Richard Neal
U.S. Representative from MA, District 1
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Biography
Richard Neal is a 19-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 1st District and ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, focusing on tax policy, trade, and retirement security.
Richard Edmund Neal has represented Massachusetts's 1st Congressional District since 1988 and is a prominent voice on economic and tax policy. A graduate of American International College and the University of Hartford who taught history before entering politics, Neal served on the Springfield City Council and as Springfield's mayor prior to his congressional career. He previously chaired the House Ways and Means Committee from 2019 to 2023 and continues as its ranking Democrat in the 119th Congress, maintaining influence over federal fiscal policy. Neal has been instrumental in congressional engagement on Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement, reflecting the Irish heritage of his western Massachusetts district. His legislative priorities center on retirement security, international trade, healthcare expansion, and tax reform benefiting working families.