Rep. Gabe Vasquez Leads New Mexico Delegation in Call to Lower Utility Bills as Hardworking NM Families Brace Themselves for the Cold

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On November 24, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) led the New Mexican delegation in urging the administration to immediately fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as New Mexico families prepare for colder temperatures this winter amidst sharply rising energy costs. 

In a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., Rep. Vasquez emphasized that LIHEAP plays a critical role in ensuring hardworking families can make ends meet and protect their families from the elements, especially as New Mexico families grapple with an average 8.1% jump in utility costs this year. 

“In communities across our state, families are struggling to afford rising energy costs. As winter approaches, many households face difficult choices between paying their heating bills and covering other basic needs like groceries, rent, or prescription drugs,” the NM delegation wrote to Secretary Kennedy. “For New Mexicans living on fixed incomes, especially seniors, families with young children, and those in rural and Tribal areas, LIHEAP can mean the difference between safety and crisis.”

Rep. Vasquez’s work to lower utility costs for New Mexicans is a core component of his Affordability Agenda — a concrete plan to make life more affordable for working class New Mexicans. He has also stood up against the Administration's reckless policies that are raising utility bills, including the Department of Energy’s decision to cut $135 million for next-generation energy projects in New Mexico and the Republican tax law that cut incentives for energy projects in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. 

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