Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA)
Congressman Richard E. Neal represents the First Congressional District of Massachusetts in the United States Congress. Richard Neal was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on February 14, 1949 and was raised and educated in the City of Springfield. He is a 1972 graduate of American International College, where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and was a member of the National Honor Society. He received his Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Barney School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Hartford in 1976
Richard Neal was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1988. At the beginning of the 116th Congress, Richard Neal became Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Congressman Neal is the dean of both the Massachusetts Delegation and the New England Congressional Delegation. He is a long-time guest lecturer at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and a Trustee at Mount Holyoke College. He is a National Trustee of John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. He served as the Mayor of the City of Springfield from 1984 to 1988, and was highlighted in Newsweek Magazine for his many accomplishments as mayor.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Congressman Neal and the Ways and Means Committee worked tirelessly to bring relief to the American people.
The first relief bill, the CARES Act, included several provisions Ways and Means Committee Democrats secured including federal unemployment compensation, economic assistance payments, and telehealth flexibility. This bill singlehandedly saved the American economy.
In the American Rescue Plan Act, the Ways and Means Committee was responsible for nearly $1 trillion of the $1.9 trillion package. Under Chairman Neal’s leadership, the bill put more money directly into people’s pockets, helping them better afford childcare and health coverage. It also shored up the hard-earned retirement security for millions of Americans nationwide.
In addition to the COVID-19 relief packages, Chairman Neal spearheaded several historic legislative achievements during the 116th and 117th Congress, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, marking the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure and economy in our nation's history, and the Chips and Science Act, which will reinvigorate our nation’s domestic manufacturing of chips and incentivize research and development. Chairman Neal also helped address retirement security with his bipartisan bill “SECURE 2.0,” which will increase participation in work-based retirement savings by expanding automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans and enhancing the start-up credit for small businesses to sponsor a retirement plan.
In addition, Chairman Neal led efforts to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), much of which was written in the Ways and Means Committee. The IRA is a historic win for American families and the planet, with provisions that will lower costs while investing in Americans’ health and our future climate security. This includes lowering health care costs for millions of low and middle-income Americans by extending the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credit enhancements through 2025; allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and capping the out-of-pocket cost of medications for seniors, including capping the cost of insulin at $35/month; making the largest investment in our nation’s efforts to combat the climate crisis, generating 9 million good paying jobs; and investing in the IRS to ensure taxpayers are treated fairly and can access resources to make filing as easy as possible.
Congressman Neal is an At-Large Whip for the House Democrats. He is a co-chairman of the New England Congressional Caucus, where he advocates for the unique regional interests of the six New England States. Congressman Neal is the Democratic Leader of the Friends of Ireland Caucus.