Trump executive order leads to $100 energy bill hike for hundreds in Alabama

[In It to Win It]

https://popular.info/p/trump-executive-order-leads-to-100

Judd Legum
@JuddLegum

1. Donald Trump promised that, as president, he would drastically lower Americans' energy bills.

But hundreds of Alabama residents are receiving a $100 surcharge on their energy bills as a direct result of Trump's actions in the White House.

2. The surcharge occurred because one of Trump's executive orders froze a grant that assists low-income residents with their energy bills.

In an email, an Alabama official confirmed that the letter from Huntsville Utilities was genuine and the $100 increase was the direct result of Trump's EO.

https://popular.info/p/trump-executive-order-leads-to-100

3. Alabama received $1 million of additional LIHEAP funding as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Trump's EO, Unleashing American Energy, suspended the grant.

Ironically, the purpose of that EO was to address "high energy prices."

4. It's possible that similar increases could hit consumers around the country. Other programs suspended by the executive order, such as the Home Energy Rebates programs, could further increase utility bills.

Link to tweet

[rampartd]

1. the worst part of this was how it was done

the utility inc received the money and it was credited to the consumers, then the money was somehow clawed back to the agency.

can they do that to medicare payments to doctors? might result in a surprise hospital bill if they do.

more insanity from the goof of america tomorrow, i'm sure.

[LymphocyteLover]

10. clawed back to the federal agency?

[rampartd]

13. i hope anyway. it was deducted from the utility accounts

no one has confirmed that the money is not in some wiz kids swiss account

[LymphocyteLover]

14. seriously!!! Is anyone checking these people to make sure they aren't robbing us blind?

[rampartd]

15. anyone with a job like that has already been fired

anybody that could fix it already works for musk.

[LymphocyteLover]

54. not the answer I wanted to hear

[rubbersole]

66. "Is anyone checking...?"

Last edited Fri Feb 14, 2025, 08:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Yes! Elon has a group of young auditors checking the account(s) of an African apartheid champion to make sure it doesn't overflow too quickly. Are auditors the same as coders? Virgin coders with cool macho names? Role models for all the little maga booger eaters.

[Evolve Dammit]

60. sincerely doubt it. Consumer Protection Bureau is gone right? That leaves it up to the State's PUCs and most of those

aren't really regulatory, at least what I've seen. More like rate hike enablers.

[LymphocyteLover]

61. well, shit

Where are all the PATRIOTS?

[Evolve Dammit]

62. without these agencies, we're on our own. Magats don't realize it yet, but they're going to get hurt just as much.

[markodochartaigh]

27. Medicaid clawbacks

are already a thing. It depends on the state, and it usually happens after death. Seeing how the current administration operates, who can predict anything?


https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/01/1159490515/they-could-lose-the-house-to-medicaid

[rampartd]

31. medicaid expansion was blocked in my state by bobby jindal

got him 1% of the new hampshire repub primary.

jon bel edwards got medicaid expansion, but this new guy is so maga he will give it up even if musk doesn't take it first.

i'm on medicare (without which i am bankrupt or more likely dead.) but a lot of the ladies at the nursing home had to spend down their savings before medicaid would pick up their bills.

[markodochartaigh]

34. I don't like clawbacks or spending down

savings to qualify for benefits. Working class people work our entire lives, and if we are able to scrimp and save and accumulate a nest egg it can be obliterated so easily by medical expenses/supportive care.

When I first became a registered nurse in the early 80's I saw a patient from a wealthy family who was in the hospital for a relatively minor condition that actually she had caused herself. When she was ready to be discharged her family had the doctor keep her in the hospital for an additional two weeks so that they could have her home redecorated (it ended up being a few extra days because the curtains weren't ready). Her hospital stay was paid for by Medicare. Her assets had already been transferred to her family.

The wealthy have attorneys to take advantage of every loophole while working class people stumble over every pebble in the road.

