WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Mrs. Dorothy Elizabeth Tucker, a resident of Medford, MA, brought her personal story of struggling with the ever-increasing cost of home heating oil to Congress. Mrs. Tucker had been invited to speak to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on behalf of consumers facing soaring home heating costs by Representative Edward J. Markey, a senior Democrat on the committee.

In a meeting before the hearing, Mrs. Tucker shared with Rep. Markey her concerns about the cost of home heating. Mrs. Tucker told Rep. Markey that she is concerned not only for herself and other senior citizens, but for all New England residents who face greater heating costs as the winter months begin.

Mrs. Tucker explained that the cost of home heating was frequently a topic of conversation among seniors, joking that when she takes a daily morning walk, she always says “Good morning. How are you? How’s your oil bill?” Rep. Markey asked Mrs. Tucker about the difficult choices many seniors have had to make as they struggle to heat their homes.

During the hearing Mrs. Tucker spoke eloquently about the choices that she makes under the crunch from home heating bills. “Nobody knows when I don’t eat,” said Mrs. Tucker.

As he spoke before members of the Committee, Rep. Markey spoke clearly about where his priorities lay.

“This is all about choices – moral choices – who needs help and who does not…

“It’s a simple choice. Do we act to protect the weakest in our society by adjusting what we ask of the strongest? Or do the strongest just say – tough luck? The Bush Administration’s energy policies have sided with the big oil companies, refusing to release oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to help consumers and refusing to support full funding for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance at the full $5.1 billion authorized under current law. I believe we need to reverse these and other policies so that we help Mrs. Tucker and other seniors on fixed incomes, as well as low-income families in our community, so they can better cope with these high energy prices.”

For the full text of Mrs. Tucker’s testimony or more information on Rep. Markey’s work, please visit www.house.gov/markey.

Mrs. Tucker's Full Testimony, November 2, 2005 iss_energy_st051102.pdf iss_energy_st051102.pdf (24.31 KB)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2005

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