Letter: Berkshires, Country Need Neal in Congress
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To the Editor:
When I was mayor of North Adams, what I loved most about our Congressman Richie Neal was that to me and to all of us, he is simply "Richie." In this day and age it is refreshing to have a representative who remembers so vividly where he came from. A leader who is accessible, responsive and listens to his constituents. He is a fixture in the Berkshires, visiting our businesses, speaking to our children in schools and meeting with our local officials.
As a fearless, effective and trusted leader, Nancy Pelosi has proven time and again to be a formidable opponent to the Trump administration and current Republican leadership. It is very clear to me that she trusts our Congressman Richie Neal, so much so that several years ago, she named him chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. There, Richie oversees Social Security, Medicare and unemployment benefits. I believe we also should trust Richie and send him back to Congress on Sept. 1 and here are several reasons why:
First, Richie doesn't back down from anyone, Speaker Pelosi picked Richie to negotiate the CARES Act and get the best deal for working people with the Trump administration. Richie fought Trump all the way to the Supreme Court and won.
Second, Richie will never allow the Trump administration to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits for the simple reason that he knows how vital they are for so many Americans. In fact, Richie and his two sisters relied on Social Security survivor's benefits as children when their parents died, and later
for college.
Third, Richie is a strong proponent of universal, affordable health care. Like Joe Biden, he wants to expand the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), while also giving Americans the choice to keep their private coverage or opt into an enhanced version of Medicare, with substantial subsidies for lower and middle-income families.
Fourth, Richie is using his legislative experience and authority to help us through the pandemic. He helped to write both the CARES Act and the HEROES Act, which will extend unemployment benefits through Inauguration Day, has provided $1,200 stimulus checks to every American, hazard pay for essential workers, housing assistance, $4 billion to states to expand vote by mail and more than 10,000 Western Mass businesses received more than $1 billion in relief because of Richie.
Richie is not sitting idle while waiting for Republicans to pass relief for workers. He is working on triple funding for child care in the face of COVID-19, co-sponsoring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and working to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, which is not only important for our country but also for protecting land right here in the Berkshires.
I urge you to join me, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, SEIU, AFL-CIO Massachusetts, Brady United Against Gun Violence, Human Rights Campaign, Equality PAC, and the late Congressman John Lewis in both trusting and supporting Richie Neal, our friend in Congress, this Sept. 1 or, if you vote by mail – even sooner. Thank you.
Dick Alcombright
North Adams, Mass.
Alcombright is a former city councilor and mayor of North Adams.
Tags: election 2020, endorsement,
