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'lameck he bad because is gay.suck much dic {{Infobox officeholder |name = Richard Neal |image = richardneal.jpg |caption = Neal in 2007. |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|02|14}} |birth_place = [[Worcester, Massachusetts]] |state = [[Massachusetts]] |district = {{ushr|MA|1|1st}} |term_start = January 3, 2013 |predecessor = [[John Olver]] |state1 = [[Massachusetts]] |district1 = {{ushr|MA|2|2nd}} |term_start1 = January 3, 1989 |term_end1 = January 3, 2013 |predecessor1 = [[Edward Boland]] |successor1 = [[Jim McGovern (American politician)|Jim McGovern]] |office2 = 50th [[List of mayors of Springfield, Massachusetts|Mayor]] of [[Springfield]] |term_start2 = 1983 |term_end2 = 1989 |predecessor2 = Theodore Dimauro |successor2 = Mary Hurley |office3 = Member of the [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] City Council |term_start3 = 1979 |term_end3 = 1983 |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |religion = [[Roman Catholic]] |spouse = Maureen Neal |children = 4 |alma_mater = [[American International College]] <small>([[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]])</small><br>[[University of Hartford]] <small>([[Master of Arts|M.A.]])</small> |occupation = [[Teacher]] |residence = [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] |website = {{URL|neal.house.gov}} }} '''Richard Edmund Neal''' (born February 14, 1949) is an American politician and the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] for {{ushr|Massachusetts|1}}. He is a member of the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] and a former city councilor and mayor of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]]. 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 [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|House Ways and Means Committee]] and former chairman of the [[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures|Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures]], Neal is an influential figure in House economic policy. He has also dedicated much of his career to [[Ireland – United States relations|US–Ireland relations]] and maintaining American involvement in the [[Northern Ireland peace process]], for which he has won several acclamations. He has a generally [[liberalism in the United States|liberal]] voting record, but is considered a moderate on such issues as abortion and trade. {{TOC limit|3}} ==Early life, education, and academic career== Richard Edmund Neal was born February 14, 1949, in [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Massachusetts]], the oldest of three children. He and his two younger sisters were raised in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] by their mother, a housewife, and their father, a custodian at [[Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company|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 (United States)|Social Security]] checks as they grew up.<ref name="cq-2010" /><ref name="globe-2010">Viser, Matt (June 4, 2010). "Neal seeks top job on Ways and Means committee." ''[[The Boston Globe]]'': p. A1.</ref><ref name="gazette-1999">"A profile of a congressman: Populist roots and political instincts of U.S. Rep. Richard Neal." ''[[Daily Hampshire Gazette]]'': p. A1. November 2, 1999.</ref> After graduating [[secondary education in the United States|high school]], Neal attended [[Holyoke Community College]] in [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]] and then [[American International College]] in Springfield, with the assistance of survivor's benefits. He graduated in 1972 with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in [[political science]]. He then attended the [[University of Hartford]]'s Barney School of Business and Public Administration, graduating in 1976 with an [[Master of Arts (postgraduate)]] in [[public administration]].<ref name="globe-2010" /><ref name="neal-2010">Neal, Richard E. "[http://www.house.gov/neal/link4.html Biography]." ''Congressman Richard Neal'' (official website). [[United States House of Representatives]]. Retrieved June 27, 2010.</ref><ref name="directory" /> Early in his career, Neal taught history at [[Cathedral High School (Springfield, Massachusetts)|Cathedral High School]].<ref name="gazette-1999" /> ==Local government== Neal began his political career as co-chairman of [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential candidate [[George McGovern]]'s 1972 election campaign in Western Massachusetts.<ref name="cq-1988">Duncan, Phil, et al. (December 31, 1988). "House freshmen: Massachusetts—2nd district." ''[[CQ Weekly]]'': p. 3610. [[CQ Press]].</ref> In 1973 he became an assistant to [[List of mayors of Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield Mayor]] William C. Sullivan. Neal was elected to the Springfield City Council in 1978 and was named President of the City Council in 1979.