With just weeks to go before the primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 4, voters in western Massachusetts should re-elect my good friend and former colleague Congressman Richard Neal.
Neal was an unwavering partner of mine in Congress. I always knew I could count on him, and I still do. After the 2008 financial crisis, we had the job of making sure something like this never happened again.
When we were conceptualizing, writing and finalizing the Dodd-Frank bill that would improve transparency and accountability in the financial system and end the “too big to fail” rhetoric, Neal was a leading advocate and partner of mine. He worked with me along the way to make sure that big banks and corporations were not profiting off the backs of hard-working people.
I find it deeply puzzling how his opponent can call herself a progressive and is leading a self-proclaimed “unapologetically progressive campaign.” In 2012 when Elizabeth Warren was challenging then-Sen. Scott Brown, Tahirah Amatul-Wadud cast her ballot for Brown – a Republican who actively campaigned on the premise of weakening Dodd-Frank. She even tweeted about it.
In addition, Brown proclaimed that he would proudly cast the 41st vote to sustain a filibuster against the Affordable Care Act. Standing strong for increasing the availability of health care and strictly regulating the health care community was no less important in 2012 than it is today.
Neal was on the front lines when it came to the Affordable Care Act — in fact he helped to write it. And now, 17 million more Americans have health insurance because of it. Neal has been a guardian of Social Security and Medicare benefits, and has worked to ensure that they are in place when people need these bedrock programs.
To me, the choice in this election is clear. Neal has proven himself time and time again. His interest is always with protecting working people and families. He will set a new standard as an effective, progressive chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, too.
I urge you to vote for Richie Neal on Sept. 4. You deserve someone you can count on.
Barney Frank
Newton
The writer is a former congressman from Massachusetts.