Members of Congress from the Northeast and the Midwest have been feverishly trying to put extra money in the federal budget to pay for Low Income Heating Assistance.
Congressman Charlie Bass has put an amendment in the budget bill, and brought a New Hampshire energy official to Washington to testify to the importance of the program.
NHPR Correspondent Julie Donnelly reports from Washington.
Senators Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine and John Kerry of Massachusetts have all tried and failed to increase low income heating assistance - or LIHEAP money in the federal budget.
But Lisa Mark is not concerned.
She works for the Northest Midwest Coalition - which has a research arm that helps members of congress from the region better argue their case for programs like LIHEAP.
She says the Bush Administration has come out in favor of an increase in funding, and Congress is talking up the issue.
"the senate and the house have been very strong and there are a lot of voices raising awareness of the program and when you have the administration supporting it, that's a good sign."
The one person who has been successful in getting extra money - 1 billion dollars -is 2nd District Republican Charles Bass.
Bass was instrumental in helping the energy bill to pass - by just two votes - in the spring.
Since then, he's enjoyed a close relationship with the Energy and Commerce Committee chairman.
"Well, I think chairman joe barton, who is interestingly from texas, realizes that it's inevitable that when you have rising energy costs for various reasons more low income people are going to need assistance.
Another reason for the Texas congressman's support may be that as LIHEAP funding increases, a bigger proportion of it will go to warm weather states to help keep low income people cool and safe from heat related illness.
But LIHEAP remains an issue that provokes a regional struggle.
Some congressmen from other parts of the country complain that while New England states are always asking for more heating assistance, they are reluctant to site new energy facilities in their own back yard.
At an energy and commerce committee hearing on Wednesday, Republican John Shimkus from Illinois grilled Mary Ann Manoogian, New hampshire's director of Energy Planning. on why the state refused site Liquid Natural Gas faclities
"what efforts have you made to get extra capacity online to deal with the supply side of the issue? well, i don't know of a proposal to site an LNG facility in New Hampshire"
Manoogian says that over a hundred and forty thousand families in New Hampshire qualify for low income heating assistance. But she says they will be lucky to serve five or ten percent of those people with the funds available. She says the goal is to help people avoid unhealthy choices - such as choosing between heat and medication - or using space heaters inappropriately.
"according to the fire marshall, new hampshire is the only state where the number one cause of fire deaths is improper use of heating systems"
The extra 1 billion dollars in Congressman Bass' amendment would raise the total appropriation for LIHEAP by about forty percent. But that would probably just offset the increase in the price of home heating costs - in other owrds, it won't help extra families. And it's just a one time appropriation.
That's why Congressman Jeb Bradley is looking to put LIHEAP money into any bill possible.
"whether it's the appropriation bill for labor and HHS or it's additional funding for Katrina, there should be a way to find more money for low income heating"
Both Congressmen say the since the high cost of home heating fuels is partlydue to the refinery disruptions in the gulf region. They say any money directed to hurricane victims, should include consumers in the northeast who will be paying up to fifty percent more to heat their homes this year.
For NHPR News, I'm Julie Donnelly in Washington.
