PITTSFIELD, Mass. — At call-in town hall on Thursday, constituents in the First Mass District shared their fears and concerns over actions being taken at the federal level.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal detailed the "chaotic nature" of President Donald Trump's recent executive actions during a telephone town hall that drew more than 8,000 participants.
"Congress does not serve under a president of the United States," Neal said from his Washington, D.C., office, the Capital dome in the background.
"I need and you need to have our colleagues on the other side of the aisle begin to challenge some of these edicts that are coming from the administration."
In the last couple of weeks, Trump has filed 60 executive orders including "Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization" and "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling." Neal said that 56 lawsuits have been filed in response and describes the administration's actions as "executive overreach."
"It's a dismantling of the administrative state brick by brick and those institutions that millions of Americans rely upon," one caller said.
"My concern is it appears that the rapidity of how this is occurring and the response with respect to how we're addressing this is not adequate."
What has been bothersome to Neal and many of his colleagues is "the fact that there's been a usurpation of congressional authority in the effort to announce these edicts that may well have very little legal standing."
He said this doesn't deny the pain caused to many, whether it is the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Institutes of Health, the General Services Administration, or for those on Medicaid.
Many expressed concerns for the future of Medicaid and Social Security, the largest federal government programs. A nearly 80-year-old caller is worried about her disabled daughter who lives in a group home and is dependent on it.
"What happens to our children with different abilities?" she said. "Who's going to care for them? I can't take her home. She runs faster than I do."
Trump has said he will not cut these programs but the House Budget Committee's budget draft aims for $2 trillion in spending cuts and allows $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.
"The blueprint draft called for at least $880 billion in spending cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee over the next decade. This would likely mean large Medicaid cuts, potentially leading many Americans to lose their benefits," Business Insider wrote on Wednesday.
"A list from Republicans on the House Budget Committee published by Politico outlining reconciliation options reveals over $2 trillion in potential Medicaid cuts, though some could overlap."
Neal reported that there are 71 million Americans that benefit from Medicaid "In fact, in many of the red states, it is the primary source of health care for millions of Americans.?"
"All of this is being done to provide an avenue to maintain substantial tax cuts for people who aren't even asking for them at the very top of our economic system," he said.
"So the numbers look like this: The proposal is $4 trillion borrowed over the next 10 years, borrowed for the purpose of tax cuts for wealthy people, and again, when you hear and look at distribution tables, the argument that everybody's getting a tax cut might be true but the more effective argument is who's getting what."
The congressman said anyone following his career knows his support for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is "unwavering," as "Social Security is the basis of our nation's retirement system."
"The average Social Security benefit is $1,976 a month, or $24,000 a year. What that means is that half the people who receive Social Security receive less than $24,000 a year. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, every child in Massachusetts has health insurance. Let me repeat that. Every child in Massachusetts has health insurance as do 97 percent of the adults," he said.
"One hundred eighty-three thousand people in our district, they depend on Medicaid. Sixty-four thousand children and 18,000 seniors over the age of 65 derived that benefit. The idea that we're going to give a tax cut to the top 2 percent of the American family at the expense of these initiatives, raise the debt ceiling in an arbitrary manner so that we can borrow more money for tax cuts, and then say that we need to cut health care to pay for all of it is irresponsible and indeed reckless."
Neal urged attendees to contact both Democratic and Republican lawmakers with their concerns.
"I'm glancing right over at that dome," he concluded. "It means something to me and I know it means something to you and we're going to stand together to push back at these ill-conceived proposals that we're witnessing."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction.
Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.
Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.
"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."
The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.
"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.
She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.
Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Northumberland Road.
click for more
The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. click for more
Police Chief Thomas Dawley will retire next month after 24 years with the Pittsfield Police Department, and the mayor will appoint his successor.
click for more
