Nuciforo took aim at Neal, hitting the longtime congressman on everything from the duration he's served to women's rights and Wall Street deregulation.
Andrea Nuciforo Jr., candidate for the 1st Congressional District in Massachusetts, answers questions from the MassLive.com readers during a live chat on Monday, July 30, 2012. (Staff photo by Mandy Hofmockel)SPRINGFIELD — During a discussion with Masslive.com readers on Monday, former State Sen. Andrea Nuciforo Jr. took aim at opponent U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, hitting the longtime congressman on everything from the duration he's served to women's rights and Wall Street regulations.
Nuciforo, Neal and political activist Bill Shein are squaring off in a three-way Democratic primary battle to represent the newly drawn 1st Congressional District in Massachusetts, after redistricting chopped up much of the 2nd District that Neal has represented since 1989.
Nuciforo, the current Berkshire Middle District register of deeds, dismissed the argument that Neal should win because of his seniority in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
"Seniority matters. Results matter more. Think about what has happened over the last few years. Congressman Neal has been in Washington while our economy shed nearly 8 million jobs, family indebtedness tripled, and millions of Americans lost their homes and their health care. And the country has spent $1 trillion on foolish foreign wars," Nuciforo wrote. "All of these things happened while very senior members of Congress stood idly by. Worse, some members, including Congressman Neal, actively facilitated these events by advancing Wall Street, bank and insurance company interests ahead of consumer interests. So does seniority matter? Sure. But results matter more. And this year, voters are looking for candidates that can deliver those results."
On the topic of Wall Street reforms, many of which haven't been instituted despite being passed as part of the Dodd-Frank bill following the financial crisis of 2008, Nuciforo said he would drawn upon his decade of experience in the state senate to bring trust and regulation back to the nation's financial sector.
"I will fight to restore Glass-Steagel-like restrictions in Washington next year. Specifically, we should strictly enforce the Volker rule designed to limit proprietary trading within FDIC-insured institutions," Nuciforo wrote. "We should also bring back the clear delineations between commercial banks (which often have retirement and college funds) and investment banks (which take big investment risks)."
When a reader prodded him for his position on immigration issues, Nuciforo related his own family's story to the law. He explained that his wife Elena being an immigrant has helped shape his position.
"My wife is from Russia, having been born in the Soviet Union in 1976. She came to this country to advance her education, which she has done at UMass in Amherst. She is completing a Ph.D. at UMass, and is working in the department of communications there. Our 18-month-old son was born in this country," Nuciforo wrote. "So I believe that the United States should welcome people from all over world, and should do so in a way that is consistent with America’s economic and national security interest. For example, I support the DREAM Act, which would allow a path to citizenship for people brought to this country as children."
In relation to women's rights, Nuciforo said he would be a steadfast supporter of pro-choice policies, juxtaposing himself with Neal's pro-life stance.
"I'm pro-choice. My votes in the State Senate reflect that. Congressman Neal is not pro-choice," Nuciforo wrote. "In fact, he joined Republicans in voting for the Stupak Amendment in 2009, which would have restricted the right to choose for millions of American women."
The Stupak Amendment was a bill amending the Affordable Care Act to prohibit the use of federal funding for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or a life-threatening danger to the mother. Although the amendment didn't pass on its own, the provision limiting the use of certain money for abortions was included in the health care law as part of a compromise to gain support.
Shein engaged voters in a chat last week and Neal is scheduled to do the same on Wednesday.
The trio will also participate in a series of debates ahead of the Sept. 6 primary that will determine who will be going to Washington to represent the new 1st District, which includes all of Berkshire County, most of Hampden County and parts of Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties.
