Neal, McGovern poised for powerful roles in Democrat-led US House of RepresentativesClick here to read the news story
Washington, DC,
November 8, 2018
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Shannon Young, MassLive
With Democrats winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's midterm elections, Western Massachusetts could soon yield major influence in federal policymaking. The four major television networks -- ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC -- as well as CNN all projected the Democrats would win a House majority. Having won re-election in their respective 2018 races, the state's two westernmost congressmen -- U.S. Reps. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and Jim McGovern, D-Worcester -- stepped closer to likely chairmanships for two of the most powerful committees on Capitol Hill. Although the new committee chairpersons will not officially be named for some time, Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, is widely considered to be the next leader of the tax-writing panel when the 116th Congress convenes in January. McGovern, ranking member of the House Rules Committee, is poised to lead that panel -- which decides when and what bills make it to the chamber floor -- in the new Democrat-controlled Congress. Springfield-based political strategist Tony Cignoli said Western Massachusetts would benefit in various ways with Neal, McGovern or both congressmen chairing such committees. Pointing to Neal's track record of bringing funds back to the 1st Congressional District, Cignoli argued that the Democrat could focus on larger, legacy-type projects if named Ways and Means chairman. "Given his seniority and the time that he's had in Congress and that this is perhaps closer to the end of his career than to the beginning, a lot of things that he will do will very much be in regards to what will be his legacy," Cignoli said. "So there could be some very large projects, long-lasting, long-impacting projects throughout Western Massachusetts -- an area that always lags economically behind Boston. This is our time." Cignoli said Neal's ability to work with Republicans gives such projects a better chance of becoming reality under his potential leadership. "Neal is a student of history and a professor of history: He knows that for legacy, impactful change in his district and even nationally, he's going to have to be that person that reaches across the aisle. He's got a reputation and a track record -- for the last 15, 16 years -- as being one of the few Democrats that Republicans like and respect," he said. "It's no secret that when it comes to tax code and tax policy, that the policy wonk that is Richard Neal is regarded well by Republicans." McGovern's potential Rules Committee chairmanship, meanwhile, could give Western Massachusetts power in determining what bills make it to the U.S. House floor. Cignoli said that in a Democratic House, McGovern would also help oversee congressional districts. "The gerrymandering that both parties are guilty of over the decades -- he's going to have an opportunity to have a say over some of that and how the rules of the House are actually conducted," he said. Cignoli offered that McGovern would become "kind of like the sheriff of the House of Representatives" if named Rules Committee chairman -- something which, he noted, could further solidify his legacy in politics. "It's an amazingly powerful committee and the impact McGovern can have can be legacy-like, as well," he said. "He may be able to have a say that's helpful to us, not just in Massachusetts but throughout the nation in correcting some of the voting irregularities ... that we've been hearing so much about." The prospect of Western Massachusetts lawmakers holding such powerful positions on Capitol Hill has loomed large in the 2018 cycle -- particularly in the 1st Congressional District primary race between Neal and Democratic challenger Tahirah Amatul-Wadud. The longtime congressman, who became the House Ways and Means Committee's ranking member in December 2016, argued that his position allowed him to better advocate for the needs of Western Massachusetts on Capitol Hill than his primary opponent. Neal's message appeared to resonate with 1st Congressional District residents, who decided to send him on to an unopposed November general election with 71 percent of the vote to Amatul-Wadud's 29 percent. Following his primary win, the congressman turned his full attention to helping other Democrats win House races across the country in hopes of flipping the chamber to the Democratic Party's control. Neal, who campaigned for candidates in California, Florida, Arizona and New Hampshire, stressed that his focus was on winning 24 seats. "I just want the House," he said in an interview. McGovern, who was named the Rules Committee's ranking member in April, also lent support to Democratic candidates across the country in the lead-up to Election Day, despite focusing on his re-election fight against Republican Tracy Lovvorn. His campaign reported more than $200,000 in contributions to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018, according to Federal Election Commission data. |