[rampartd]

35. precisely

wealthy people do not have wages, salaries, or even assets. their corporations and foundations own everything, which they get to use without ever showing income; these people pass a means test, which will disqualify a poor widow with 2k in a savings account or a 20 year old car.

inheritance tax is a joke. anybody with that much to leave can make sure they pay no taxes on it.

if anyone is looking for fraud in medical programs, they would not be looking at granny, but at the nursing homes.

[Ms. Toad]

38. Medicare is not an asset based program.

Do you mean Medicaid?

[markodochartaigh]

48. Well, it has been 40 years ago.

It was even before drg's started. Also I think that I may have conflated the two. It maybe even that the family members who were bragging to me didn't understand the situation since their attorney had taken care of it. They told me that her estate had been given to her children a few years before in anticipation of medical bills.

[Ms. Toad]

53. It's a common trick nowadays -

Medicaid has a lookback period, so you have to plan a few years in advance or they claw back the assets from the kids to p pay the bills.

[IbogaProject]

59. 2.5 years for in home care and 5 years for in patient.

So not exactly the easiest to swing, as it costs a chunk of cash and ongoing expenses to keep the charade of broke while having assets in the right kind of trust.

[forgotmylogin]

47. I am appreciative they "named and shamed" exactly who was responsible.

Commander in Thief loves his name on things. This is what will start waking up the non-political people.

[XanaDUer2]

76. I'm glad they did too

[Jit423]

49. Probably done to mostly poor and black people in Alabama. His base loves it! nt

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Make America Pay Again

The benefits just keep on coming

[ReRe]

3. K&R

Because everyone needs to see this. Thanks for posting it. This is a dirty rotten shame. It was a grant to people who are needy, and now they have to somehow figure out where this money is going to come from in their almost non-existent budget.
Another thing. Where in the hell is all this money going that Musk is taking back? Is it going directly into their tax break fund?
Who in the WH uttered the term "willy-nilly" recently? I think it was Musk. I think willy-nilly best describes what he is doing by
annulling and taking back all kinds of transactions. Do you think someone from the Treasury has gone over there and taken a gander at what he's doing? JHC!

[modrepub]

6. It's being Parked Probably

Sitting in some account.

Fed Employee here. For my group, the last couple of shut downs we've managed to cobble together a couple of days post budget impasse of operations from money that is literally banked and I assume waiting to be distributed for programs. I'd assume the claw back is sitting in the account it was originally sent from but who really knows.

You've brought up an interesting question, where does the "claw back" money actually go to? If it's not going back to the original program it was distributed from is it going into some other holding pen? If this is the case, is that even legal? I'm sure the M$M is right on it.

[ReRe]

25. Once in a while a good

Investigative journalist pops up. M$M though is definitely not doing us any favors. But. Did hear about Elon taking $80 Mil from NYC's coffers? W.T.F.? Was on Chris Hayes last night..
About where the money goes, they could be taking it for themselves, Trump & Musk.!

[mainer]

4. And Alabamans will say "Yay Trump!"

Their hero, no matter what.

[Xavier Breath]

77. That's what I was about to say.

He could literately burn their house to the ground and they'd stand in the yard cheering.

[BoRaGard]

5. "We need that money for our Billionaire Bros." - G.O.P.

"Thank you very much, you stupid suckers." - G.O.P.

[Orrex]

7. Those people will blame Democrats and would absolutely vote for Trump again.

[newdeal2]

28. Well at least the letter clearly points out that it's due to Trump

If the reader wants to believe otherwise, they are probably ultra MAGA and view this as the cost of being a patriot.

[W_HAMILTON]

55. Then they will continue to get fucked over by Trump and his Republicans.

[Trueblue Texan]

8. I know it's only a coincidence, but it looks like TSF is really going after Alabama.

The NIH funding shutdown is really killing them and now this. I wonder what else he has in store for them. The state voted for TSF by a 30% margin. Guess they're getting what they deserve, but it's unfortunate for them as well as the rest of us.

