billion in LIHEAP funds, including $3.6 billion of FY26 regular block grant funding, plus an additional $100 million of the final supplemental funding available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Appropriations Act. The Department anticipates the funding will be released by the end of the month.

“No more excuses,” Healey said in a statement Friday responding to the Herald’s report. “President Trump needs 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 immediately, 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 government. So, my message to Donald Trump is get that money out the door and get it out today.”

She also sent a letter to Health 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. 5371).

The governor is seeing support from at least one member of the state’s federal delegation.

Democratic Congresswoman Lori Trahan, Mass.-8th, posted on X Thursday following Healey’s press conference, saying “More than 300,000 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 Energy Assistance Program funds!”

Earlier this week, a new report, released by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation and reported on by the Herald, found state climate policies and mandates are the primary driver behind soaring energy costs in Massachusetts. The governor says she disagrees with the report’s findings.

_____