News Coverage
99 members of Congress demand withdrawal of restrictions on international students
by Daniella Silva
Nearly 100 members of Congress are demanding the Trump administration stop a policy that would strip international students of their visas if their coursework is entirely online when classes resume in the fall, according to a letter shared exclusively with NBC News on Thursday.Led by Massachusetts Democrats Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, lawmakers sent the letter, which calls the proposed policy “irrational and xenophobic,” to the Department of Homeland Security and … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Trump threatens to veto Warren-backed defense bill removing Confederate names from military bases
by Rebecca Shabad
President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to veto a national defense bill the Senate is considering if an amendment from Sen. Elizabeth Warren to rename military bases honoring the Confederacy is not removed."I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!" Trump … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Lawmakers call for more transparency in health agency’s pandemic data collection practices
by Reed Albergotti
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm about a program launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to track the spread of the coronavirus.The public health effort, dubbed “HHS Protect Now,” hoovers up vast amounts of data, including coronavirus test results, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local sources. It also relies on technology from secretive Silicon Valley firm Palantir, better known for working with the … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Warren, Markey, Sanders introduce bill to end qualified immunity
by Lisa Kashinsky
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey and Bernie Sanders are seeking to end qualified immunity for police officers, which can prevent them from being held personally liable for misconduct.The Ending Qualified Immunity Act introduced Wednesday would eliminate the judicial doctrine that shields officers and public officials from civil lawsuits unless their conduct violates “clearly established” law or constitutional rights.It was introduced in Congress last month by U.S. Reps. Ayanna … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Senators Press FEMA For Answers on ‘Defective' PPE Sent To Nursing Homes
by Ally Donnelly and Jim Haddadin
Two New England senators are pressing the federal government to explain its plan to supply nursing homes with personal protective gear after reports surfaced that some equipment supplied by FEMA was inadequate or defective.In a letter sent last week to the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said they want to know how much gear FEMA has distributed to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci tells Sen. Elizabeth Warren US could see up to 100,000 COVID-19 cases per day
Daily new coronavirus infections could be on course to more than double in the United States, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci."I'm very concerned," the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren Tuesday during a hearing about COVID-19....Read the full article on the WCVB website … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Elizabeth Warren introduces bill for nationwide eviction moratorium
by Marisa Fernandez
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced legislation Monday to extend and expand a nationwide eviction moratorium to protect tenants who may be struggling to pay rent during the coronavirus pandemic, Vox reports. ...Read the full article on the Axios website … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
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 … 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