[LymphocyteLover]

12. oh darn

[MayReasonRule]

20. Texas Is Gonna' See The Same Kinda' Thing...

[karynnj]

22. I don't think so. I would bet Liheap grants and NIH grants across the country were shut down

In all cases, it feels very wrong that money appropriated by Congress and sent out should be taken back because UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS led by Musk don't think they fit Trump's goals. Trump said he would be a dictator for a day ... Though legally he should not have been able to, but this is far past a day.

It also suggested that things that help people most in need will be cut from future budgets. As to research grants for both health and science, cutting them will make the US less competitive. It will also likely cost money as, in any year, there will be results from the successful projects that essentially "pay" for all the research.

[Trueblue Texan]

24. What's happening is clearly unconstitutional.

Those funds were appropriated by Congress. The Constitution gives Congress that authority, not the executive branch. I do not see why it's happening, except that TSF doesn't give a shit about the constitution he swore to uphold and defend. I suppose the cases have to work their way up through the courts, but this cannot stand.

[karynnj]

42. I remember several times where the concept of a line item veto by the President

was proposed and found to be unconstitutional. This really could be seen as worse than a line item veto as they could actually go into a "line" and chose what to cancel. Not to mention, this is after some money is spent in good faith and some people made employment decisions that are no longer viable.

[rampartd]

36. the rich need medical research as well

but their diseases are much more interesting.

[BlueMTexpat]

9. Cry me a river, AL!

[Trueblue Texan]

43. yeah... I am glad they're getting what they deserve...

...but just like in Texas, you can bet there are a lot of folks (like me) who tried to tell them and they still voted for the prick.

[LymphocyteLover]

11. FAFO, as they say... I wish it would affect all Trump voters in that deep red state

[GiqueCee]

16. Perhaps someday...

... the room-temperature IQs that support Trump, thinking, "He's one of us," will realize that nothing could be further from the truth. Christ on a crutch, he told them to their idiot faces, "I don't care about you, I just want your votes!" And the witless morons cheered. Jesus wept.

With such mental defectives pissing in the gene pool, humanity will never survive as a species.

I need more coffee.

[Norbert]

17. But how many of them still thinks voting blue is not an option?

[purr-rat beauty]

18. Elections have consequences....right?

According to Goofgle - In 2023, the federal government provided over $64 billion in aid to Alabama.

You think trump and his NAZI entourage are going to tolerate this welfare?

Sadly, most of us aren't terribly bothered because no matter what, it's out fellow citizens.

But to the maga locusts, it's money to gobble up!

You're on your own like the rest of us, my hope is that you'll be the ones wielding the pitchforks.

[MayReasonRule]

19. Leopards, Leopards Everywhere

[ProudMNDemocrat]

21. Where's Lynnrd Skynnrd when you need them?

Sweet Home Alabama my ass!

Katie Britt and Tommy Tubbyvile are two rubes who care little for the people of their state, or its economy.

No wonder Alabama ranks at the bottom of the 50 states in Infrastructure, Education, Economic growth, Wages, overall health, etc.

[twodogsbarking]

23. Neil Young was right.

[Bengus81]

69. Heard ole' Neil put em down

Yeah...you damn Skippy asshats,and you deserved the put down.

[twodogsbarking]

72. You aren't allowed to call them racists but they are proud of it.

[progree]

26. Energy: up 2.4% from Nov to Dec, and 1.1% from Dec to Jan, so the "Trump Trade" is not doing well with energy prices

The righties have been claiming that the stock market increases since Nov 5 are the "Trump Trade", -- and crediting tRump for it -- even though he didn't take office until January 20. So for consistency, they should also credit him with the November, December, and January CPI (Consumer Price Index) increases.

