As temperatures and utility bills rise this summer, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer from New York is warning that thousands of low-income families in New York City and Long Island could struggle to stay cool due to Trump administration cuts to a federal energy assistance program.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as LIHEAP, helps households across the country pay for their cooling and heating costs — and avoid utility shutoffs — through funding passed on to states. In New York, more than 1.7 million benefits were approved in fiscal year 2023, according to Schumer’s office.

But in April, the Trump administration fired the program’s staff at the Department of Health and Human Services, putting its future in question. Schumer said the move jeopardized millions of dollars i

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