<ref name="neal-2010" /> The following year he was named as a delegate for presidential candidate [[Ted Kennedy|Edward M. Kennedy]] at the [[1980 Democratic National Convention]].<ref>Farrell, David (March 5, 1980). "Massachusetts delegates chosen in the primary." ''[[The Boston Globe]]''.</ref> While a city councilor, Neal taught history at Cathedral High School, and gave lectures at [[Springfield College]], [[American International College]], [[Springfield Technical Community College]] and [[Western New England College]].<ref name="union-1989">"Grads to hear Neal talk." ''[[The Republican (Springfield)|The Union-News]]'': p. 14. May 17, 1989.</ref> In 1983 Neal made plans to challenge Theodore Dimauro, the Democratic incumbent Mayor of Springfield. This pressure led Dimauro to retire and Neal was elected mayor. Neal was re-elected in 1985 and 1987.<ref name="cq-1988" /> As mayor, Neal oversaw a period of significant economic growth, with over $400 million of development and investment in the city, and a surplus in the city budget. He worked to strengthen Springfield's appearance, pushing to revive and preserve the city's historic homes and initiating an influential Clean City Campaign to reduce litter.<ref name="union-1989" /><ref name="hall-1988">Hall, Michelle (December 27, 1988). "The new Democrats in the House." ''[[The Washington Post]]'': p. A13.</ref> ==U.S. House of Representatives== ===Elections=== [[Image:Ma02 109.gif|thumb|left|300px|The 2nd congressional district of Massachusetts from 2003-2013]] Neal ran for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in 1988 after 18-term Democratic incumbent [[Edward Boland]] retired. Boland had alerted Neal of his impending retirement, allowing the mayor a head-start on his campaign. Neal raised $200,000 in campaign contributions and collected signatures across the district before the retirement was formally announced.<ref name="cq-2000" /> As a result, no other Democrat or [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] even filed for the election.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} Neal defeated Communist Party candidate Louis R. Godena with over 80 percent of the vote.<ref>Dendy, Dallas L., Jr. (1989). "[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1988election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988]." [[United States Government Printing Office]]. p. 20. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> In 1989 he was sworn in as United States Representative from [[Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district]], which includes [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] and the southern and western suburbs of [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]]. Neal has won re-election in every term since. Former Springfield mayor Theodore Dimauro, reflecting sentiments that Neal had an unfair advantage in the previous election, ran as a challenger in the 1990 Democratic primary. Dimauro's campaign was sullied by a false rumor he spread about the [[Bank of New England]]'s financial situation, and Neal won the primary easily.<ref name="cq-2000" /> He was unopposed in the general election, winning 68 percent of the vote.<ref>Dendy, Dallas L., Jr. (1991). "[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1990election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1990]." [[United States Government Printing Office]]. p. 17. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> In 1992 his popularity was threatened by the [[House banking scandal]], in which he had made dozens of unpenalized overdrafts at the House Bank.<ref name="cq-2000" /> After narrowly defeating two Democratic opponents, he was challenged by Republican Anthony W. Ravosa, Jr., and Independent Thomas R. Sheehan. Neal won with 53 percent of the vote.<ref>Dendy, Dallas L., Jr. (1993). "[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1992election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1992]." [[United States Government Printing Office]]. p. 32. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> Since 1994, Neal has had little electoral opposition. In a Springfield Union-News poll taken in mid-October 1994, Neal was only ahead of John Briare by 6 percentage points. Neal then went on to spend nearly $500,000 against John Briare in the last 2 weeks of the election to defeat him. The 1994 general election also featured a third party candidate as well, Kate Ross, who received 6% of the vote. With blanks, Neal actually received only 51% of the vote in 1994.<ref>Carle, Robin H. (1995). "[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1994election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1994].[[United States Government Printing Office]]. p. 16.