Timothy Roemer: “This should be nonpartisan in that funding for low-income people helps not only New England but the Midwest and…”

“This should be nonpartisan in that funding for low-income people helps not only New England but the Midwest and California and Florida. It helps not only with heating oil, it helps in the Midwest with natural gas. And it helps in a host of ways for nonpartisan concerns about the disabled, the poor and our seniors who have trouble paying these bills. In my State of Indiana, we are already working on helping these people who are vulnerable pay what we know will be a gas bill, which cost $100 last winter, that will be $140 this winter. So getting full funding or more funding in this program will allow us in the State of Indiana to now purchase natural gas or heating oil at October prices rather than higher prices in November, December, January, and February. This makes good common sense for compassion for the poor, for the disabled, for senior citizens; and it makes good sense for our taxpayers in buying things now rather than knowing what the price we are going to pay for them later on. I support the motion. I hope that we can work in a nonpartisan way before an election to help some of the most vulnerable people in society.”