News Coverage
Warren says consumer protection agency is ‘here to stay’ following Supreme Court ruling
by Christina Prignano
Senator Elizabeth Warren declared victory on Monday after the Supreme Court found the governing structure of her Great Recession-era brainchild, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, unconstitutional ? but largely left the agency itself intact.Warren, who set up the agency, said in a series of tweets that although she disagreed with the court’s decision to make it easier for the president to remove the head of the agency, the CFBP as an entity had made it through a series of challenges … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Warren Bill Would Halt Nearly All Evictions During Pandemic, Expanding CARES Act Protections
by Kimberly Atkins
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday filed a bill to stop evictions nationwide during the coronavirus pandemic.The measure, filed with Democratic Rep. Jésus G. “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.) would extend the duration and reach of the eviction moratorium that was part of the coronavirus relief package signed into law this spring."Renters who have lost their job or had their income reduced shouldn't have to fear losing their homes in the middle of a pandemic,” Warren said in a statement Monday announcing the … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Warren, Markey, and Pressley call for independent investigation of coronavirus deaths at Chelsea Soldiers’ Home
by Andrea Estes
Federal lawmakers on Friday urged Governor Charlie Baker to appoint an independent investigator to determine what led to the deaths of 31 veterans at the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home from coronavirus.“Recent public reporting has cast doubt on whether the COVID-19 response at the Home adequately protected veterans,” wrote Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, and US Representative Ayanna Pressley.The lawmakers asked that an investigator determine what caused the outbreak at the home, where, in … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Warren and Booker press meatpackers on exporting to China while claiming U.S. shortages
by Michael Corkery
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has joined another prominent Senate Democrat in questioning how meatpacking companies could justify exporting record amounts to China in April while warning of a shortage of pork and beef across the United States.Warren and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey sent a letter late Monday to the chief executives of Smithfield, Tyson, Cargill and JBS, criticizing them for exporting to China at the same time they were lobbying the Trump administration to keep their plants open … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Elizabeth Warren demands answers from private equity industry on coronavirus response, lobbying
by Lauren Hirsch
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has written to the CEO of private equity lobbying group the American Investment Council demanding more information about the organization’s efforts related to the federal government’s multitrillion-dollar coronavirus relief law.In a letter to Andrew Maloney, which was delivered Wednesday and obtained by CNBC, Warren demanded information about the group’s communication with the Treasury Department and White House officials, including Jared Kushner, whose family real estate … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Elizabeth Warren wants to know how Fed Chair Powell will fight racial inequality during the economic recovery
by Tucker Higgins
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is pressing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on what the nation’s central bank can do to prevent racial inequality in the economic recovery, as signs suggest that the Covid-19 crisis is weighing disproportionately on communities of color. The Massachusetts progressive released questions to Powell on Thursday that ask what specific policies the Federal Reserve and Congress can implement to avoid the inequalities that marked the comeback from the 2008 financial … Continue Reading
June 18, 2020
Warren wants to know why Pence rejected U.S. goods in COVID fight
by Jonathan Allen
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that the Trump administration's failure to prioritize American manufacturing during the initial stages of its COVID-19 response "likely contributed" to the "ongoing spread of the disease."In a letter sent Thursday to Vice President Mike Pence, and reported first by NBC News, Warren and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., say they want more information about the administration's efforts to acquire goods to respond to the coronavirus crisis. Specifically, they want … Continue Reading
June 17, 2020
Elizabeth Warren’s New Target: ‘Egregious’ Conflicts of Interest in Trump’s COVID-19 Response
by Andy Kroll
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is leading a group of Democratic lawmakers in an investigation of what they describe as “egregious” financial conflicts of interest in the Trump administration’s coronavirus response, citing top officials’ financial stake in companies involved with the all-important effort to find a COVID-19 vaccine.In two new letters sent to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, the lawmakers singled out Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to Operation … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ro Khanna Introduce Bill to Increase Military Accountability for Civilian Casualties
by Brett Wilkins
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) this week introduced a bicameral bill meant to improve reporting, investigation and, ultimately, prevention of civilian casualties. On Wednesday, Khanna introduced the Protection of Civilians In Military Operations Act, which he said will “ensure that the Pentagon provides accurate data not only on civilians killed in direct US military operations, but also on civilians killed by US partner forces, such as the Saudi-led coalition in … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Colleges Want Coronavirus Liability Protection. Senator Warren Says Not So Fast.
