Press Releases
Democratic Senators Ask Labor Department to Fulfill FOIA Request of Trump Nominee Labor Violations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) today sent a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Tom Perez and Wage and Hour Division Administrator David Weil … Continue Reading
January 12, 2017
Senator Warren's Statement on Armed Services Committee Vote on Waiver for General James Mattis
WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren released the following statement today regarding the Senate Armed Services Committee's vote to waive the requirement that an individual be retired from active duty military service for seven years to be eligible for appointment as the Secretary of Defense, so that the Senate can subsequently consider President-Elect Trump's nomination of retired General James Mattis: "Americans have always been skeptical of concentrated government power, … Continue Reading
January 11, 2017
Warren, Cardin, Wyden, Durbin, Carper, Casey, Merkley, Baldwin Respond to Trump Announcement Not to Resolve Conflicts of Interest
Washington, DC - In a joint statement, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) responded to President-elect Donald Trump's announcement today that he will not follow precedent by divesting his assets by placing them in a blind trust. "President-elect Trump's plan to address his financial conflicts of interest boils down to this: he … Continue Reading
January 11, 2017
Banking Committee Democrats Question Surge in Wells Fargo's Overdraft Income
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A group of Senate Banking Committee Democrats today asked Wells Fargo's chief executive to explain whether the bank's recent surge in income from overdraft charges had any connection to the scandal over its fraudulent sales practices. In their letter to Wells Fargo Chief Executive Timothy Sloan, the Senators expressed concern with a recent Financial Times report on how the bank's income from overdraft charges grew by 7.5 percent between July and September. That was five … Continue Reading
January 10, 2017
Senators Warren, Murray, Stabenow Host Forum with Workers Mistreated by Puzder
Washington, DC -Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA.), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA.), Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, and 14 other Senators participated in a forum with witnesses who provided information on Department of Labor nominee Andrew Puzder - including fast food workers at Puzder's businesses and employment experts. The 17 Senators who participated in the forum … Continue Reading
January 10, 2017
Sen. Warren Questions HUD Secretary-Designate's Priorities for the Agency
Text of letter to CarsonText of letter to DeVos Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary-Designate, Dr. Ben Carson, raising questions about Carson's experience and priorities for the agency. This letter comes in advance of Dr. Carson's appearance before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Thursday. "Although you have many accomplishments in the medical … Continue Reading
January 09, 2017
VIDEO: Senator Warren on Republican Efforts to Repeal ACA: "Repeal and Run is for Cowards"
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate this evening on Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act with no plan to replace it. Senator Warren talked about the bipartisan commitment in Massachusetts to improve the health care system, and to make responsible adjustments when necessary to lower costs and improve care. "In Massachusetts, the belief that everyone should have access to affordable health insurance … Continue Reading
January 09, 2017
Senators Call for Price Hearings to Include Outside Witnesses
Price has a long record of supporting fundamental changes to Medicare and Medicaid and is a leading architect of repealing the Affordable Care Act WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democratic Senators today sent a letter to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) calling for the hearings of Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Tom Price to include outside witnesses who can provide the Committees with context … Continue Reading
January 09, 2017
Sen. Warren Raises Concerns about ED Secretary-Designate's Experience, Positions, and Priorities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a 16-page letter to the U.S. Department of Education Secretary-Designate, Betsy DeVos, raising questions about DeVos' experience, positions, and priorities. This letters comes in advance of DeVos's confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. "There is no precedent for an Education Department Secretary nominee with your lack of experience in public education," wrote … Continue Reading
January 09, 2017
Democrats Introduce Bill to Require President and Vice President to Fully Divest Personal Financial Conflicts of Interest
Washington, DC - Today, Democratic members of Congress introduced the Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2017 in the United States Senate and House that would require the President and Vice President to disclose and divest any potential financial conflicts of interest. It also would require presidential appointees to recuse themselves from any specific matters involving the President's financial conflicts of interest that come before their agencies. Original co-sponsors of this … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
HELP Committee Members Request Details of DeVos's Connections to Dark Money Groups
Washington, D.C. - Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee wrote to president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, Betsy DeVos, requesting information on her involvement with the American Federation for Children and the Great Lakes Education Project, dark money political groups with ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council and other Koch brothers organizations. DeVos is a member of the Kochs' donor … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
