Donald Trump has been urged to appoint a special envoy to Northern Ireland as US lawmakers warn of “genuine concern” over the future of American investment in the region. Leading Irish-American members of Congress said naming a representative was needed to protect US interests in Northern Ireland amid anxieties over rocky politics and rising trade tensions. “Despite continued interest among Americ... Read More »
Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) February 2025 jobs report: “When the President took the reins of the economy, we warned that the impacts of his decisions would speak for themselves. Six weeks later, the consequences of the President’s actions are undeniable—his reckless trade war, his willi... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal ran through a list of ongoing and upcoming achievements Friday at the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Outlook 2025 lunch: west-east rail, the F-35 fighter jets coming to Westfield, American Rescue Plan Act, the inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the CHIPS and Science Act. It’s typical for these types of events. What’s unusual is what he ... Read More »
Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today introduced Resolutions to terminate President Trump’s unlawful use of “emergency” authorities to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico. The Resolutions end the Administration’s abuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which it has used to justify tariffs based on a fabricated nation... Read More »
Local shelter providers are worried changes within the Department of Housing and Urban Development could gut their response to housing insecurity and homelessness in the Berkshires. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, an entity known by DOGE and overseen by Elon Musk, is planning sweeping staff cuts at HUD and promising to root out so-called spending inefficiencies within... Read More »
The Silvio O. Conte Federal Building has been labeled as “surplus” and therefore under consideration for possible sale by the Trump administration. Named for the late Republican U.S. congressman from Pittsfield, the federal building at 78 Center St. houses offices for the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and one of two district offices... Read More »
Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement lambasting Trump’s Trade War: “It’s only taken the president 43 days to wreak havoc on our economy and the American people. The outlook for economic growth has plummeted into the negative, consumer sentiment has plunged, and small businesses and farmers from coast-to-coast fear what’s to come with his t... Read More »
This story has been updated with information from a congressional hearing on Tuesday morning. When President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress tonight for the first time since his return to office, Michael Slater will be in the audience at the U.S. Capitol. Slater, 42, was a probationary employee at the Springfield Vet Center for about seven months until he was fired on Feb. 13 am... Read More »
Clyvanor Corp. has 75 American workers at its plant in Palmer. Tariffs that went into effect Tuesday are expected to make this and other work around the region more costly. The company uses lumber from Canadian forests as well as hardware from Canadian factories to fabricate roof and floor trusses for Massachusetts homes and buildings, said company president Stephane Blanchette. That lumber and th... Read More »
Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal announced that he will be joined by Michael Slater, former Program Support Assistant with the Springfield Vet Center, as his guest for the Presidential Address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4. 2025. A U.S. Army veteran who completed four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Slater served as an Army combat engineer, responsible for inspecting and clearing routes of any ... Read More »
Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Tax Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Terri Sewell (D-AL) released the following statement on the reported closure of over 100 Internal Revenue Service offices offering taxpayer assistance: "The President and Musk have been creating chaos since the moment they took power. Mass ... Read More »
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This markup comes at a time when our Republican colleagues are pretending that business is usual when in fact it’s anything but. While they seek to gut health care and food assistance to wiggle out enough room for massive handouts to their rich donors and friends, and allow the richest man in the world to rifle through the American people’s most sensitive data, they want u... Read More »
Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John Larson (D-CT), and Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) released the following statement on the latest developments happening at the Social Security Administration: “Our phones are ringing off the hooks with reports of Social Security field office ... Read More »
WATCH HERE M/Speaker, I rise today, because looting is underway. Our Republican colleagues are running the same failed playbook of trickle-down handouts that massively benefit the wealthiest, gut crucial programs that deliver health care and food assistance, all while exploding the deficit. Every promise made by the Republicans was a lie. Every concern over the national debt was a lie. Let me say ... Read More »
Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after voting “No” on Republicans’ betrayal of the American people under the cover of night: “Most of this resolution’s spending will enrich the President, his billionaire friends, and the wealthiest Americans, while most of the cuts come on the backs of people doing everything they can to get by. House ... Read More »
