(The Center Square) — Democratic U.S. Maine Rep. Jared Golden is defending his decision to join House Republicans in voting to reopen the government, but urging both sides to negotiate a plan to extend Obamacare tax credits.
The House of Representatives voted 222-209 Wednesday to approve a bipartisan bill that reinstates federal employees fired during the 42-day shutdown and gives them back pay. It also provides full-year funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and WIC, its program for women, infants and children; veterans programs and military construction.
Republican President Donald Trump signed the bill into law Wednesday night.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, praised the bill’s passage and criticized Democrats for an “utterly pointless and foolish” attempt to block the measure by demanding an extension of the credits. “We are going to get the government running again and working for the people as they deserve,” he said Wednesday night.
The bill passed with support from several House Democrats, including Golden, who said he wanted “pay federal workers, and get food assistance and other critical programs up and running again.”
“Now, with the shutdown ended, Congress should take immediate action to extend expiring ACA premium tax credits that keep health insurance plans affordable for millions of Americans,” he said in a statement. “We still have a window to pass bipartisan legislation to extend these credits.”
Golden, a four-term Democrat who represents Maine’s right-leaning 2nd Congressional District, announced last week that he won’t be seeking reelection next year. His support for the stopgap spending plan splits with Maine’s other House Democrat, Rep. Chellie Pingree, who voted against it.
“A “deal” that lets Affordable Care Act credits expire fails the millions of families counting on us to keep their health care affordable,” Pingree said in a statement. “Republicans have spent years trying to dismantle the ACA, and pretending Mike Johnson will allow a vote on a clean ACA bill in the House is a fantasy.”
Other members of the state’s congressional delegation, Sens. Susan Collins, a Republican, and Angus King, an Independent, backed the deal with Republican leaders in their chamber and voted in favor of it during Monday’s Senate vote.
“If a tactic isn’t working, you switch your approach — especially when millions of Americans are hurting,” King said in a statement. “This agreement would keep SNAP benefits flowing & ensure workers get paid, all while providing an opportunity to protect ACA tax credits.”
To be sure, Maine’s congressional delegation wasn’t the only one divided over the vote to reopen the government.
In neighboring New Hampshire, Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander voted against it, while the state’s two senators — Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan — helped negotiate the bipartisan plan to end the shutdown.