</ref> After defeating Briare and Ross in 1994, he was then challenged by Mark Steele in 1996, respectively,<ref>Carle, Robin H. (1995). "[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1994election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1994]." [[United States Government Printing Office]]. p. 16. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref><ref>Carle, Robin H. (1997). "[http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1996election.pdf Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1996]." [[United States Government Printing Office]]. p. 29. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> and ran unopposed in 1998. In 2000 he won the Democratic primary against Joseph R. Fountain, who challenged Neal's positions as "anti-choice" and "anti-gun".<ref>Smock, Frederick A. (May 30, 2000). "Neal may face primary challenge: Springfield man submits nomination papers to run in 2nd district." ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'': p. B3.</ref> Neal had been unopposed in the general election since 1996, but faced Republican opponent [[Tom Wesley]]<ref>Associated Press (September 14, 2010). "[http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20100914tom_wesley_wins_gop_nod_in_mass_2nd_district/ Tom Wesley wins GOP nod in Mass. 2nd District]." ''[[The Boston Herald]]''. Retrieved September 14, 2010.</ref> in the [[United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 2010|2010 United States Congressional elections]], which Neal won by a margin of 57% to 43%. ===Tenure=== {{U.S. Congress committee assignments |congress = 113 |ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.cq.com/pub/committees/ |title=House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress |publisher=[[Congressional Quarterly|CQ]]}}</ref> |committees = *'''[[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|Ways and Means]]''' **[[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures|Select Revenue Measures]] (''Ranking Member'') **[[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade|Trade]] }} Neal has a generally [[liberalism in the United States|liberal]] political record. He was given a 100 percent "Liberal Quotient" by [[Americans for Democratic Action]] (ADA) for his 2008 voting record, and the organization named him one of the year's "ADA Heroes".<ref>"[http://www.adaction.org/media/votingrecords/2008.pdf 2008 Congressional Voting Record]." ''ADA Today'' '''64''': 1. [[Americans for Democratic Action]]. p. 2. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> He was given an 8.19 percent "Lifetime Rating" by the [[American Conservative Union]] (ACU) based on his votes from 1989 to 2009.<ref>"[http://67.20.95.56/ratings/ratingsarchive/2009/House%20Ratings.htm 2009 U.S. House Votes]." [[American Conservative Union]]. 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> In the [[110th United States Congress]] Neal voted with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] leadership on 98.9 percent of bills;<ref>"[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/party-voters/ House voting with party scores: 110th Congress]." ''[[The Washington Post]]''. Retrieved March 2, 2010.</ref> in the [[111th United States Congress]], Neal voted with the Democratic party leadership 95% of the time.<ref name="Votes Database">{{cite web|title=Richard Neal (D)|url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/N000015|work=The U.S. Congress Votes Database|publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|accessdate=20 July 2012}}</ref> Neal was a member of the House [[Democratic Steering Committee]] in the [[105th Congress]] and is now an at-large [[whip (politics)|whip]] for the House Democrats.<ref name="neal-2010" /><ref name="cq-2000">Duncan, Philip D., and Nutting, Brian (eds.) (1999). "Neal, Richard E., D-Mass." ''[[CQ's Politics in America|CQ's Politics in America 2000: The 106th Congress]]''. Washington: [[Congressional Quarterly]]. pp. 488–489. ISBN 978-1-56802-470-7.</ref> Neal is a co-chair of the New England Congressional Caucus, a group aiming to advance the regional interests of [[New England]].<ref name="neal-2010" /> ====Economy and budget==== With several influential committee posts, Neal has made economic policy the focus of his career, although his success has been mixed.<ref name="cq-2010" /> He served his first two terms on the [[United States House Committee on Financial Services|House Banking Committee]], where he served on the [[United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit|Financial Services Subcommittee]]. As the banking reform law of 1991 was being drafted, he cautioned that President [[George H.W. Bush]]'s proposal could negatively affect small businesses and minority-owned businesses. He introduced an amendment to require reports on lending to these businesses, which was adopted.<ref name="cq-1996" /> In 1993 Neal moved to the [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|House Ways and Means Committee]], where he currently serves.