Sens. Booker, Warren, Schatz, Markey, Murray, Sanders, Leahy, Merkley, Hirono Introduce Legislation to Block Establishment of Federal Religious Registry
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), joined by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), today announced the introduction of legislation that would block the establishment of a registry of people based on their religion, race, age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, or nationality. "Religious freedom and freedom from discrimination are … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
Democratic Senators Call for Puzder Hearing to Include Outside Witnesses to Speak to his Treatment of Workers
In addition to numerous violations of worker protection laws, CKE is facing several potential class action lawsuits by its employees WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and 21 others today sent a letter to U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, calling for the hearing for Secretary of Labor nominee Andrew Puzder to include outside witnesses who can provide the Committee with knowledge of … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
Massachusetts Elected Officials Call for Public Meeting on Safety at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant
Washington, D.C. - Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Congressman William Keating (MA-09), Governor Charlie Baker, the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation, and numerous Massachusetts state legislators are calling on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to immediately hold a public meeting to address concerns about the safety of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. In a letter sent today to the NRC, the … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
Massachusetts Elected Officials Call for Public Meeting on Safety at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant
Washington, D.C. - Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Congressman William Keating (MA-09), Governor Charlie Baker, the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation, and numerous Massachusetts state legislators are calling on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to immediately hold a public meeting to address concerns about the safety of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. In a letter sent today to the NRC, the … Continue Reading
January 04, 2017
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren Issue Statement on Exxon-Mobil Payout Deal for Trump's Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today spoke out after Exxon-Mobil announced that President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will receive a $180 million payout deal before entering public service. This payment scheme would be illegal under Senator Baldwin's reform to slow the revolving door and stop "golden parachute" payouts and bonuses. "Too many Americans feel that Washington is broken and it isn't working for … Continue Reading
January 04, 2017
Wyden Offers Bill Calling On President-Elect Trump, Future Presidential Nominees To Release Tax Returns
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a bill requiring President-Elect Trump to release his recent tax returns in order to give the public honest insight into the President-Elect's actions, values and foreign business dealings. "The fact that the president-elect refuses to release his tax returns is a tragic failure of transparency, and it needs to be corrected. With President-Elect Trump flouting bipartisan traditions of disclosure while … Continue Reading
December 21, 2016
Shaheen Calls for Review of Government Reporting on Animal Research in Federal Laboratories
Washington, DC - In a letter sent today to the Comptroller General of the United States Gene L. Dodaro, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), along with Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), called for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate current procedures and systems for the reporting of federal spending on animal research in government laboratories. The senators requested that the GAO complete a comprehensive review and produce a report on how data reporting … Continue Reading
December 20, 2016
McCaskill-Warren GAO Report Shows Shocking Increase in Student Loan Debt Among Seniors
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Elizabeth Warren today released a government report showing that student loan debt is escalating rapidly, and tens of thousands of senior Americans are currently having their Social Security benefits cut below the poverty line to recoup defaulted student loan debt. The report, conducted for McCaskill and Warren by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), indicates that in the past ten years the amount of student loan debt among seniors has … Continue Reading
December 16, 2016
Led by Merkley, Warren and Sanders, Senate Democrats Roll Out New Website Inviting Personal Stories from Americans Hurt by Foreclosure King Steve Mnuchin
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MASS) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that Senate Democrats have launched a new website inviting Americans to share their personal stories of being impacted by the foreclosure practices of Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary nominee, foreclosure king Steve Mnuchin. "Donald Trump's choice of Mnuchin is not only a fundamental betrayal of his promise to stand up to Wall Street-it is a punch in the gut to the … Continue Reading