Senators demand clarity as HHS pauses Head Start, LIHEAP and child-care payments
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Summary
Committee members pressed HHS about delays and pauses in Head Start, LIHEAP and child-care funding, and asked for commitments to preserve programs that serve low-income families.
Multiple senators raised immediate concerns about program continuity for low-income families following reports that HHS is delaying distribution of funds for Head Start, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and child-care block grants.
Senator Susan Collins called LIHEAP "absolutely vital" for older and low-income Americans and asked whether the department would work to restore the program after administration proposals to eliminate it. Secretary Kennedy responded he would "absolutely" work with the committee and cited prior discretionary spending of funds in the current fiscal year while saying the administration's energy policy was the rationale for proposing changes.
Senator Tammy Baldwin said the department sent an operational plan with over 530 program lines missing dollar amounts, adding that HHS was delaying billions in Head Start and child-care funding and that such delays had caused service disruptions, including a Head Start program closure in her state that served more than 400 children.
Secretary Kennedy said he had directed the spending of $400,000,000 in fiscal-year appropriations already and expressed a commitment to preserve Head Start's core functions; he also said the department would consider program effectiveness and food-quality improvements at Head Start sites. Senators asked HHS to provide a detailed operational plan identifying timing for funding releases, staffing needed to run programs, and assurances that appropriated funds would be spent according to congressional intent.
The subcommittee requested written follow-up on the exact programs and amounts being delayed and the department's timetable to restore full operations.