Richard (Richie) Neal (D-USH01)
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Capitol: 202.225.5601
FAX: 202.225.8112
District: 413.442.0946
District FAX: 413.443.2792
Representative
Room 372 CHOB- Cannon House Office Building 25 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20515-2101

Residence: Springfield, MA
Elected: 1988    Next Election: 2024
Spouse: Maureen Conway   DOB: 2/14/1949
Committee Assignments
RM MemberHouse Committee on Ways and Means
Co-ChairCongressional Caucus on Bulgaria
ChairmanNew England Congressional Caucus
Co-ChairFriends of Ireland Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Real Estate Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Caucus
Co-ChairHouse Retirement Security Caucus
FC MemberOut of Afghanistan Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Former Mayors Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Caucus on Green Jobs
FC MemberHouse Mentoring Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Fitness Caucus
Vice ChairJoint Committee on Taxation
Vice ChairHouse Small Brewers Caucus
FC MemberAnti-Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Caucus
FC MemberAd Hoc Congressional Committee on Irish Affairs
FC MemberHouse Livable Communities Task Force
FC MemberFragile X Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Financial Security and Life Insurance Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Baseball Caucus
FC MemberPaper and Packaging Caucus
FC MemberNortheast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (NEMW)
FC MemberCongressional Biotechnology Caucus
FC MemberFriends of New Zealand Caucus
FC MemberHurricane Irene Coalition
FC MemberCongressional Olympic and Paralympic Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Friends of the Irish National Caucus
FC MemberDutch Caucus
FC MemberBipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Responsible Hospitality Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Cranberry Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Mobility Air Forces Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Caucus on the Kingdom of the Netherlands
FC MemberTextile Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Hearing Health Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children's Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention (IP)
FC MemberCongressional Gaming and Entertaining Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Research and Development Caucus
FC MemberOut of Iraq Caucus
FC MemberMunicipal Finance Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Italian American Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Kidney Caucus
FC MemberCongressional National Parks Caucus
FC MemberHouse Afterschool Caucus
FC MemberHouse Cancer Caucus
FC MemberCongressional JOBS NOW! Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Children's Health Care Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Caucus for Competitiveness in Entertainment Technology (E-Tech Caucus)
FC MemberCongressional Portuguese American Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Shipbuilding Caucus
FC MemberJob Corps Caucus
FC MemberMilitary Veterans Caucus
FC MemberHouse Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Down Syndrome Caucus
FC MemberBipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force
FC MemberCongressional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Caucus (STEM Caucus)
FC MemberCongressional Biomedical Research Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Internet Caucus
FC MemberBrain Injury Task Force
FC MemberCongressional Community Health Center Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Nursing Caucus
FC MemberU.S.-Japan Caucus
FC MemberFriends of Australia Caucus
FC MemberRenewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
FC MemberHouse General Aviation Caucus
FC MemberBipartisan Congressional Dyslexia Caucus
FC MemberHouse Hunger Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Labor and Working Families Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
FC MemberCongressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues
FC MemberCongressional Ports Opportunity, Renewal, Trade, and Security [P.O.R.T.S.] Caucus
FC MemberHouse National Service Caucus
FC MemberIndia Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Taiwan Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Historic Preservation Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Bike Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Rare Disease Caucus
FC MemberBicameral Congressional Caucus on Parkinson's Disease
FC MemberCoalition for Autism Research and Education (CARE)
FC MemberCongressional TRIO Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Fire Services Caucus
FC MemberExpand Social Security Caucus (House)
FC MemberBipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease
FC MemberCongressional Caucus on Armenian Issues
FC MemberCongressional Arts Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Diabetes Caucus

Bio

Richard E. Neal was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was raised and educated in the City of Springfield. He is a graduate of American International College, where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, and he received his Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Barney School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Hartford.

Congressman Neal was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1988 and served his first two terms on the House Banking Committee before joining the Ways and Means Committee in 1993. In January 2019, Congressman Neal was elected by his colleagues to assume the esteemed position of Chairman, marking the first time since 1875 that a representative from Massachusetts had done so.

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 billion 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 a number of 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 are able to access resources to make filing as easy as possible.

Congressman Neal is the dean of both the Massachusetts Delegation and the New England Congressional Delegation, as well as an At-Large Whip for the House Democrats. He is also the Democratic Leader of the Friends of Ireland Caucus, where he has advocated for maintaining strong relations between the U.S. and Ireland. He played a prominent role in not only bringing the Good Friday Agreement to fruition, ending the longest period of conflict in Irish history, but also in upholding the principles of the accord and ensuring no return to a hard border.

Congressman Neal is a long-time guest lecturer at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and has received many awards and honorary degrees in his career, including an Honorary Degree of Humane Letters from Mount Holyoke College where he is a former trustee, an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Ulster University in Northern Ireland, and an Honorary Degree from Queen's University Belfast.

Prior to his time in Congress, Neal was a high school teacher, member of the Springfield City Council, and Mayor of the City of Springfield from 1984 to 1988.