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0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8cfb0000NHPR's coverage of the 2014 midterm elections, local and national primaries. Click here for voter resources and mapsClick here for the schedule of debates in the congressional, US Senate, and gubernatorial races. (Oct. 20-23)Click here to hear all eight of our Rudman Center Conversations with the Candidates.Click here to hear our All Things Considered conversations with primary candidates in races for U.S. House, U.S. Senate and Governor.Primary 2014 Results:State-Level Results | Town-Level ResultsMeet the CandidatesGovernor: Maggie Hassan* | Walt HavensteinU.S. Senate: Scott Brown | Jeanne Shaheen*U.S. House, 1st District: Frank Guinta | Carol Shea-Porter*U.S. House, 2nd District: Marilinda Garcia | Ann McLane Kuster*[*Denotes incumbent]NHPR's Election 2014 coverage is sponsored in part by Altus Investment Group, Bergeron Technical Services, Goff Wilson, and Rath Young Pignatelli.

Shea-Porter Says Naysayers Don't Understand Obamacare

Allegra Boverman
/
NHPR

  

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. 

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