News Coverage
Democratic lawmakers urge FTC to investigate Trump phone
A group of Democratic lawmakers asked the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday to investigate a mobile phone venture started by President Donald Trump’s two older sons for “potential violations of consumer protection law,” alleging that the advertising and sale of a supposedly “Made in the USA” phone may be deceptive. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and 10 other Democratic members of the House and the Senate asked regulators to investigate Trump Mobile’s “T1” phone, which was announced in … Continue Reading
January 12, 2026
Trump’s fundraisers asked Microsoft for its White House ballroom donation
The Trump administration approached Microsoft for its donation to fund the White House’s $300 million ballroom, documents released by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) office reveal. In response to a Democrat-led letter questioning Big Tech’s involvement in the ballroom’s construction, Microsoft counsel Karen Christian writes that the company “was contacted by a fundraiser for the effort regarding a possible donation” around two months after President Donald Trump announced plans to replace the … Continue Reading
December 18, 2025
Elizabeth Warren targets Sean Duffy over airline passenger protections
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wants air travelers to get more from the airlines this holiday season. The senator said she's concerned that the Department of Transportation is giving gifts to airlines rather than to passengers who rely on them. "Instead of lowering the cost of air travel, former airline lobbyist Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ended a rule that would've forced airlines to compensate Americans for expenses when flights are canceled. Who does Sean Duffy think he is helping … Continue Reading
December 18, 2025
Pentagon will cough up summaries of three years of safety investigations, per NDAA
The Pentagon will have to provide summaries of nearly three years' worth of internal safety investigations under the annual defense policy bill, a provision inserted to force transparency amid a rise in military aviation mishaps. The provision, contained in a committee report attached to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, would give the Pentagon's Joint Safety Council and the military services an April 1 deadline to give the Senate Armed Services Committee "executive summaries for … Continue Reading
December 18, 2025
Compass-Anywhere brokerage deal would hurt homebuyers, US Senators say
U.S. antitrust enforcers should consider blocking a bid by Compass, the nation's largest residential real estate broker, to acquire rival Anywhere Real Estate, amid a housing shortage, two Democratic U.S. Senators said. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon said in a letter to antitrust officials at the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday that the deal could contribute to high broker fees and limit access to home listings, hurting … Continue Reading
December 18, 2025
Lawmakers raise concerns about Echostar deals to sell wireless spectrum to AT&T, SpaceX
Two Democratic lawmakers on Thursday raised concerns about EchoStar's deals to sell key spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX for $40 billion, saying it could shrink competition in wireless and satellite markets. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Greg Casar urged the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department to closely scrutinize the $23 billion AT&T deal and $17 billion SpaceX deal. "AT&T's proposed acquisition of spectrum from EchoStar threatens to further … Continue Reading
December 17, 2025
Defense world braces for Trump EO
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent late Tuesday asking whether he stands by his comments in October about limiting defense contractor stock buybacks. The two Democrats also questioned whether Bessent would support inclusion of that sort of language in national security contracts. “Americans deserve a defense industry that prioritizes innovation and competition to help the U.S. military protect Americans, rather than … Continue Reading
December 17, 2025
Senators demand AG Pam Bondi recuse herself from Warner Bros. antitrust review
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said Wednesday that the regulatory review of Warner’s deal with Netflix has begun, even as Paramount mounts a hostile takeover bid. Two senators are now coming forward and pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi to recuse herself from the review of the deal. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal say the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent, has been “surrounded by a cesspool of corruption and political favoritism.” And … Continue Reading
December 17, 2025
Warren, Sanders push Labor on plans to create a centralized unemployment ‘starting point’
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are asking the Labor Department for more information following reporting from Nextgov/FCW that Labor is planning to test out a more centralized role in unemployment insurance claims. Labor told states in August that it planned to pilot a new unemployment.gov platform to intake claims and provide identity proofing and work authorization by the end of the year. A DOL official told Nextgov/FCW on Tuesday that the government shutdown … Continue Reading
December 16, 2025
The Hollywood Reporter: Elizabeth Warren, Congressional Democrats Push FCC and DOJ to Scrutinize Nexstar-Tegna Deal
Senator Elizabeth Warren and a handful of other top Democrats have sent a letter to FCC chairman Brendan Carr and Department of Justice antitrust chief Gail Slater, asking them to take a close look at Nexstar‘s proposed deal for Tegna, and to block it if they find it anticompetitive. “We write to urge you to closely scrutinize Nexstar Media Group, Inc’s (‘Nexstar’) proposed acquisition of Tegna Inc. (‘Tegna’) and to block this deal if you determine that it violates federal telecommunications … Continue Reading
