In the News

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, citing support from the Trump White House, once again called for an infrastructure construction plan to get the country moving again in the wake of the coronavirus emergency. “We are in the phase now of stability and renewal,” Neal, D-Springfield, said following a news conference. “I think in terms of recovery, these… Read more »

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WHSM) -- One day after House Democrats unveiled the HEROES Ac, the bill calling for more stimulus money in the pockets of Americans, Congressman Richard Neal, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, was in Springfield with a strong message. He's firing back after Senate Republicans spoke out Tuesday. Some Senate Republicans are warning that the bill… Read more »

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – House democrats are proposing a new $3 trillion stimulus package to get more funding to front line workers, and the millions of unemployed Americans. Congressman Richard Neal believes it’s needed to help local hospitals and those who lost their job due to this pandemic. He outlined the terms of the new legislation on Wednesday outside his office at the… Read more »

Emergency federal financial aid grants totaling $8.3 million were distributed to more than 7,700 undergraduate students this week by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in response to financial distress due to the coronavirus pandemic. The funds were allocated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act. Grants were calculated based upon factors… Read more »

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said Wednesday he is confident that the new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill that he and his House Democratic colleagues unveiled a day earlier will soon get money flowing to states and to cities and towns grappling with the enormous expenses and revenue shortfalls of COVID-19. “We are moving to stabilization and recovery,” Neal… Read more »

A vote is expected Friday in the U.S. House on another coronavirus relief bill. A Democratic leader from western Massachusetts said it will be the starting point for negotiations with Senate Republicans and the White House on how next to respond to the economic fallout from the pandemic. The centerpiece of the legislation, known as the Heroes Act, is $875 billion for state and local… Read more »

SPRINGFIELD — The coronavirus pandemic will change the way the public votes with more vote-by-mail and the way lawmakers — especially in the U.S. House of Representatives — vote. But U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, urged caution on both fronts Wednesday during a wide-ranging news conference in support of a $3 trillion coronavirus response… Read more »

EAST LONGMEADOW – A longtime East Longmeadow based manufacturer’s well-known product has entered into the fight to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Excel Dryer, the makers of hot air hand driers, has shown through tests the unit’s HEPA filter can prevent the spread of both bacteria and viruses from the drier’s air stream, company president Denis Gagnon… Read more »

BOSTON (SHNS) – Congressional Democrats unveiled the most expansive COVID-19 bill to date Tuesday, calling for nearly $3 trillion in spending to support Americans in dire financial straits and assist state and local governments facing extreme budget pressures. Stretching across more than 1,800 pages, the legislation that emerged from the Ways and Means Committee would direct… Read more »

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WHSM) -- A second round of stimulus checks could be heading in the way of the American people soon. House Democrats unveiled their latest coronavirus relief package, called the Heroes Act, and are hoping for a first vote by the end of the week. Under the proposed bill, Americans could get another stimulus check among other benefits. As Americans feel the impact of… Read more »