This week, the Supreme Court handed down a new batch of rulings that range from ending the president’s bid to shape birthright citizenship via executive order to affirming state laws banning transgender athletes across the country.
WAMC spoke with Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal about cases he was keeping tabs on, as well as the federal reserve and more.
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JAMES PALEOLOGOPOULOS: I want to start with the Supreme Court: another batch of highly-anticipated rulings are out, and that includes a decisive blow to President Trump's attempt to use executive orders to cull birthright citizenship in the U.S.
I've seen a number of experts indicate there wasn't a ton of doubt over this outcome, and yet the final vote was 5-4.
CONGRESSMAN RICHARD NEAL: Well, obviously, I'm pleased with the outcome. I think it reflected 157 years of precedent, and, until this president, I'm not aware of any other president who tried to overturn the measure through rulemaking.
I also think it highlights the role that citizenship plays - individuals that are born here, they, like those in 30 other countries across the globe, can claim citizenship, and I think that there are millions of people who would like to become American citizens by choice - I think that has to be part of the discussion as we go forward, as well - between birthright citizenship and I think immigration that's reasonably conducted, when there are procedures and rules, is a good idea and nobody is arguing for felonious behavior being excused. Instead, I think birthright citizenship and immigration laws that reflect the desire of people who wish to become Americans should be acknowledged as an important component of American history.
PALEOLOGOPOULOS: In that same breath … the president's attempts at influencing the Federal Reserve. Yesterday, we saw a ruling affirming the Fed’s independence - the firing of Lisa Cook was effectively made null. We also saw a ruling that effectively allows the president to fire various officials within government at agencies we usually think of as “independent.”
NEAL: Well, I'm very pleased with the Cook decision, given the fact that it will maintain the independence of the Fed, but I also don't think this will be the last effort by Donald Trump to try to figure out how to have more presidential influence on the decisions that the Fed makes: I think that would be a very bad policy.
I also think it's important to acknowledge that the administration has pushed this theme of the [unitary] executive and the unitary executive essentially says that presidents have broad authority within the framework of the executive branch to make hiring and firing decisions.
I think that there has to be a role here for some sense of independence, some buffer to presidential edicts, and I think that's the reason that certain terms are set for people to exercise not only the discipline of knowledge, but the role that those independent agencies make every day because they're not subject to the whim of this president or any other president.
PALEOLOGOPOULOS: Congressman, I do want to ask about one other ruling that came down today from the Supreme Court. We saw the nation's highest court effectively uphold different bans that bar transgender girls and women from playing on various high school and college sports teams.
It was a 6-3 decision, and has a number of advocates, as well as the transgender community in general, extremely concerned about what precedents being set here.
NEAL: Well, I'm disappointed with the Supreme Court decision, and I don't think that we can run away from these transgender athletes and I do think that there is some room here that local governments will have an opportunity to exercise their judgment as well. I think that's essentially what the court said.
But once again, I think that it was overdone because of the president's continued criticism and I'm hopeful that there will be good decision-making and discretion that will come from local governing officials and, for that matter, state governing officials. So, while I'm disappointed in the ruling, I also come to the conclusion that I hope that the independence of local governance will also be acknowledged here.
PALEOLOGOPOULOS: So, moving away from the Supreme Court in the district over the past few weeks, we've recently seen Holyoke become the first city in Massachusetts to outright ban data centers.
In the same breath, we see moratorium debates going on: Westfield is on the brink of their own one-year moratorium. At the same time, we see sectors and the White House looking to effectively get this industry, data centers that is, up and running.
Any thoughts on how Western Mass is tackling this?
NEAL: Well, my thoughts are: this is the reason that we have land use decisions that come from, in fact, local government and state governments. They're the ones that make that determination. I think there is a broad acknowledgement that we're going to need more electricity, but simultaneously, I think the consumers have come to the conclusion that these data centers typically begin to use an enormous amount of electricity, which will drive up costs for the citizen rate.
I also think water usage is also a part of that consideration, which tends to drive up local fees. So, I happen to think that these decisions ought not to come, as it relates to land use, from those of us in D.C. I think instead the better choice is the one that allows zoning officials, those who grant variances, and those who, in fact, determine the outcome as it relates to land use, to make that decision.
PALEOLOGOPOULOS: Today we saw the return of Republican Congressman Tom Kean after a lengthy four-month absence. We found out that that was linked to a serious bout of depression - he had sought treatment. Any particular thoughts on the return of a House colleague?
NEAL: I think we wish him well as it relates to his own health considerations.
I also think that there was a period of time here where a simple explanation could have come from his office as to how he was being treated. I think that we've made enormous steps in terms of progress for … mental health considerations. I hope that the outcome for him will be a good one.
At the same time, it's very hard to discern when a member of Congress is absent for almost three months without even a cursory explanation.
PALEOLOGOPOULOS: We bring this up pretty frequently - I want to ask: thoughts on the opening days, if not weeks, of the Fed Reserve's Kevin Warsh.
NEAL: Well, I think that he apparently remains in a dispute with the majority of members of the Fed in suggesting that there should be less discussion as it relates to forward analysis, and the problem with that is, I think that oftentimes, it's the press conference after the Federal Reserve renders a decision that explains not only where they are, but perhaps where they're going.
If there's anybody who says they know where the American economy is going to be in six months, don't believe them because nobody really knows where it's going to be in six months.
But I do think that Powell's long opportunities to answer questions from discerning reporters about what he saw as evidence as to where we might be headed was very helpful to retirement savings plans and to investors, and I hope that Warsh’s position will be that forward guidance is not an evil undertaking.
PALEOLOGOPOULOS: Last question from me: I do want to ask something from the campaign trail. We know that a primary is on the docket. Earlier this month, there was talk of a … not quite of a debate, more of a forum.
In the run-up to that forum, it was made clear that you weren’t going to attend, and then the moderator backed out as well after that (it was ultimately canceled).
I wanted to ask: do you anticipate taking part in any kind of forum or debate later this year?
NEAL: Sure, we're going to anticipate as these invites come in, and we'll discern based upon that indication of who is doing it.
At the same time, I think it's important to recognize that this has to be an independent-minded group and we found that in the recent deliberation, that there was some question as to whether or not that was authentic.
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This interview was originally conducted on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
