WASHINGTON – After a tough winter in the Northeast and rising energy costs, the House on Wednesday approved a $300 million increase for the federal program that helps low-income families pay their home heating and cooling bills.

But Democrats, including U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, a Maine Democrat, blasted the increase for not being high enough. Some New England Democrats tried to introduce an amendment to the legislation, which provides supplemental funding to various federal agencies, to increase funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program by $600 million.

But Republicans argued the $300 million increase was already double what President Bush had proposed in his budget. The vote in favor of the entire measure was 341-87.

“This is a tremendous social safety program for our nation’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens and it keeps people in their homes, which is something I know we are all committed towards,” Baldacci said on the House floor Wednesday. “I think it is unfortunate that we have not given the funding necessary.”

The LIHEAP program in Maine served more than 53,000 households last winter, a 20 percent increase over the previous winter. However, more than 7,000 people had to be turned away because of lack of funds. Baldacci said the benefit to each household was approximately $432.

“While appreciated, because of the high energy costs and because of the larger pool of people, we ended up not being able to meet the needs of most Maine families that did qualify,” he said.

Baldacci also criticized the timing of when the money actually gets appropriated. He said Congress approves the funding so late in the year that it doesn’t allow for communities to make plans for how the money should be allocated.

Republicans argued Wednesday evening that $300 million was a sufficient increase for the program, which was established in 1981.

“No one knows exactly what the weather is going to be, but it seems to me that the $300 million represents a very reasonable amount,” said U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio. “It is double what the administration recommended.”