{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://neal.house.gov/2021/10/07/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2325/", "Neal Joins Springfield Museums to Celebrate $1.2 Million in SBA Funding", "2021-10-07", "2021", "2021-10", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Springfield, MA\n\nSpringfield, MA \u2013 Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined President and CEO of Springfield Museums Kay Simpson and the Small Business Administration\u2019s (SBA) Massachusetts District Director Robert Nelson for the announcement of a $1,202,953 Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG).\n\nAs part of the American Rescue Plan, the SVOG program provided over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues and was administered by SBA\u2019s Office of Disaster Assistance.\n\n\u201cThe Springfield Museums is a staple in the cultural scene of downtown Springfield,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cThe five world-class museums and Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden are institutions of learning for children and adults of all ages. These funds from the SBA will allow for the Springfield Museums to bounce back, sustain operations, and continue to provide access to the arts in a safe environment.\u201d\n\nDue to the coronavirus pandemic, the Springfield Museums was forced to close for four months \u2013 the first time this has happened in its 164-year history.\n\n\u201cAs a beloved community anchor and an important informal-learning hub, we were overjoyed to re-open in July 2020,\u201d Simpson said. \u201cOur visitors make our Museums alive with energy and potential and we are so glad to have them back in our buildings. We are deeply grateful for the funds provided by the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant, which will help us make up for the lost time during that four month period.\u201d\n\nIn July 2021, Congressman Neal announced $20,010,864 in SVOG grants to Massachusetts\u2019 First Congressional District. As of September 27, 2021, CD-1 has received 6 more SVOGs \u2013 including this one to the Springfield Museums \u2013 bringing that total up to 39 grants totaling $27,374,136. The new SVOG awards include:\n\nShakespeare & Company, Inc., Lenox \u2013 $566,181.60\n\nPhoenix Theatres Berkshire, LLC, Pittsfield \u2013 $617,053.86\n\nROZ100, Inc., Pittsfield \u2013 $4,705,721.10\n\nStep Up World, Shelburne Falls \u2013 $52,000\n\nRoomful of Teeth Vocal Arts Project, Williamstown \u2013 $219,362.45\n\nMore information on the SVOG program can be found HERE.\n\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://neal.house.gov/2021/10/07/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2325/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3717538677155972, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}