December 16, 2025
Senators Investigate Role of A.I. Data Centers in Rising Electricity Costs
Three Democratic senators said on Tuesday that they are investigating whether and how the operations of technology companies are driving up residential electricity bills. In letters sent on Monday to Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and three other companies, the lawmakers said the energy needs of data centers used for artificial intelligence were forcing utilities to spend billions of dollars to upgrade the power grid. Energy companies typically recoup the money they invest in equipment … Continue Reading
December 16, 2025
Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal Call For National Security Review Of Paramount-WBD; Top GOPer Wants “Rigorous” Antitrust Scrutiny Of Netflix Deal
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to examine a Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery transaction that includes foreign investors, even as the David Ellison-run company has said that one is not required. The letter from Warren and Blumenthal was sent on December 4, before Paramount launched a hostile bid for WBD. But there already were reports that Middle East investors were being lined as part of the $108.4 billion … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
Warren Requests UBS Chairman Divulge Details of Bessent Talks
US Senator Elizabeth Warren has written to UBS Group AG Chairman Colm Kelleher asking for details of any discussions he may have had with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over a potential relocation of the bank to the US. In a letter dated Dec. 9 and seen by Bloomberg News, Warren requested Kelleher provide a summary of interactions with Bessent and any other officials with whom he may have interacted in recent months on the topic — including if he’d been offered incentives to relocate the … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
$2 Billion in Pentagon Funds Said to Go to Anti-Immigrant Operations
A group of Democratic lawmakers said in a report released on Wednesday that the Pentagon had diverted at least $2 billion from its core missions this year to support the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The report found that shifting the funds had led to the pausing or canceling of programs, including the building of a pilot training facility, the repairing of schools for children of service members and the refurbishment of military barracks, something Defense Secretary Pete … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
Lawmakers seek details behind SSA plan to slash office visits
Four senators are asking Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano to address their concerns with a reported agency goal to cut the number of field office visits in half in the coming year. Nextgov/FCW first reported last week that SSA means to have 50% fewer field office visits in fiscal year 2026 than there were in fiscal 2025, or no more than 15 million total. Over 31 million people visited the agency's field offices last year to file for benefits, get Social Security cards and … Continue Reading
December 09, 2025
Democrats Want Probe of Trump Officials and Immigration Deals
A group of Democrats led by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin is seeking an investigation into alleged connections between high-ranking Trump administration officials and companies vying for billions of dollars in immigration contracts. In a letter sent Monday to the inspectors general for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, Warren, Raskin and seven other Democratic members of Congress express concern that … Continue Reading
December 08, 2025
Democratic Lawmakers Call for Probe of Genesis Bankruptcy Sale
Democratic lawmakers called on a Dallas bankruptcy court to appoint an independent examiner to investigate nursing home giant Genesis Healthcare Inc.'s selection of an insider to buy its assets. The corporate structures of all entities that made bids and the potential impact an existing investor's winning bid may have on unsecured creditors should be investigated, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) said in a brief Monday in … Continue Reading
December 08, 2025
A Group of Democrats Presses for Answers on Secretive U.S. Gaza Command
A group of Senate Democrats is pushing the Trump administration to explain what, exactly, the U.S. is doing at a new coordination center in Israel and why so little about it has been shared with Congress. Led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Brian Schatz and joined by ten other democrats, the lawmakers sent a long list of questions in a Sunday letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which was first reported by NOTUS. The Democratic senators want to know how … Continue Reading
December 08, 2025
Student-loan borrowers are at heightened risk of costly errors when Trump's changes roll out, Democratic lawmakers say
Changes are coming to student-loan repayment, and Democratic lawmakers are warning that it could lead to costly servicing mistakes for borrowers. On Sunday night, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, and Chris Van Hollen sent letters, exclusively viewed by Business Insider, to all five federal student-loan servicers regarding their abilities to assist borrowers amid major changes to repayment. The letters come as servicers are working … Continue Reading
December 04, 2025
Democrats tee off on possible Treasury corporate tax move
A group of Democrats in both chambers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia, is leading opposition to a potential regulatory carve-out from a new minimum tax on corporate profits that critics say could generate an unjustified windfall for big companies. The Treasury Department and IRS are weighing a proposal from mega corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft and Ford Motor Co. that would address what they say is an unwelcome, unintended … Continue Reading