In the News

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal on Tuesday announced $1.9 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency aimed at helping Baystate Health close budget gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will pay for employees, supplies and personal protective equipment used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients and others. “The virus… Read more »

HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Western Mass News is your Vaccine Authority. Saturday marked the first educator vaccination day across the Baystate. Here in western Mass., the Holyoke Health Center administered 600 vaccines to the Holyoke Public School staff. “The rollout initially was a bit chaotic. It’s became much, much more efficient,” Congressman Richard Neal… Read more »

HOLYOKE – For months Digna Almonte has found it difficult to keep six feet distance from the young children she works with every day because they need hands-on help and don’t understand they can spread COVID-19. On Saturday Almonte, a teaching assistant who works with children from kindergarten to grade two at Donahue School, joined about 600 of her fellow educators to get… Read more »

PITTSFIELD — Democratic officials at the federal, state and local levels came together Friday to deliver a message: Help is on the way. The harmful health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said, called for more help from the federal government, and they see the recently passed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan as proportionate to what… Read more »

Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal of the 1st district came to Pittsfield Friday to announce over $40 million in federal funding for Berkshire County as a part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. The Democratic Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee spoke with WAMC about the legislation, the hopes for a new infrastructure bill, local outcry against the… Read more »

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal stood in Council Chambers on Friday morning to tout the American Rescue Plan that will allocate $34 million to the city of Pittsfield and $41 million to Berkshire County.   Neal was joined by Mayor Linda Tyer, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and state Sen. Adam Hinds.   "Boy, it is so refreshing to have the federal… Read more »

(WWLP) – The Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan Act saving retirement security for millions of retired and active workers. On Tuesday, the Teamsters Union thanked U.S. Representative Richard Neal for his continued support for legislation that will address the worsening multiemployer pension crisis threatening the… Read more »

HOLYOKE — In an attempt to quell budding dissent over a $400 million proposal to build a new Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, the region’s most powerful federal lawmaker jumped into the fray. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal — a Springfield Democrat and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee — on Wednesday called state Senate President Karen Spilka and new House… Read more »

The Internal Revenue Service will again give Americans extra time to file their taxes as a result of the pandemic. Instead of the usual April 15 deadline, filers will instead have until May 17, the agency said Wednesday, an extension that will ease the burden on filers dealing with the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus, which has put millions out of work or caused their hours… Read more »

(WWLP) – The Annual Friends of Ireland program celebrated its 39th anniversary virtually this St. Patrick’s Day. Watch the entire program here. The Congressional Friends of Ireland, or Friends of Ireland, was founded in 1981 as a bi-partisan organization that provides support to Ireland in their efforts for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Speaker of the… Read more »