<ref name="cq-1996">Duncan, Philip D., and Lawrence, Christine C. (eds.) (1995). "Neal, Richard E., D-Mass." ''[[CQ's Politics in America|CQ's Politics in America 1996: The 104th Congress]]''. Washington: [[Congressional Quarterly]]. pp. 620–622. ISBN 978-0-87187-843-4.</ref> He has been chairman of the [[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures|Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures]] since 2008 and is a member of the [[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade|Subcommittee on Trade]]. Previously he served on the [[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight|Oversight]] and [[United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security|Social Security]] subcommittees.<ref>"[http://waysandmeans.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=10511 Former and Current Members (Select Revenue Measures)]," "[http://waysandmeans.house.gov/subcommittees/Default.aspx/trade Current Members (Trade)]," "[http://waysandmeans.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=10486 Former and Current Members (Oversight)]," and "[http://waysandmeans.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=10924 Former and Current Members (Social Security)]." ''Committee on Ways and Means'' (official website). Retrieved June 27, 2010.</ref> In the late 2000s analysts considered Neal a likely frontrunner for chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and in the wake of [[Charles B. Rangel]]'s 2010 departure he began actively seeking the post.<ref name="globe-2010" /><ref>Barry, Stephanie (December 29, 2008). "Rep. Neal in running for major House post." ''[[The Republican (Springfield)|The Republican]]'': p. A1.</ref> In June 2010, while pursuing the chairmanship, he invited campaign contributors to a $5,000-per-person weekend fundraiser in [[Cape Cod]]. This drew fire from ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', which criticized him for "[acceding] to the capital's money culture."<ref>"[http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/06/09/neal_should_pursue_top_post_but_not_by_charging_for_access/ Neal should pursue top post, but not by charging for access]." ''The Boston Globe''. June 9, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.</ref> According to [[Congressional Quarterly]]'s ''Politics in America'', one of Neal's long-standing legislative priorities is to simplify the [[federal taxation in the United States|tax code]].<ref name="cq-2010">McCutcheon, Chuck, and Lyons, Christina L. (eds.) (2009). "Neal, Richard E., D-Mass." ''[[CQ's Politics in America|CQ's Politics in America 2010: The 111th Congress]]''. Washington: [[Congressional Quarterly]]. pp. 488–489. ISBN 978-1-60426-602-3.</ref> Neal has long advocated repealing the [[Alternative Minimum Tax]] (AMT), believing its effects have reached unreasonably low income brackets.<ref>Nitschke, Lori (February 3, 2001). "Bush's Tax Cut Plan Would Leave Many Snagged by Alternative Minimum Levy." ''CQ Weekly''. [[Congressional Quarterly]]. p. 274.</ref> He led an unsuccessful movement to reform the AMT in 2007.<ref name="cq-2010" /> He successfully pushed in 1998 to exempt a child tax credit from being affected by the AMT, and in 2001 Congress made the exemption permanent at his urging.<ref name="johnston">[[David Cay Johnston|Johnston, David Cay]] (2003). ''[[Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich – and Cheat Everyone Else|Perfectly Legal]]''. Portfolio ([[Penguin Group]]). p. 111. ISBN 1-59184-019-8.</ref> He voted against the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, saying that they would force millions onto the AMT.<ref name="cq-2008" /> Another priority of Neal's is to eliminate tax "loopholes" that favor higher-income individuals.<ref name="cq-2010" /> He was the lead proponent of a bill to require federal contractors to pay federal taxes for workers hired through offshore [[shell corporation|shell headquarters]]. The bill, H.R. 6081, passed both houses of Congress unanimously and was signed into law in May 2008.<ref>Stockman, Farah (May 23, 2008). "Senate OK's bill barring contractors from avoiding tax – Some had hired via offshore firms." ''[[The Boston Globe]]'': p. A2.</ref> On [[trade policy of the United States|trade policy]], Neal has a moderate record, supporting lower trade barriers.<ref name="OTI Free Trade">{{cite web|title=Richard Neal on Free Trade|url=http://www.issues2000.org/MA/Richard_Neal_Free_Trade.htm|work=On The Issues|publisher=OnTheIssues|accessdate=9 July 2012}}</ref> He voted against the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) in 1993.<ref name="cq-2000" /> In 1995 and 2002 he voted against [[fast track (trade)|fast track]] bills which gave the president the authority to negotiate trade deals without amendments by Congress. In 2007 he voted in favor of the [[United States – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement]] despite some Democratic opposition.