Press Releases
Senators Warren and Grassley to Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Hearing Aids More Accessible and Affordable
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced that they will introduce the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2016. The bipartisan legislation would make certain types of hearing aids available over the counter (OTC) and remove unnecessary and burdensome requirements that currently create barriers for consumers who could benefit from hearing aids. Approximately 30 million Americans experience age-related hearing loss, yet only about 14 … Continue Reading
November 04, 2016
Warren and Markey Applaud Federal Medicaid Waiver for MassHealth
Washington, DC - Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey applauded today's announcement of a five-year Medicaid 1115 Waiver for Massachusetts, which includes more than $29 billion in federal funding for MassHealth. Warren, Markey, and the congressional delegation wrote to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in September in support of Massachusetts' waiver request. "This federal support is great news for Massachusetts providers, patients, and community-based … Continue Reading
November 03, 2016
Warren, Wyden, Menendez Question Wells Fargo CEO About Accuracy of Reports with Financial Regulator
Washington, DC - In a letter sent today to Wells Fargo's new CEO, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) raised questions about the accuracy of Wells Fargo's filings with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) relating to the termination of employees for creating more than two million unauthorized checking and credit card accounts. As a major securities industry regulator, FINRA is responsible for "writing and enforcing rules … Continue Reading
November 01, 2016
Senators Have New Questions for Mylan About EpiPen Price Hike, Pricing Strategy
Washington, DC - In a 13-page letter sent today to the CEO of pharmaceutical company Mylan, 17 senators requested additional information about the company's recent EpiPen Auto-Injector (EpiPen) price increases and how Mylan's pricing strategy affects consumers, taxpayers, and insurance premiums. The letter follows a previous request for information made in August about the EpiPen price hike. The letter was signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal … Continue Reading
October 28, 2016
Warren, Markey, and Lynch Announce $1.68M in Federal Funding for Scituate Seawall
Washington, DC - Today, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, along with Representative Stephen F. Lynch announced nearly $1.7 million in federal funding for the Town of Scituate to fortify the Third Cliff seawall. The Third Cliff was damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the federal funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will assist with foreshore protection. "This long-overdue FEMA funding will make a big difference for Scituate as it works … Continue Reading
October 28, 2016
Senator Warren, Members of Congress Applaud Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force's Steps to Help Further Parity Protections
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) applauded the President's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force announcement yesterday of a series of steps to help ensure that patients receive the insurance coverage they are entitled to under the law. The task force released its final report with … Continue Reading
October 27, 2016
Senators Question Wells Fargo's Independent Auditor KPMG about Failure to Identify Illegal Activity
Washington, DC - In a letter sent today to Wells Fargo's independent auditor KPMG, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) raised questions about KPMG's failure to identify illegal activity when it audited the bank's financial statements from 2011-2015. The senators wrote, "KPMG conducted audits assessing Wells Fargo's internal control over its financial statements...But none of KPMG's audits identified any … Continue Reading
October 24, 2016
Warren, Markey and Neal Applaud $1.5M HUD Loan Guarantee for Springfield's Downtown Dining District Loan Fund Project
Washington, DC - Today, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, along with Representative Richard Neal applauded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 108 Loan Guarantee to support Springfield's Downtown Dining District Loan Fund project. The project will create a low-interest fund and provide loans ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 to support new full-service restaurants and job opportunities in Springfield's business district. "This federal … Continue Reading
October 24, 2016
Warren, Markey, Capuano and Lynch Call on FAA to Increase Community Participation in Process to Address Airplane Noise
Washington, DC - Today, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, along with Representatives Michael Capuano and Stephen F. Lynch sent a letter to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), requesting that the FAA work to increase community participation in the process to address airplane-related noise. This letter follows a September letter from the Milton Board of Selectmen to the Administrator for the FAA New England Region and to the Massachusetts … Continue Reading
October 21, 2016
Testing a Press
October 21, 2016
Senator Warren Raises Concerns about DOJ Settlement with Mylan for Medicaid Fraud
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren today sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch raising serious concerns about the recently announced Department of Justice (DOJ) settlement with Mylan Pharmaceuticals for charges related to its misclassification of EpiPen in order to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in rebates owed to the Medicaid program. The Medicaid drug rebate program requires manufacturers to pay rebates on brand-name and generic drugs and is … Continue Reading
