Press Releases
Senator Elizabeth Warren Delivers Remarks on Reigniting Competition in the American Economy
Washington, DC - Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered remarks highlighting the need for stronger action to encourage competition in markets and to strengthen our economy. "Today, in America, competition is dying," Senator Warren said. "Consolidation and concentration are on the rise in sector after sector. Concentration threatens our markets, threatens our economy, and threatens our democracy." Noting examples of significant concentration in various industries, the senator … Continue Reading
June 29, 2016
Warren, Warner, Cummings Introduce Legislation to Improve Federal Oversight of Risky Derivatives Trading and to Protect Taxpayers
Fact SheetBill Text Washington, DC - Today, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, introduced the Derivatives Oversight and Taxpayer Protection Act to strengthen federal oversight of the multi-trillion dollar derivatives market and to ensure that big financial firms - not taxpayers - are on the hook for derivatives losses. The Financial Crisis … Continue Reading
June 24, 2016
Markey, Warren, Keating, Lynch and Moulton Welcome Additional Funding for New England At-Sea Monitoring
Washington, DC - Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and Congressmen Bill Keating, Stephen F. Lynch and Seth Moulton today welcomed the announcement that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found additional money to fund the At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) Program for New England's groundfish industry. As Massachusetts groundfish fishermen continue to experience financial strain due to reductions in annual catch limits, the additional burden of monitoring costs … Continue Reading
June 23, 2016
Senators Request Update on Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Decision as Deadline Nears
Text of the letter available here Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requesting an update on the agencies' decision about whether to adjust marijuana's classification as a Schedule I drug … Continue Reading
June 22, 2016
Sen. Warren Urges Federal Communications Commission to Adopt Strong Consumer Privacy Rules for Internet Service Providers
Washington, DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt strong consumer privacy rules for internet service providers, and to ban dubious business practices that single out low-income consumers for different treatment. The FCC currently protects the privacy of traditional telephone customers, and now is considering whether to adopt proposed rules that would provide similar protections for broadband internet access service (BIAS) … Continue Reading
June 22, 2016
Warren, Daines Introduce Bill to Protect Americans' Retirement Savings
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) today introduced the bipartisan Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act to protect hard-working Americans' retirement savings. As employers have shifted from defined benefit pensions to individualized retirement plans such as 401(k)s, workers have become responsible for tracking, managing, and consolidating multiple retirement accounts as they move from job to job. But moving accounts from job to job is not … Continue Reading
June 20, 2016
Donnelly, Warren Encourage Fed, FDIC to Consider All Statutory Tools if Banks' Living Wills Are Found Not Credible
Washington, DC- United States Senators Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter today to the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to encourage the agencies to consider, and be willing to use, all statutory tools at their disposal if banks' resolution plans, also known as living wills, are found not credible. Earlier this year, the Fed and FDIC jointly determined that five large financial institutions had submitted living wills … Continue Reading
June 20, 2016
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren Lead Bipartisan Call on FDA to End Discriminatory Blood Donation Ban
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today led a bipartisan group of 24 Senators in calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to swiftly move to end the discriminatory blood donation deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM). The bipartisan letter was sent in light of the recent mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and requests an update on FDA's efforts to implement the updated one year deferral policy and to … Continue Reading
June 16, 2016
Lawrence Fire Department to Receive Federal Assistance for New Truck
WASHINGTON, DC - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that the Lawrence Fire Department has been awarded federal funding through the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) program. The Lawrence Fire Department will receive $500,000 to purchase a new pumper engine. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera, Fire Chief Brian Moriarty and other officials will formally announce the grant at an event tomorrow, Friday, June 17, 2016 at 2:00pm, at the Lawrence … Continue Reading
June 15, 2016
Senator Warren Speaks About Orlando Attack on LGBT Club, Calls for Congress to Come Together to Address Gun Violence and Terrorism
Video of the speech is available here. Washington, DC - In remarks today on the Senate floor, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Senate Democrats during a filibuster to call for action to address gun violence following the recent attack on an LGBT nightclub in Orlando. In her remarks, Senator Warren spoke about the need for our country to come together to drive out hate from our communities, to reduce gun violence, and to fight terrorism. … Continue Reading
June 14, 2016
Senators Issue Report on U.S. Chamber of Commerce Lobbying