by Wesley Whistle
Colleges and universities are in the midst of planning for the fall after the coronavirus completely disrupted their spring semester. Campuses are trying to estimate enrollment numbers, figure out how to open dorms and classrooms, and plan for a likely second wave. Something they’re also planning for is the potential for lawsuits, and schools are seeking to shield themselves from them. But one senator is raising questions about that effort.Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Elizabeth Warren urges the SBA and Treasury to help keep child-care providers afloat
by Megan Leonhardt
Nearly half of day cares, preschools and child-care centers around the country were forced to temporarily close during the coronavirus pandemic. And many are struggling to reopen, especially those attempting to get back on their feet without any federal or state financial support. Concerned that child-care providers may permanently close without help, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with four other Democrats, sent a letter to the Small Business Administration and the Treasury … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Warren urges bank regulator to scrap anti-redlining rule rewrite
by Sylvan Lane
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is urging a top federal bank regulator to scrap a controversial rewrite of anti-redlining regulations released by his predecessor last month and recuse himself from any attempt to issue new rules.In a letter to acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks released Tuesday, the senator called on the agency to withdraw new rules for banks to follow under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), a 1977 law intended to ensure that banks lend to and serve low-income … Continue Reading
June 06, 2020
Markey and Warren Seek $500M in Additional Fisheries Aid
by Mary Serreze
U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren on Friday called on U.S. Senate leadership to include $500 million in additional fisheries assistance in the next coronavirus recovery package.In their June 5 letter, the senators said $28 million in fisheries assistance already allocated to Massachusetts should be supplemented as the pandemic continues to affect demand through the summer month’s peak harvests."Compared to the previous five-year average, in March and April of this year, … Continue Reading
June 06, 2020
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley propose creating a national database of cops with a record of misconduct
by Charles Davis
If a police officer behaves badly in one place, new legislation would let police departments elsewhere — and the US public — know all about it."We can't legislate away racism or wave a wand to change culture," US Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, said Friday, "but we can make sure that there are mechanisms in place to hold people accountable for wrongdoing."The National Police Misconduct Database and Transparency in Hiring Act, introduced by Merkley with support from Democratic Sen. … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Warren, Pressley introduce bill to make it a crime for police officers to deny medical care to people in custody
by Tax Axelrod
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) announced Friday they will introduce a bill that would hold law enforcement officers criminally liable for not providing medical care to people in their custody.The two Massachusetts lawmakers will bring forth the Andrew Kearse Accountability for Denial of Medical Care Act, named after Andrew Kearse. Kearse, a 36-year-old black man, died of a heart attack in the back of a police cruiser in 2017 after begging the officers for … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Mass. Delegation Seeks Two-Month Extension of Meals Waiver
by Michael P. Norton
Ninety-five school districts and community organizations in Massachusetts will need to close sites providing free meals to children during the COVID-19 pandemic unless the U.S. Department of Agriculture extends a waiver set to expire on June 30, according to members of the state's Congressional delegation."We urge you to swiftly extend the area eligibility program waivers for Massachusetts and other states through August 31, 2020, to ensure continuity of meals throughout the summer," the … Continue Reading
May 13, 2020
MassLive: Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren introduce bill to offer refunds for canceled airline travel
by Michelle Williams
A new bill introduced in the Senate would mandate airlines offer full cash refunds for canceled tickets instead of future travel credits.The bill, titled Cash Refunds for Coronavirus Cancellations Act of 2020, was introduced Wednesday by both of Massachusetts senators, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and California Sen. Kamala Harris.If passed, the bill would mandate all airlines operating in the United States - including … Continue Reading
May 12, 2020
WBUR: Pressed By Warren, Fauci Says Coronavirus Is Not Contained
by Kimberly Atkins
Answering questions from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the coronavirus has not yet been contained, and that without robust federal mitigation measures in place by the fall, the country could see a resurgence that leads to “more infections and more deaths.”“Do we have the coronavirus contained?” Warren asked Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during Tuesday’s hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions … Continue Reading
May 08, 2020
CNN Business: Elizabeth Warren, other Massachusetts Democrats probe Walmart on store with more than 80 coronavirus cases
by Nathaniel Meyersohn
Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation are pressing Walmart on its handling of a store in the state where 81 workers tested positive for the coronavirus and another location where an employee died."We are writing to express serious concern about your company's failure to keep Walmart employees in Massachusetts safe amidst the coronavirus," 11 House and Senate Democrats wrote to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon Thursday in a letter obtained by … Continue Reading
May 08, 2020
WGBH: Warren, Pressley Push For More Community Health Center Funding
by Saraya Wintersmith
More than 100 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the top leaders of the House and Senate Thursday urging they support additional funding for the nation’s community health centers.The 139 senators and representatives, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, both of Massachusetts, along with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, requested an immediate infusion of $7.6 billion in emergency funding and $77.3 billion to secure the long-term finances of community health … Continue Reading
