By Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe
Fresh off a flight from Washington after Congress reopened the federal government, Representative Richie Neal offered no apologies for the role the Democrats played in the shutdown.
Speaking to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce in the Seaport offices of law firm Nutter, McClennen & Fish, Neal called the record-length shutdown an “unfortunate outcome” but said the health care subsidies at the crux of the Republican-Democrat dispute were worth fighting for.
“Nobody’s happy about what we’ve experienced over the past 40-plus days,” the Springfield Democrat told the chamber crowd. “But there are principles, and the principles include the idea that many of us don’t want to see the American health care system decimated. … We thought that digging in on that principle was worth it.”
At issue were pandemic-era federal tax credits that offset some of the costs of Affordable Care Act plans (also known as Obamacare) and are scheduled to expire for millions of people on Dec. 31. Neal expressed optimism that the Democrats can still reach some sort of deal to keep these subsidies going. He noted they’re important not just for health care access, but also for the big hospitals that are critical to Boston’s and other cities’ economies.
“I’m hopeful that … we’ll find a path forward coming to the end of this legislative session, into the beginning of next year,” said Neal, who is the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Ways & Means committee. “We’ve got a window here to find some agreement.”
Neal said the debate over the shutdown and the tax credits caused strong emotions among voters.
“I know people are upset. I’ve had more advice on the plane on the way up than I’ve had in a long time,” Neal added. “The flight attendants discussed it. The people sitting next to me, they discussed it. The fellow sitting next to me, he discussed it. He said, ‘I’m thinking of moving to your district.’ I said, ”I’ll show you the houses.’ I call attention to that because when you try to take away a benefit, that’s when people get upset.”
This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston’s business scene.
