If you follow national politics, then you know how dysfunctional Congress is. The 118th congressional session has been one of the most unproductive in history; it only passed 27 pieces of legislation in 2023.

While some may be quick to blame Republicans for congressional stagnation, I think it is a problem that members of Congress across party lines are responsible for. There are a number of Democrats who have been bought out by corporate influences, and some of them represent districts right here in Massachusetts.

Richard Neal, for example, represents much of what is wrong with Congress. Heavily reliant on corporate donors, Neal has spent many years in Congress doing very little. Throughout his 34 years in Congress, Neal has consistently been the biggest recipient of corporate donations. In 2019 alone, Neal received more than $1.4 million from corporate PACs, according to FEC filings.

Although he does not represent my district, Neal’s recent passivity as a representative has concerned me. And I have spoken to several residents of his district who tell me firsthand that they do not feel represented in Congress. Neal rarely holds a town hall in his district, which begs the question: Does he really know what goes on in his district?

In the face of Neal’s absence, I was excited to learn that this year, Neal is facing a serious challenge. Nadia Milleron, an attorney and the niece of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, is running as an independent to defeat Neal. Some of the issues at the forefront of her campaign include increasing transparency, working to combat the opioid epidemic, and holding major corporations accountable.

The latter of these issues is personal for Milleron: Her 24-year-old daughter Samya Stumo was killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, which was caused by major design flaws in Boeing’s 737 Max.

After her daughter’s death, Milleron helped draft legislation requiring improved aviation safety standards, which ultimately passed Congress unanimously.

I spent awhile talking with Milleron earlier this week, and it was clear to me by the end of our conversation that she is equipped to not only defeat Neal but be an effective legislator and advocate in Congress.

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During our conversation, Milleron highlighted Neal’s capture by corporate donors, which she believes has compromised his ability to legislate in numerous instances.

“Richard Neal was the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to vote against transparency in pharmaceutical pricing, for example,” said Milleron. “And where does Neal get much of his money? The pharmaceutical industry,” she told me.

In the time that Milleron has spent campaigning, she has seen firsthand the struggles of the people in her district, and how inaction on the part of elected officials like Neal has made things worse.

“What I saw collecting signatures outside the grocery stores is that people are incredibly stressed,” Milleron said. “They go in to buy food, but it’s gone up hugely in price. And some people are living in food deserts — but Richard Neal isn’t doing anything.”

When you compare the two candidates, some stark differences arise. Neal’s actions as a congressman over the course of his three decades in the House suggest he is indifferent to much of what goes on in his district, as well as what goes on the lives of American citizens in general.

To me, the extent of Neal’s indifference, which is apparently so great that he feels he does not need to hold town halls for his constituents, disqualifies him from representing the people of western Massachusetts.

Milleron, on the other hand, clearly cares about the issues she is running on. And her promise to rein in rogue corporations like Boeing is not just a slogan — it is an issue she has seen the painful repercussions of in her own life.

So, if you are a resident of the 1st Congressional District, it is up to you to compare the two candidates before you vote. Once you have done this, though, I imagine your choice would be a somewhat easy one.

Because, at the end of the day, you are choosing between a candidate who truly believes in her own platform and Neal, who flip-flops when his corporate donors want him to.

There is a chance this could be the election that ends Neal’s ineffectual reign. Getting Congress to work again will be a long process, but reminding career politicians like Neal that they are not invincible is an important start.

Olin Rose-Bardawil of Florence is a student at the Williston Northampton School and the editor in chief of the school’s newspaper, The Willistonian.>res<