As for the all-items headline CPI report that came out Wednesday 2/12:

What grabs me is that CPI rise averaged 4.5% over the past 3 months on an annualized basis (core CPI: 3.8%)
The January one month increase annualized is: CPI: 5.8%, (CORE CPI: 5.5%)

(Compare the above to the Fed's 2% target)

REGULAR CPI


CORE CPI = CPI less food and energy


LBN thread on the CPI: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143394541

Links to the CPI report and data series are in https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143394541#post8

I annualize everything to be comparable to each other and to compare to the Fed's 2% target

They are calculated using the actual index values, not from the rounded off monthly change numbers.

[Bengus81]

73. I WISH my heating--Natural Gas was only up 2%

After yet another rate hike that always gets approved by the KCC, my latest bill in 19.84% higher for the same gas usage from Jan 2024.

[progree]

74. Their (CPI) number for the 12 months ending January 31: 4.9%. My gas usage is way down ...

Back to the CPI (Consumer Price Index). Here's the last 7 monthly changes for "Utility (piped) gas service"
-0.5%   -1.6%   0.7%   0.5%   0.5%   2.8%   1.8%
These are the changes from the previous month, not year-over-year figures.

For the year (January 2024 to January 2025), 4.9%

From Table A
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

I don't know what mine was in January 2024, I'd have to dig. Actually my bill has been super-duper low since my furnace stopped working properly around December 3. My January usage was just 22 therms. The temperature indoors reached a low of 50.3 degrees. Right now: 57.0 degrees. I'm dressed up indoors like I would if I was to spend a long time outside. I have a heating pad on my lap, and am wearing mittens (with the finger tips cut off) as I type this. Today outside is warm and pleasant, highs in mid 20's, compared to what we've just endured, and will endure again soon (highs well below zero, some days the highs are double-digits below zero) for the next 8 days or so.

https://weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/24125fb65c1c33be8d607e459140923bee2e248e5b92b9e28cd2c3e82df0f0ff

(Minneapolis. Centerpoint Energy, Ruud furnace)

I'm so pissed off that the furnace has had 5 breakdowns in the past 10 years -- 2 igniters and 2 flame sensors having to be replaced, and the problem now I think is the flame sensor again. So I say f'it, I'll wait until my usual spring tune-up time to fix it. I will just have to endure the next 10 days or so, and I think that will be it as far as being uncomfortable at times inside, like when it's 54 or below inside.

[Bengus81]

75. If you raise the thermostat and you hear your furnace start to spin up for a few seconds the suddenly shut

off then it's most certainly a flame sensor--at least it was on mine when I had one replaced about six years ago. The replacement wasn't real high on mine for the part and labor. Thinking in the $120-$130 range but that was before Covid and a lot of jacked up labor prices and parts prices.

Hell...I had a slow draining sink in the hall bath a week ago,I knew it was the usual--hair. But..after taking the ptrap pipes apart the plug wasn't there it was on down the line. I contacted a couple of drain cleaners on the web and got quotes of $175-$200 for starters--could be more! One guy wanted $85 just to come out then we'd "go from there".

Yeah well,went over to HD and bought a Husky 25ft drain auger for $27 with tax (lifetime warranty) and had it cleared out (two chunks of hair about four feet past the wall) and the plumbing back together and draining perfectly in oh...15-20 minutes.

Hope you can get it fixed,that's way to cold in your home.......

[mobeau69]

78. All you have to do is take it out (1 little screw) and clean it with emery paper.

Unplug the wire connector to it of course.

[Bengus81]

79. My H/A guy claimed a portion of it had broken off. Used that company for years so I

trust what they said. But...thanks for the tip,I'll remember that. BTW...do you do that as regular maintenance each year or what?

[mobeau69]

80. I lived in an apartment and furnace wouldn't ignight. Watched the maintenance guy. After that it was easier and faster

to it myself. Probably cleaned it a dozen times while I lived there.

[spudspud]

29. FAFO. Red states are the biggest takers and receivers of fed aid money.

The MAGATS are gonna continue to scream as they realize "they done fucked up."*

*I know some of them will still say Trump's a genius and can do no wrong.

