With much of the nation beset by bone-chilling cold, nearly 150 House members urged President Clinton on Wednesday to expand a heating assistance program for the poor.

The lawmakers, most of them from cold-weather states, said the $1 billion appropriated for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program in fiscal 1997 will not be enough given higher fuel costs. They asked Clinton to make an additional $420 million available through an emergency declaration.

Retail heating oil prices in the East and the Midwest have been nearly 25 percent higher than 1996 levels, and propane costs have been nearly 50 percent higher, he said.

Margaret Belote, director of low-income heating assistance for Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, said local fuel dealers have passed through similar price increases.

But she added that prices are starting to come off highs set earlier this winter.

Less than 10 percent of SNAP’s clients use oil or propane for heating, she noted.

Belote said SNAP workers Wednesday scheduled another 500 appointments with clients who will split about $160,000 scraped together since an original round of appointments taken in November.

The new appointments will bring the total receiving help to about 5,300, still only a fraction of the 30,000 in Spokane County who qualify for the aid, she said.

“It’s a very important program for people out there who don’t have enough money,” Belote said.

Thirty-one Republicans and 117 Democrats signed the House letter. A group of senators from both parties sent a similar letter Tuesday.

A spokesman for Rep. George Nethercutt said the Republican was in Spokane when the letter was circulated and, though not able to sign it, supports the added aid.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wa., signed the Senate version.

, DataTimes