By Robert Rizzuto, The Republican
Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., has served in Washington for nearly 25 years and seen his share of politicking. But in regard to the 16-day government shutdown that finally ended Wednesday evening, Neal says that the tactic of shutting down the government to leverage changes in the president's health care law was a bad gamble for Tea Party Republicans.
"Last night, many got the same deal they would have gotten 17 days ago without the intervening crisis that threatened America's economic growth," Neal said from his Springfield office on Thursday. "Considering that Standard & Poor's said that this shaved $24 billion off of American economic growth, also to take into consideration the taxi cab drivers, the mom and pop stores, those who visit Washington to have their tours denied- all to placate a small number of people in the House."
Neal's voice echoes the sentiments of the state's two Democratic U.S. Senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Both newly-elected politicians released statements late Wednesday lambasting Republicans for forcing a government shutdown while lamenting the effects on the still sluggish American economy.
Rep. Richard Neal talks about the end of the government shutdown One day after Congress approved and the President signed legislation ending the government shutdown that was enacted on Oct. 1, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., offered his thoughts from his Springfield office. (MassLive Video by Robert Rizzuto)
Since the shutdown was on the horizon in late September, the GOP, led mostly by the vocal Tea Party Republicans in the House, blamed the Democrats and their unwillingness to delay the implementation of the president's health care law in exchange for their support on a continued funding resolution to keep the government open.
And the Democrats have continually had sharp words for Tea Party Republicans in regard to their refusal to compromise on a spending bill without considering the health care law, which was passed in 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court last year. In the end, Republicans conceded defeat as the bipartisan legislation stopping the shutdown and raising the nation's debt limit passed without any stipulation addressing the Affordable Care Act.
Neal, much like Warren and Markey, said that the end of the shutdown is a positive development but not cause for celebration.
Wednesday's bipartisan legislation raised the nation's debt ceiling only through the beginning of February. After Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., suggested that another shutdown could be enacted in early 2014, Neal said he thinks such a tactic is a long shot.
"My hunch is that there's a guarantee based on polling data. It's pretty clear where this was headed. What's ironic about the Cruz position, he's even isolated in his own party. If you recall (Republican Rep. Mitch) McConnell and (Republican Sen. John) McCain made the deal around him with the argument being that when two thirds of the federal government are controlled by one party, it is very hard for one third to argue," Neal said.
When asked whether he thinks Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, has control over his party, Neal said that although he thinks Boehner is a "really nice guy," he obviously isn't in control of the Tea Party caucus.
"I think there is a rogue group within his caucus that he can't corral, and I think that's pretty apparent to everybody," Neal said. "My sense is that he exhausted every conceivable lever in an effort to bring them to the bargaining table but in so doing, he contributed to the shutdown."
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