WASHINGTON (AP) – The push for $2 billion more federal aid to help low-income families heat their homes this winter faces major obstacles in Congress, Sen. Jack Reed warned Wednesday.

“We’re going to try as hard as we can,” said Reed, D-R.I. “We’re really running out of time.”

Each time the issue has come before the Senate, a procedural objection has been raised that forced heating aid backers to win 60 votes, rather than a simple majority.

Reed is concerned the same thing will happen again with the new aid package.

“It becomes a 60-vote hurdle,” said Reed, D-R.I. “We haven’t gotten over that hurdle.”

The Senate is expected to vote on the additional aid after returning next month from holiday recess.

Northeast lawmakers are concerned many local heating aid agencies will begin running out of funds soon because of steep energy prices, the onset of harsh winter weather and increased demand for assistance.

Last week, home heating assistance advocates had hoped Congress would approve $4.1 billion for this winter’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. But Congress approved just half of that.

Three Republican senators from Maine and Minnesota, however, won a pledge from Senate leaders to permit a vote on $2 billion in additional LIHEAP aid once Judge Samuel Alito’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings are over.

It could be late January or early February until the vote, Reed said.

Because LIHEAP largely benefits the Northeast and Midwest, lawmakers from the Sunbelt and other regions have argued the money could be better spent elsewhere. Intense budget-cutting pressures in the Republican-led Congress this year also put the heating aid program at risk.

Even if the Senate passed the new aid, the House and President Bush would have to agree to the funding.

“Unfortunately, without strong presidential leadership, … without full cooperation from the House, what we do in the Senate might be just an important step, but not a decisive one,” he said.

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