Richard Neal
| Richard Neal | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st district |
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Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | John Olver |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Boland |
| Succeeded by | Jim McGovern |
| 50th Mayor of Springfield | |
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In office 1983–1989 |
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| Preceded by | Theodore Dimauro |
| Succeeded by | Mary Hurley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 14, 1949 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Maureen Neal |
| Children | 4 |
| Education |
Holyoke Community College American International College (BA) University of Hartford (MA) |
| Website | House website |
| Committee assignments |
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| 113th Congress (2013–15) |
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| Committee assignments |
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| 114th Congress (2015–17) |
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| Committee assignments |
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| 115th Congress (2017–19) |
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Richard Edmund "Rich" Neal (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician and the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. He is a member of the Democratic Party and a former city councilor and mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts. He is currently the dean of the Massachusetts delegation to the House of Representatives.
A Springfield native, Neal graduated from American International College and received a master's degree from the University of Hartford. After graduating he became involved in politics, working as an assistant to the mayor of Springfield. He served as president of the Springfield City Council from 1979 to 1983 while teaching high school history courses and lecturing at local colleges. He served as mayor of Springfield from 1983 to 1989, overseeing a period of economic growth. With his political influence and a head start on contributions, he was nearly uncontested when he ran for election to the House of Representatives in 1988.
As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and former chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, Neal is an influential figure in House economic policy. He has also dedicated much of his career to US–Ireland relations and maintaining American involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process, for which he has won several acclamations. He has a generally liberal voting record, but is considered a moderate on such issues as abortion and trade.
Richard Edmund Neal was born February 14, 1949, in Worcester, Massachusetts, the oldest of three children. He and his two younger sisters were raised in Springfield by their mother, a housewife, and their father, a custodian at MassMutual. Neal's maternal grandparents were from Northern Ireland and his paternal grandparents were from Ireland. Neal's mother died of a heart attack when he was 13, and he was attending Springfield Technical High School when his father, an alcoholic, died. Neal and his two younger sisters moved in with their grandmother and later their aunt, forced to rely on Social Security checks as they grew up.
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Wikipedia