<ref name="cq-2010" /> Neal is a strong supporter of the [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] program. He moved from the Trade subcommittee to the Social Security subcommittee in 2005 to challenge President [[George W. Bush]]'s [[Social Security debate (United States)|attempts to partially privatize it]].<ref name="cq-2008">Koszczuk, Jackie, and Angle, Martha (eds.) (2007). "Neal, Richard E., D-Mass." ''[[CQ's Politics in America|CQ's Politics in America 2008: The 110th Congress]]''. Washington: [[Congressional Quarterly]]. pp. 485–486. ISBN 978-0-87289-545-4.</ref> He pushed a proposal to automatically enroll employees in [[Individual Retirement Account]]s (IRAs), and successfully lobbied President [[Barack Obama]] to include it in a proposed 2009 budget outline.<ref name="cq-2010" /> ====Foreign policy==== Descended from [[Irish nationalism|Irish nationalist]] grandparents on both sides, Neal has been an advocate for [[Ireland|Irish]] concerns throughout his Congressional career, pushing to keep the United States involved in the [[Northern Ireland peace process]]. He is the co-chair of the ''ad hoc'' Committee on Irish Affairs, has been chairman of the [[Friends of Ireland (U.S. Congress)|Friends of Ireland]] since 2007, and was considered as a candidate for [[United States Ambassador to Ireland]] in 1998.<ref name="cq-2010" /><ref name="cq-2004">Duncan, Philip D., and Nutting, Brian (eds.) (2004). "Neal, Richard E., D-Mass." ''[[CQ's Politics in America|CQ's Politics in America 2004: The 108th Congress]]''. Washington: [[Congressional Quarterly]]. pp. 483–484. ISBN 978-1-56802-813-2.</ref> After the disarmament of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) in September 2005, Neal was among a group of Congressmen who met with [[Sinn Féin]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Martin McGuinness]] to congratulate him on the action of disarmament and ensure a lasting peace had been reached.<ref>Staunton, Denis (September 29, 2005). "McGuinness reassures Washington." ''[[The Irish Times]]'': p. 7.</ref><ref>Murphy, Ryan G. (September 29, 2005). "Rep. Neal praises IRA disarmament." ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'': p. A8.</ref> Neal invited [[Sinn Féin]] President [[Gerry Adams]] to the [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|inauguration of Barack Obama]] in January 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Barack Obama inauguration: Gerry Adams to attend ceremony |publisher=The Telegraph |date=2009-01-19 |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4293350/Barack-Obama-inauguration-Gerry-Adams-to-attend-ceremony.html |accessdate=2009-06-09}}</ref> Neal has been named as one of the top 100 [[Irish-Americans]] by ''[[Irish America magazine|Irish America]]'' magazine and received the International Leadership Award from [[The American Ireland Fund]] in 2002.<ref name="cq-2004" /><ref>Black, Chris (March 14, 1998). "Some ammunition for looming rematch." ''[[The Boston Globe]]'': p. A3.</ref> Neal is an opponent of the [[Iraq War]], saying the war was based on false intelligence. He voted against the original [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion in 2003]] and opposed President Bush's 2006 request to send additional troops.<ref name="cq-2008" /> He cited veterans' affairs as his top priority in 2010.<ref name="boynton-2010" /> ====Domestic policy==== A longtime advocate of [[health care reform in the United States|health care reform]], Neal was involved in the major health care reform efforts of 1993–94 and 2009–10. In working on the unsuccessful [[Clinton health care plan of 1993]] he balanced his desire for health care reform with the interests of the major health insurance and medical companies in his district, achieving a compromise allowing insurance companies to charge small businesses higher premiums.<ref name="cq-1996" /> He was later involved writing the House's 2009 health care reform bill, the [[Affordable Health Care for America Act]]. As chairman of the Select Revenue Measures subcommittee, he had a hand in developing the bill's financing plan. He explained that his priorities were to address "pre-existing conditions, capping out-of-pocket expenses and making sure people don't lose their health care if they lose their job".<ref name="boynton-2010">Boynton, Donna (January 15, 2010). "Students grill Rep. Neal on big issues." ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]'': p. B5.</ref><ref>Montgomery, Lori, and Murray, Shailagh (June 19, 2009). "Senate's Health-Care Draft Calls for Most to Buy Insurance, Nixes Obama's 'Public Option'." ''The Washington Post''.</ref> Despite his support for the act, he spoke about his preference for a "piecemeal" approach to health care reform, saying it would allow for a more reasonable debate.