Washington, D.C. - Tonight, a group of Senators led by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and joined by Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Edward Markey (D-MA) released findings of an investigation into the lobbying activities of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-the purported voice of America's business community and the largest lobbying force in the country. In their report, the Senators … Continue Reading
June 10, 2016
Senator Warren Releases Report Raising Serious Concerns About College Accreditor and Federal Advisory Committee's Troubled Oversight
Washington, DC - A report released today by Senator Elizabeth Warren describes lax federal oversight of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a college accreditor that has a long track record of failing to hold schools accountable for wrongdoing. The report comes in advance of a June meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) that will consider whether to renew ACICS's federal recognition. ACICS and other … Continue Reading
June 07, 2016
Sens. Warren and Lee Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Graduate Students Build Retirement Savings
Fact sheet Bill text Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Graduate Student Savings Act of 2016, which would allow funds from a graduate student's stipend or fellowship to be deposited into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). While fellowship or stipend funding currently is taxed as income by federal and state governments, it does not qualify as "compensation" and so cannot be saved in an IRA. "We should be encouraging young … Continue Reading
June 06, 2016
Senator Elizabeth Warren Releases Report Detailing GOP's Extremist Record of Obstructing Key Obama Nominees
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren today released a report highlighting Senate Republicans' long record of delaying and blocking votes on President Obama's nominees to the judiciary and to other key administration positions, culminating in the GOP's ongoing obstruction of Supreme Court Nominee Chief Judge Merrick Garland. "The idea that Senate Republicans are willing to leave our highest court short-handed for nearly a year seems shocking. But the fact is that, for more … Continue Reading
June 02, 2016
Warren, Hatch, and Rubio Call for GAO Review of Sober Living Home Federal and State Oversight
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) today sent a bipartisan letter calling for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of federal and state oversight of sober living homes. "The ongoing opioid epidemic has fueled a high demand for substance abuse services, and it is critical that individuals receive the care they need, and that facilities purporting to help individuals with substance use disorders are actually doing … Continue Reading
May 24, 2016
Warren, Markey, Capuano and Clark Urge Harvard to Allow Graduate Assistants to Organize for Collective Bargaining
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, along with Representatives Michael Capuano and Katherine Clark, have sent a letter urging Harvard University President Drew Faust to recognize collective bargaining units of graduate student research and teaching assistants if they wish to organize. "For decades, U.S. labor law has protected the rights of workers to organize. This critical labor protection has been central to building our nation's middle class and … Continue Reading
May 19, 2016
Senator Warren Lays Out Steps to Protect Workers in the "Gig Economy"
Washington, DC - In remarks delivered today at New America's annual conference, Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke about the challenges facing workers in the "gig economy," and identified several key steps that should be taken to better protect workers as our economy changes in the 21st century. "Massive technological change is a gift - a byproduct of human ingenuity that creates extraordinary opportunities to improve the lives of billions," Senator Warren said. "But history shows that to harness … Continue Reading
May 16, 2016
Senator Warren Urges IRS to Select Balanced Representation for Electronic Tax Advisory Committee
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter urging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to select consumer advocates, as well other members representing the needs of low-income, elderly, disabled, and non-English speaking taxpayers, to serve on its Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). The ETAAC, which was established to "provide an organized public forum...in support of the overriding goal that paperless filing should be the … Continue Reading
May 16, 2016
Massachusetts Congressional Delegation Urges FHFA to Delay New Policy on “Super Lien” Laws Affecting Homeowners in Community Associations
Washington DC - The Massachusetts congressional delegation wrote to urge Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Melvin Watt to delay implementation of the agency's new policy on state super lien laws until the agency has obtained and considered public comments on the issue. Massachusetts, 21 other states, and the District of Columbia have "super lien" laws giving community association liens priority over first mortgage liens. This allows community associations to foreclose on a … Continue Reading
May 12, 2016
Senator Warren, Congressman Conyers, 100+ Members of Congress Call for Diverse Federal Reserve
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.) Thursday released a letter signed by 116 members of the House of Representatives and 11 senators urging the Federal Reserve to reform its governance by committing to more diverse leadership and prioritizing full employment for all communities. Addressed to Fed Chair Janet Yellen, the letter calls attention to the lack of diversity across the Federal Reserve system. White men from the … Continue Reading
