In the News

SPRINGFIELD — House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard E. Neal said Monday he expects President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan COVID relief package — which includes a $1,400-per-person payment — to go to an up/down House vote Friday.

From there it’s on to the Senate.

“I expect Americans will start feeling it in March,” the Springfield Democrat, told reporters gathered outside his office at the U.S. District Court.

That’ll be before some COVID relief programs passed last year — including unemployment extensions and enhancements — expire on March 14.

“The CARES Act saved the American economy,” Neal said, referring to the spring 2020 legislation he, former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and House Democrats wrote in just eight days. “But now the economy is starting to stall. This should build us a bridge to a full recovery.”

That recovery, Neal said, depends on a massive infrastructure and public works program now being crafted by the White House and congressional leaders. That public works program could fund highways, roads, bridges, east-west rail through Springfield and — in a timely move — enhancing electrical grids.

“President Biden has said he wants to go big,” Neal said. “And we want to go right along with him.”

For the American Rescue Plan, the powerful Ways and Means Committee chaired by Neal is responsible for $941 billion — more than half — of the $1.9 trillion legislation.

The Ways and Means provisions:

Give working families an additional direct payment of $1,400 per person — bringing their total relief to $2,000 per person counting $600 approved in December.
Extend temporary federal unemployment and benefits through Aug. 29. The money increases the weekly benefit from $300 to $400.
Enhance the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers without children by nearly tripling the maximum credit and extending eligibility. It would be the largest expansion to the credit since 2009.
Expand the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under 6), and makes it fully refundable and advanceable, meaning it it could be a monthly payment.
Increase the tax credit for child care.
Reduce health care premiums for low- and middle-income families by increasing the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits for 2021 and 2022.
Stabilize the pensions for more than 1 million Americans, often frontline workers, who participate in multiemployer plans that are rapidly approaching insolvency.

Neal said he’s been advocating for the expanded Earned income Tax Credit for many years and it, along with some other tax provisions, are things he’d like to see made permanent.

“It works,” he said. “I encourages work and it works.”

Many of the tax provisions are aimed at families and women. He said it’s troubling how many women have dropped from the workforce because they can’t find child care or because schools have closed.

Schools will get help from the $350 billion in support for state and local government, money that would also be available to first responders, police, firefighters and health workers. Neal specifically cited the need for better ventilation in school buildings.

That provision is under fire from Republicans who call it a blue-state bailout. But Neal, who’s appeared with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker talking about the $350 billion, said there are protections in the package. It can’t be used for pensions, for instance.

He said he’s found over the years that some are opposed to spending like this in the whole, but support specific provisions.

“They may not be on board with the topline,” he said. “The pandemic is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem. It’s a health issue.”

Projections show a an extraordinary economic recovery in the second half of this year.

“Before we get there. We’ve got to solve the pandemic,” Neal said.