SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal knows his accomplishments speak for themselves.

As the former chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means and current ranking member, Neal helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Butch Lewis Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Postal Service Reform Act — legislation that he said provided much-needed financial relief, groundbreaking climate change benefits, and popular transport and infrastructure for his constitutes. But despite his 18-term career in the House of Representatives and long list of accomplishments, Neal isn’t throwing in the towel just yet.

“I want to see them (the legislation) fully implemented,” Neal, 75, said. “I want to make sure that we see rail development from Boston to Worcester to Springfield to Pittsfield underway, and I think that we’re poised for some extraordinary growth in the central and western parts of the state.”

According to Neal, the economy is by far the biggest priority for the 1st Congressional District, and he said he worked closely with his colleagues in the House and the Biden administration to ensure access to jobs, to lower inflation and to boost a greener economy. He points to the nearly 16 million jobs created during Biden’s presidency, half of which remain open, he said, and the nation’s trajectory toward a 2% inflation rate.

The Inflation Reduction Act, which Neal described as “the most important piece of climate change legislation in the history of the world,” includes $412 billion in tax credits for clean energy, electric vehicles and green manufacturing.

“The Economist magazine ... has said that the American economy is the envy of the world, and I’d like to think the fact that we rebounded so quickly from the pandemic had much to do with the work that I did as chairman of the (Ways and Means) committee,” Neal said.

Infrastructure projects are a standout in Neal’s portfolio of accomplishments, who touts his efforts to support East-West Rail, which will connect Boston to western Massachusetts by train and bring new jobs to rural communities, and to back construction of a new Veterans’ Home in Holyoke to replace the 1952 building where one of the nation’s worst COVID outbreaks took place.

“I mean, again, the governor (Maura Healey) has been a great partner to me on this, as was Gov. (Charlie) Baker,” Neal said. “The north-south rail is working very well based on the federal investment that we made, and now we’re on the east-west. These examples highlight accomplishment after accomplishment after accomplishment.”

Both projects are also a reflection of Neal’s upbringing. A Springfield native who lost both parents at a young age, Neal’s grandmother and aunt raised him and his two sisters using Social Security benefits. He paints himself in campaign ads and interviews as a success story of a working-class kid who rose through the political ranks to ensure no one gets left behind like he did.

His opponent in the race, newcomer Nadia Milleron, says Neal spends most of his time in the large cities of his district, neglecting the rural towns. When asked about the concern, Neal rejects the sentiment, saying the various bills he’s helped pass will bring benefits to everyone throughout the 83-municipality district. His work on the American Rescue Plan brought $8.7 billion to Massachusetts, and Neal claims that many rural residents received extra paychecks as part of COVID relief funds.

Neal recently visited Adams to announce the opening of Glenn Greylock Recreation Center. He noted that he helped reopen North Adams Regional Hospital. Neal also secured money for Pittsfield’s Wakona Park and the Huntington Senior Center.

“We have implemented investments, and now we want to shepherd these investments,” he said.

Last week, Milleron held a press conference rebuking Neal after Politico released a report that said Neal’s son, Brendan Neal, benefited from the tax provisions passed during Neal’s time as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. In addition, Neal paid his son’s company nearly $200,000 for “strategic consulting services,” the report said. Milleron said that while these actions aren’t illegal, they are unethical.

Neal’s campaign team could not be reached for comment, but a statement from Joshua Karp, a spokesman for Neal’s campaign, released to 22News said the report and conference are just “his political opponents manufacturing distractions,” and said Neal’s son never influenced his decisions as committee chairman.

Instead, Neal points to pride at his accomplishments and future work.

“I mean, you meet people in public life that are good at protesting, you meet people that are good at putting on a seminar. It’s legislation that changes lives, and that’s what I’ve done,” Neal said.