News Coverage
NBC: Warren wants to know why Pence rejected U.S. goods in COVID fight
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
Rolling Stone: Elizabeth Warren’s New Target: ‘Egregious’ Conflicts of Interest in Trump’s COVID-19 Response
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
Common Dreams: Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ro Khanna Introduce Bill to Increase Military Accountability for Civilian Casualties
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
Forbes: Colleges Want Coronavirus Liability Protection. Senator Warren Says Not So Fast.
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
CNBC: Elizabeth Warren urges the SBA and Treasury to help keep child-care providers afloat
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
The Hill: Warren urges bank regulator to scrap anti-redlining rule rewrite
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
WBSM: Markey and Warren Seek $500M in Additional Fisheries Aid
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
Business Insider: Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley propose creating a national database of cops with a record of misconduct
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
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
WBUR: Mass. Delegation Seeks Two-Month Extension of Meals Waiver
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
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
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
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
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
May 07, 2020
Newsweek: Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker Join Forces on Bill to Ban Most Factory Farming by 2040
Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced Thursday that she would be co-sponsoring Sen. Cory Booker's bill to phase out large-scale factory farming by 2040. The Farm System Reform Act would prohibit new large factory farms from going into business and force others to cease expansions before halting operations entirely within two decades. Warren's support for the law comes after multiple reports of unsafe conditions in the meatpacking industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Ro Khanna is also … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
The Verge: Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders demand Amazon explain whistleblower firings
Nine Democratic senators are calling on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to provide information on the firing of workers who called for greater protections from COVID-19. In a letter, the senators cite four workers who were fired after raising concerns about safety conditions at the company's warehouses. Amazon has disputed that the firings were retaliatory, citing other policy violations. "Given the clear public history of these four workers' advocacy on behalf of health and safety conditions for … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Bloomberg Green: Warren Blasts ‘Bailout’ for Oil Companies as Trump Eyes Aid
The Trump administration shouldn't create a special relief program to bolster oil and gas producers while ignoring companies with "legitimate needs" that have been harmed by the coronavirus, Senator Elizabeth Warren argued Thursday. Oil companies "do not deserve special access to taxpayer-financed bailout funds at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet," the Massachusetts Democrat said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Warren, a progressive who … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
The Boston Herald: Markey, Warren seek veterans’ home probe as more coronavirus outbreaks emerge at nursing homes
U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren are calling for an investigation into the federal Department of Veterans Affairs' oversight of veterans homes as coronavirus ravages long-term care centers. Soldiers' homes in Holyoke and Chelsea emerged early on as centers of deadly COVID-19 outbreaks in Massachusetts. Eighty-four veterans have died at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home since March, and 80 residents and 81 employees have tested positive. Twenty-eight veterans who tested positive for … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Vox: Exclusive: Elizabeth Warren and Jan Schakowsky have a plan to end mask and medicine shortages amid the Covid-19 crisis
Under a new bill from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a new federal agency would take responsibility for eliminating protective gear shortages and other supply scarcities critical to the coronavirus response. The legislation, to be released on Thursday and shared first with Vox, seeks to remedy the critical supply shortages reported in some Covid-19 hot spots. It also serves as a counter to President Donald Trump's reluctance to exploit the full power of the … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
The Boston Globe: Warren, Markey demand data from assisted-living operators on coronavirus impact
Amid growing alarm over the spread of COVID-19 at senior care sites, US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts are demanding information from assisted-living operators about coronavirus infections and deaths at their facilities and the steps they are taking to fight the pandemic. The push for scrutiny of a sector not currently regulated by the federal government is also coming from a key House Democrat, Carolyn Maloney of New York, who chairs the House Committee on … Continue Reading