In the News

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. —Rep. Richard Neal said an agreement between the House of Representatives and the Senate on the next coronavirus relief package is "imminent."

The veteran Massachusetts congressman spoke about the talks surrounding the fourth COVID-19 relief bill during a live appearance on WCVB's "On the Record" Sunday, which he made remotely from outside his Springfield home.

Neal holds one of the most powerful positions on Capitol Hill as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The Democrat, who represents the 1st congressional district of Massachusetts, said he maintains a good working relationship with Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and spoke with him for about 30 minutes Saturday morning.

Neal said he also talked at length with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the negotiations Thursday evening.

“I think an agreement is at hand,” Neal said.

Talks surrounding the latest relief package appeared to be at a standstill, as members of the House want more money to go to small businesses and hospitals, while many in the Senate want additional funding for those that qualified under the CARES Act.

“I think the negotiating posture that’s been adopted here is not contrary to what we all want,” Neal said.

Neal said Massachusetts has received more than $1 billion through the Paycheck Protection Program and that he is working to get more unemployment insurance money for residence as chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

“It was, again, an opportunity to secure a regular cash infusion and flow for people who found themselves out of work," he said.

Neal said the House is working to get more stimulus funding for states in subsequent relief packages, as Mnuchin told him that would be difficult to attain in this round of negotiations.

The Massachusetts congressman said people should look at the latest COVID-19 relief package as "Phase 3.5" in terms of implementation because there were some difficulties in the CARES Act rollout due to the system being overwhelmed. He said "Phase 3" should be seen as a phase of relief and stability.

“As we move to Phase 4 and I anticipate, maybe even as Phase 5, that’s when we’ll proceed to real stimulus and recovery," Neal said.

Neal, 71, has served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1989. He is also chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation.