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With the onset of summer and rising temperatures, the Trump administration's plan to end the Low Income Heat and Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, threatens a vital resource millions rely on to stay cool.Advocates say eliminating the program could be a matter of life or death."It shows a complete disregard for the needs of low-income families who receive heating and cooling assistance with this program," Mark Wolfe from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) said. "States are gearing up for summer cooling programs, so the timing of these cuts makes no sense."LIHEAP recipients, like Don Gardner of Washington, D.C., say the program has become a reliable source to turn to when bills pile up. After losing jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently through government downsizing, Gardner says he struggled to find ways to pay over $700 he owed in utilities."My electricity was supposed to be cut off on the 28th of April, but as you can see, the lights are still on," Gardner said while standing in his one-bedroom apartment in the city's Navy Yard neighborhood. "It is necessary for individuals like myself who cannot afford to pay the utilities. Even when I was working, bills were still high."More than 6 million people, like Gardner, rely on LIHEAP to pay for utilities. But, as part of an effort to cut government spending, President Donald Trump wants to end the program for good.In April, the Department of Health and Human Services fired roughly two dozen people who ran the program, and later, hired one back to release nearly $400 million Congress had already approved. Advocates warn the layoffs will derail state programs responsible for distributing LIHEAP's federal funding. Bipartisan lawmakers also expressed worries in separate hearings with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the program. "Low-income energy assistance, for us, is not a budget line item," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said. "The temperatures can get really, really tough. keeps people from freezing to death in their homes."In another contentious exchange, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, questioned the reasoning for the cuts." is a program specifically to address the needs of low-income and minority families as it relates to heating and even air conditioning. Why, why, why, why and what is your rationale for eliminating that program specifically?" Watson Coleman asked."My time has expired," Kennedy responded after being cut off with an initial attempt to respond."Well, then so has your legitimacy," Watson Coleman replied.In his budget request, President Donald Trump went further, calling LIHEAP "unnecessary." Kennedy explained the president's policies would reduce the need for the program, adding that the administration would be open to Congress reinstating it if a demonstrated need persisted."President Trump's energy policy is going to reduce dramatically the cost of energy in this country," Kennedy said. "If that happens, LIHEAP is just another subsidy to the oil industry."But more lawmakers fighting to keep LIHEAP say the program disruptions are already being felt. "We are being left in the dark about what we can expect in terms of these critical programs that working people rely on," Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, said. "We just don't have those lines of communication right now, so it creates additional anxiety and fear for our constituents. And honestly, I feel like it's malpractice." Without the program, Gardner says he'll be forced to choose between paying his bills or paying for his apartment."If they cut the program, then I lose. I'll lose my place," he said.