There's been some confusion whether there are talks going on to end the conflict in Iran. President Donald Trump has said so, but that's something Iranian officials have denied. NEPM's Adam Frenier asked Massachusetts U.S. Representative Richard Neal about this and about what he would want to see in an agreement.
Adam Frenier, NEPM: Let's start with the conflict in Iran. There seems to be some confusion as to whether the U.S. and Iran are actually negotiating a deal to end the war. President Donald Trump has insisted that's the case, although officials in Iran have denied it. If a deal is indeed reached, what are some stipulations that should be included to resolve this whole situation?
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield: Well, it's hard to speculate. I think that the president has offered a series of false starts for clear and even on Monday morning, as I listened to NEPM bright and early, when the president announced that the war was near an end, that was more about juicing the stock market and driving down oil prices than it was about a realistic assessment of where we are in the war with Iran.
And I think that there are third party discussions, obviously, that are taking place. That seems to be a credible newscast. And at the same time, it seems as though the 15-point plan has been rejected. So we're going to have to wait and see where that ends up. And I think clearly that there are only certain parties that have had that 15-point plan to speculate over.
And at home, the partial government shutdown continues. And some airports have been affected with TSA agents, who are not being paid, calling out sick or quitting altogether. With the Senate about to go on recess, a deal still needs to be struck. And at the center of all this is funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which the Department of Homeland Security oversees along with the TSA. So can Democrats and Republicans figure out something? After many attempts in 40 some days.
Well, I think the suggestion that I would offer is pretty clear, and that is let's fund DHS, with the exception of ICE, until the reforms that we've proposed have been implemented. And I suspect that the individuals at TSA, they're doing a good job every day. They should be paid. Our proposal is pretty clear. We've suggested that — let's separate these issues so that DHS, the Coast Guard and others do get paid. At the same time, I think it's reasonable for us to stick with our position that ICE needs structural restraint and reform.
What about having ICE agents in airports working alongside or at least standing alongside TSA agents. Is that a good idea by the president?
Well, at the moment, it seems to be confusing in the sense that the TSA officials have indicated it does not seem to be helpful. And ICE is there. Their presence is not really, I think, a remedy for the challenges that face us at the moment. And I'm hopeful that we can reconcile the differences that we have here so that we can pay those TSA agents and we won't need ICE at the airport.
Meanwhile, we're in the middle of tax season. With only a few weeks left to file returns. There's been staffing cuts to the Internal Revenue Service. Have you been hearing from any constituents who are having difficulty getting answers to questions from the IRS, or, for that matter, their refund checks?
We have heard complaints that it's very hard, particularly for some senior citizens, to get through to the IRS. The announcement has come down that there will not be checks any longer that would be mailed to constituencies. And I think that that has added another layer of confusion. Recall that in the Inflation Reduction Act, which I helped to write, that was $80 billion for the IRS to use more of artificial intelligence, more modeling. It was about audits for people that are very wealthy, who at the moment are under audited as it relates to income. And I think that many of the reforms that we propose have been slowly undone by this administration.
The other reality here, I think, that is noteworthy is that 25% of the IRS employees have left the agency. We have a very high voluntary compliance ratio in America. About 88% of the American people pay their taxes, largely because of withholding. But there are still a stubborn number of individuals who, as I noted a moment ago, are not audited with the same vigor that those are at the lower end of the economic spectrum, largely because of the earned income tax credit. So when I look at the IRS at the moment, I think its enforcement procedures for wealthy people seems not to be very enthusiastic.
And finally, back home, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation says there's a lot of planning work going on to expand passenger rail service between the western part of the state and Boston, and also the ideas being floated for hourly service between Springfield and New York City. Some of this is still a number of years away, but are you pleased with the progress that's been made?
I am. This is good news. And the north south connection from Springfield to New York City has succeeded beyond what we anticipated. And at the same time, the work on East/West rail continues. Meredith Slesinger [the Rail and Transit Administrator at MassDOT] will be my guest next week, and she's going to give us a clear understanding of the progress that has been made and also what we will proceed to in coming weeks, months and years. But this is good news for the region.
And the other item that I'm very proud of is it points out that for east, west, north, south, that Union Station in Springfield will be the center of activity for both. I think it's well beyond what we anticipated with the culmination of the renovation at Union Station. Springfield is the crossroads of New England, and I think that this will be very helpful to local economics.