[catbyte]

30. ...

[NotHardly]

32. They are paying for the "pig in a poke" they voted for.

[sakabatou]

33. "Drain the swamp"? More like "Drain the Middle and Lower class"

[Justice matters.]

37. For the convicted predator, they are the swamp.

They are so much the swamp for him that they're not even smart enough to realize he's only in there for himself, Putin, Xi, Kim, and his billionaire class.

The rest of the world be drained in his golden toilet.

[roamer65]

39. Elections have consequences.

[maxsolomon]

45. It impacts the poorest customers of the utility.

Who are more likely black, and therefore not Republics.

[Martin68]

40. Yep these updates on the effect of Trump's idiocy on the people who voted for him are music to my ears.

I want every Trump voter to suffer because of their moronic vote.

[Beartracks]

41. Glad to see the source of the increase stated right there in the letter. n/t

[maxsolomon]

44. The grant aided low-income customers.

So Trump-voting Alabamans are cheering because they don't believe in Welfare. Even if they receive it.

As long as someone who doesn't deserve help is being impacted, they're happy.

[SpankMe]

46. All this money being clawed back has already been allocated by congress

By law, it has to be spent on what they say it has to be spent on. It's not legal for DOGE to pull funds back at the disbursement stage.

I want to hear more noise form Democrats about this. I want daily press briefings by Dems stating these facts, and I want Dems to agitate publicly and loudly for a complete audit of every transaction occurring in the federal payment system.

I know they are powerless to actually stop this from happening due to an asshole executive and a nullified legislative. But, the American people aren't getting the message in context. Loud and frequent press releases to as may media outlets as possible should be exercised. That, and getting on every social media platform as possible, including appearances on podcasts, should be part of the operational concept.

[Figarosmom]

50. Ha

I wonder if the idiots will figure out it was because of a trump EO

[GoodRaisin]

51. Well, the leopard is loose in Alabama

and they voted for it, I am not sorry for the stupid people. I am sorry for the Harris voters that are impacted by the stupidity of their neighbors.

[Montauk6]

52. PFFFFT!!! This is an easy out for him...

TSF promised "AMERICANS" that he would lower their energy bills.

So, LOGICALLY, this must mean that these folks in Alabama are, therefore, illegal aliens!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

56. This only affects Alabama's low-income people.

Thankfully, Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are not impacted, whew!

[Hekate]

57. Once upon a time a princess married a frog who made bigly promises....

The morning after the wedding, shriek after shriek came from her bedroom: “You lied! YOU LIED!!! “


That’s all I’ve got.

[OverBurn]

58. Ha Ha, good job Alabama, the reddest state. Reap the rewards of the Orange savior.

I truly feel sorry for the Dems that live there. I'm all for the maximum amount of suffering in these next 4 years though. Repuke voters will finally get what that party is all about, maybe, or are they just to fucking stupid.

[twodogsbarking]

63. If it doesn't suck it wasn't Trump's idea.

[Rhiagel]

64. Well, I hate to break it to ya, Bama, but ...

[B.See]

65. For them, CRUELTY is and has ALWAYS been, the point.

[allegorical oracle]

67. This is some of that pain that djt and musk mentioned -- it will hurt for a little while but then

everybody will be better than ever. (Pain does end if you've frozen to death for lack of heat.)

[CaptainTruth]

68. Remember when GW Bush delayed LIHEAP renewal for a photo op?

Remember older folks packing local offices of the GOP & their representatives & refusing to leave because they had no heat in their homes?

Remember older folks saying they were OK with getting arrested because at least the jail would have heat?

Remember how some elderly people were found frozen to death in their homes?

I do, I don't forget.

[Blue Owl]

70. Enjoy that, you dumb fucksticks

[The Third Doctor]

71. Sadly many folks around here will find a

Way to blame the Democrats.