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Democratic 2022 Representative In Congress

RICHARD E. NEAL

Congressman Neal has spent his career dedicated to serving others, motivated by the experiences of people he has met along the way and his own personal story. Throughout his district and across the nation, he is known as a champion of the middle class, an advocate for fairness, and a voice of reason. Former western Massachusetts Congressman John Olver has called him “one of the most powerful voices in the Democratic caucus.”

JOBS & THE ECONOMY

Richie knows that the middle class is the engine that powers America’s economy. For too long, income stagnation has plagued our hardworking families - so Richie is working to cut taxes on the middle class, and fighting to raise the minimum wage.

As the nation struggles with the economic impact of COVID-19, he has focused on bringing relief to those hardest hit. He was a leading proponent of expanding unemployment insurance, raising payments and extending benefits to gig-workers and the self-employed. And he has helped small businesses survive and keep their employees on payroll through the Paycheck Protection Program. 

As Chair of the Ways & Means Committee, one of Richie’s top priorities is making sure that every American who’s looking for work can find a job. He knows that we need to invest in education and training to prepare current and future generations for the jobs of the future.

In Western and Central Massachusetts, he has gone to bat to make those ideals a reality:

  • He secured nearly $2 million in grant money so that UMass can provide computer science aid to Springfield elementary students.

  • He brought $1 million to Springfield Technical Community College in a grant to promote science and engineering in local schools.

  • And he delivered another $1 million for the Springfield Innovation Center.

It has never been more important to support strong labor unions that protect workers and fight for fair wages. Richie is proud to be labor-endorsed. He has fought for American workers by renegotiating and fixing NAFTA to protect workers’ collective bargaining power; by supporting a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour; and just last year, by saving 200 union manufacturing jobs at CRRC that were jeopardized by President Trump's reckless trade war.

“As a proud lifetime member of UFCW Local 1459, I am unwavering in my support for my brothers and sisters in organized labor. Union jobs with good wages and benefits built the middle class, and if we are to level the playing field for working families, organized labor will be part of the solution.”

He also has a long record of fostering economic growth through tax credits that boost job creation and bring millions of dollars of investment. He has delivered over $60 million in New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits for job-creating projects across the district, including:

  • $3.1 Million for Ludlow Mills

  • $6 Million for Eagle Mill in Lee

  • $5.5 Million for Holyoke Health Center 

  • $11 Million for Bostwick Gardens in Great Barrington

  • $14.5 Million Holyoke Public Library

  • $1.1 Million for the Maple Street House in Springfield

  • $20 Million for Paramount Theater and Massasoit House Hotel project

As Chair of Ways & Means, Richie put forth the largest tax investment combating climate change in the Congress’s history. It incentivizes new job growth in the booming clean energy sector here in Massachusetts and across the country. The Green Act will create nearly 10 million new jobs by: 

  • Expanding and modernizing rail transportation in America 

  • Fixing and upgrading important infrastructure like bridges, roads, and airports. 

  • Invest in clean energy infrastructure like wind turbines and solar panels