<ref name="palpini-2010" /> Coming from a relatively [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] district, Neal has a more [[conservatism in the United States|conservative]] record on the issue of [[abortion in the United States|abortion]] than other Massachusetts representatives.<ref name="cq-2010" /> He said in 2010, "I have always opposed taxpayer funding of abortion. I'd keep ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' and restrict it, I've always thought: keep abortion, with restrictions for late-term abortion. [Given] the voting pattern I have, both sides would say I'm mixed and guess what? That's where the American people are."<ref name="palpini-2010">Palpini, Kristin (February 12, 2010). "Neal urges piecemeal votes on health care reform." ''[[Telegram & Gazette]]''.</ref> He voted for the [[Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003]], which made the [[intact dilation and extraction]] abortion procedure illegal in most cases.<ref name="cq-2010" /> During debate on the House health care reform bill, he voted in favor of the [[Stupak–Pitts Amendment]], restricting government funding of abortion.<ref>Bedard, Paul (November 10, 2009). "[http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/11/10/republicans-hail-the-64-pro-life-democrats.html Republicans Hail the 64 'Pro-Life' Democrats]." ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''. Retrieved June 25, 2010.</ref> On other social issues Neal has a moderate record: he supports a proposed [[Flag Desecration Amendment|Constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the U.S. flag]], and has twice voted against an [[Federal Marriage Amendment|amendment to ban same-sex marriage]].<ref name="cq-2010" /> ==Personal life== Neal is a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]].<ref name="cq-2000" /> He lives in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] with his wife Maureen Neal, née Conway. They have four children: Rory Christopher, Brendan Conway, Maura Katherine, and Sean Richard.<ref name="directory">Alston, Farnsworth; Carter, Mary Ann; Randolph, Sarah (eds.) (2009). "Neal, Richard E." ''[[Official Congressional Directory|Congressional Directory for the 111th Congress (2009–2010)]]''. [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]: [[United States Government Printing Office|Government Printing Office]]. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-16-083727-2.</ref> In addition to his duties as a congressman, Neal teaches a journalism course at the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] called "The Politician and the Journalist".<ref name="globe-2010" /> ==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== *[http://www.house.gov/neal/ Congressman Richard E. Neal] official U.S. House site *[http://www.nealforcongress.com/ Richard Neal for Congress] *{{CongLinks | congbio = n000015 | ballot = Richard_Neal | nndb = 072/000039952 | votesmart = 26895 | govtrack = 400291 | opencong = 400291 | rollcall = 215 | politifact = | fec = H8MA02041 | opensecrets = N00000153 | assets = richard-neal | legistorm = 394/Rep_Richard_Edmund_Neal.html | followthemoney = | ontheissues = MA/Richard_Neal.htm | congress = richard-neal/854 | worldcat = np-neal,%20richard%20e | cspan = 6103 | imdb = | bloomberg = | nyt = | washpo = gIQA7V4aKP }} *[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_Neal Profile] at [[SourceWatch]] *[http://www.house.gov/neal/news/news56.html Response to IRA Disarmament] September 26, 2005 {{S-start}} {{S-par|us-hs}} {{USRepSuccession box | state=Massachusetts | district=1 |before=[[John Olver]] |start=2013}} {{USRepSuccessionBox|state=Massachusetts|district=2|district_ord=2nd|before=[[Edward Boland]]|after=[[Jim McGovern (American politician)|Jim McGovern]]|years=1989–2013}} {{s-prec|usa}} {{s-bef|before=[[Jim McDermott]]<br><small>D-[[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]]}} {{s-ttl|title=''[[List of current members of the United States House of Representatives by seniority|United States Representatives by seniority]]''|years=33rd}} {{s-aft|after=[[Dana Rohrabacher]]<br><small>R-[[California]]}} {{S-end}} {{MA-FedRep}} {{USRepMA}} {{Good article}} {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> | NAME =Neal, Richard | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician | DATE OF BIRTH =February 14, 1949 | PLACE OF BIRTH =[[Worcester, Massachusetts]] | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Neal, Richard}} [[Category:1949 births]] [[Category:American people of Irish descent]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts]] [[Category:American International College alumni]] [[Category:University of Hartford alumni]] [[Category:People from Worcester, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Massachusetts city council members]] [[Category:Mayors of Springfield, Massachusetts]] '