Vermont Democrat Peter Welch and New York Republican Peter King are leading a group of House members calling for increased federal heating assistance funding.
The 137 bipartisan members of the US House are calling on the House Appropriations Committee to fund the federal Low Income Heating Assistance Program - LIHEAP - at $4.7 billion for fiscal year 2015.
New Hampshire Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte say the administration's budget proposal requests $2.8 billion for the program - a $600 million decrease from Fiscal Year 2014.
The senators have joined a bipartisan group of senators who are also urging that the amount be $4.7 billion.
A letter from the group states that the funds are critical ans energy costs “...remain high....and record numbers of families turn to the program for assistance.”
The program has been cut 30 percent in recent years and this winter the state of Vermont allocated $9.7 million dollars in additional funds to meet heating assistance needs.