October 21, 2016
Senator Warren Applauds $1.5 Million DOL Apprenticeship Grant to the Massachusetts Department of Career Services
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) applauded the Department of Labor's (DOL) newly-announced grants to increase access to apprenticeships, including a $1.5 million grant to the Massachusetts Department of Career Services. The grant will be used to "expand Registered Apprenticeship opportunities for women, communities of color, and low income individuals in the state...by 25 percent over the next 42 months, including adding over 2,000 new … Continue Reading
October 21, 2016
Senator Warren Applauds $1.5 Million DOL Apprenticeship Grant to the Massachusetts Department of Career Services
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) applauded the Department of Labor's (DOL) newly-announced grants to increase access to apprenticeships, including a $1.5 million grant to the Massachusetts Department of Career Services. The grant will be used to "expand Registered Apprenticeship opportunities for women, communities of color, and low income individuals in the state...by 25 percent over the next 42 months, including adding over 2,000 new … Continue Reading
October 20, 2016
Senators Warren and Menendez Raise Questions about Retirement of Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf, Promotion of New CEO Tim Sloan
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) wrote to the Wells Fargo Board of Directors to raise concerns related to last week's announcement of the retirement of former Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO John Stumpf and the promotion of Tim Sloan as the company's new CEO. The moves were made in the wake of Wells Fargo's admission of fraudulent behavior involving the creation of more than two million fake consumer bank and credit card accounts and its … Continue Reading
October 19, 2016
Senator Warren Highlights DOT Steps to Promote Transparency and Competition in the Airline Industry, Urges Further Action to Protect Consumers
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) highlighted the Department of Transportation's (DOT) newly-announced steps to increase transparency and to promote competition in the airline industry, which include looking into whether airlines' practices of restricting fare and schedule information "is an unfair practice that makes it harder for travelers to find the most affordable and convenient flights that match their needs." "This announcement by the Department of … Continue Reading
October 18, 2016
After New Social Security Cost-of-Living Announcement, Sen. Warren and Rep. Duckworth Urge Congress to Pass the SAVE Benefits Act to Provide Emergency Payments to Seniors, Veterans, and Other Americans
Washington, DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Tammy Duckworth today renewed their call for Congress to pass the Seniors and Veterans Emergency (SAVE) Benefits Act, which would boost Social Security and other critical benefits for seniors, veterans, and Americans with disabilities. This follows today's announcement by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will be 0.3 percent for 2017, after a zero COLA in 2016. Warren sponsors the … Continue Reading
October 14, 2016
Sen. Warren Calls on President to Immediately Designate New SEC Chair to Replace Mary Jo White
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today asked President Obama to use his unilateral authority to immediately designate another commissioner to replace Mary Jo White as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), citing Chair White's refusal to develop a political spending disclosure rule and repeated actions to undermine the agency's mission of investor protection and the Administration's priorities. The President may designate a new SEC Chair at any time … Continue Reading
October 11, 2016
Statement from Senator Warren About Today's Ruling on CFPB by Federal Appeals Court
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren today released the following statement about the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in PHH Corp. v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: "This split decision - which bizarrely relies on a mischaracterization of my original proposal for a new consumer agency - will likely be appealed and overturned. But even if it stands, the ruling makes a small, technical tweak to Dodd-Frank and does not question the … Continue Reading
October 04, 2016
Senators Warren and Grassley Comment on HHS Report on Medicare Savings from Inclusion of Medical Device Identifiers on Claim Forms
Washington, D.C. - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today commented on the preliminary results of an ongoing review issued by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning the costs to Medicare due to recalled or defective medical devices. The OIG reviewed medical records for beneficiaries who received certain types of recalled or failed devices and found costs of around $1.5 billion in … Continue Reading
September 30, 2016
Congressional Delegation Announces $1.9 Million in Funding for Fair Housing Initiatives in Mass.
Washington, D.C. - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, along with Representatives Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Michael Capuano, Stephen Lynch, and Bill Keating announced today that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded organizations in Massachusetts a total of $1,873,778 in funding through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to assist victims of housing discrimination. More information about this federal grant program is available at … Continue Reading