Op-eds
Standard-Times Op-Ed: Tide begins turning fishermen's way
For the past two years, I have made many visits to Massachusetts fishing communities in New Bedford, Gloucester and the South Shore to hear about the challenges facing the industry. I've listened to boat owners and fishermen who face devastating catch allocation cuts, and I've spoken with net makers and icemen whose businesses depend on a strong fishing fleet to make ends meet. The message I've heard has been clear: The federal government needs to act quickly to provide disaster assistance for … Continue Reading
July 10, 2013
Politico Op-Ed: Profits on student loans ruin long-term prospects
On July 1, the rate on subsidized student loans doubled to 6.8 percent, but there is still time to undo this added financial burden on America's working families. Today, the U.S. Senate will vote on the Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013, a plan we co-sponsored with Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) that offers a two-pronged approach to protecting students and reforming the system. First, we must deal with the immediate problem by implementing a one-year patch to keep student loan rates at … Continue Reading
June 10, 2013
It’s time to adopt Paycheck Fairness Act
Published by the Springfield Republican/MassLive.com Last weekend, I was looking for a picture I wanted to show my daughter, and pulled out a box of old photographs from a shelf in the basement. The pictures of my mother and my aunts were wonderful-old hairstyles, dresses with big petticoats and hats-and-gloves for going out. As we sifted through the pictures, I thought about how life had changed for women over the last fifty years. Women doctors and scientists, women union leaders and small … Continue Reading
June 05, 2013
FHFA’s Senseless Arm’s-Length Policy on Short Sales
Published in the Dorchester Reporter As our nation struggles to emerge from the worst recession in decades, the last thing a government agency should do is make it more difficult for Americans to stay in their homes. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) has been doing. Since the 2008 financial crisis, millions of homeowners have fallen behind on their mortgages. Many lost their jobs in the crash, while others lived through medical problems and family … Continue Reading
May 21, 2013
Sen. Warren and Rep. Tierney: Banking on our students
Published on BostonGlobe.com In June, high school seniors across Massachusetts will pull on their graduation robes and take pictures with proud parents, celebrating the end of high school and looking forward to a new beginning in college. But on July 1, they will get an unpleasant graduation gift from the federal government: the interest rate on new subsidized student loans will double from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. These students and their families have worked hard, saved what they could, and … Continue Reading
January 24, 2013
Avoiding Wall St. shuffle's perils
Published on Politico.com It's that time again when jobs open up across Washington and the big shuffle starts: People on Wall Street angle for key economic policymaking jobs, and people in key economic policymaking jobs angle for jobs on Wall Street. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. People with Washington experience bring expertise to Wall Street - often a sense of public service - and people with Wall Street experience bring expertise to government. When I worked to set up the … Continue Reading
January 04, 2013
The first week in January
Published on HuffingtonPost.com I'm honored to serve the people of Massachusetts in the United States Senate, and I'm grateful for everything you've done to help send me to Washington. When I'm sworn in just a couple of months from now, I want to fight for jobs for people who want to work. I want millionaires and billionaires and Big Oil companies to pay their fair share. And I want to hold Wall Street accountable. But here's the honest truth: we'll never do any of that if we can't get … Continue Reading