Democratic congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter says the rollout of the Affordable Care Act was “terrible,” but defends her decision to back the bill.
In a wide-ranging conversation with NHPR’s Laura Knoy at the UNH School of Law, Shea-Porter bemoaned corporate money in Washington, called for increased minimum wage, and then - got into the nitty gritty about Obamacare. "It's changed peoples' lives," she said.
When asked why 52 percent of Granite Staters disapprove of the law, Shea Porter blamed misinformation, saying "it’s hard for people to really sort fact from fiction on this. Most people don’t actually go on the exchange, they get insurance from their employer." Additionally, Shea-Porter says, members of the public don't understand that exchange is made up of private, not public insurers.
Like many vulnerable House Democrats, Shea-Porter has taken votes to block politically unpopular parts of the law. That includes a failed attempt to get rid of the medical device tax. When asked what revenue source she envisioned making up that potential shortfall, Shea-Porter offered little. "Well I don’t really have to have an individual idea at this moment. My responsibility is to work with Democrats and Republicans to put suggestions out there."
On energy, Shea-Porter said the Keystone Pipeline was too environmentally costly. Her 3-time opponent Frank Guinta is a vocal supporter.
