Press Releases
Sens. Warren, Markey & Reps. Tsongas, Moulton Seek Disaster Relief for Small Businesses Affected by Merrimack Valley Explosions
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Representatives Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), today sent a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) in support of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' request for emergency assistance under the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program made following the Merrimack Valley gas explosions last month. If granted, the SBA's EIDL program would assist … Continue Reading
October 22, 2018
In Wake of Merrimack Valley Explosions, Senators Warren, Markey Demand Answers from PHMSA on Safety Gaps in Federal Natural Gas Pipeline Regulations
Washington, DC - After additional briefings from the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) on the causes of the September 13 Merrimack Valley gas pipeline explosions, Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey today asked the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) whether existing regulations are sufficient to prevent repeat disasters. The Columbia Gas disaster in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts was caused when two pressure-sensing lines both … Continue Reading
October 19, 2018
Sens. Warren, Markey & Reps. Tsongas, Moulton Work to Ensure Tax Exemptions for Those Affected by Merrimack Valley Gas Explosions
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), along with Representatives Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), today sent letters to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Massachusetts Department of Revenue Commissioner Christopher C. Harding urging them to ensure that residents and businesses in the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts would not be required to pay federal taxes on disaster relief payments they received for … Continue Reading
October 19, 2018
Warren, Bonamici, Colleagues Call on DeVos to Release Documents Used in Decision to Restore Recognition of For-Profit Accreditor ACICS
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), along with six of their Senate colleagues and six of their House colleagues, sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to request information regarding the U.S. Department of Education's decision to reinstate the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as a federally-recognized accreditor. The lawmakers' letter follows a troubling report that the … Continue Reading
October 18, 2018
Warren, Wyden Question Misleading HHS Statements on Child Separation Database
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, today announced a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar seeking answers on whether HHS misled Congress and the public about the implementation of President Trump's "zero tolerance" policy and the agency's ability to track separated parents and children.Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office … Continue Reading
October 18, 2018
Warren Urges Federal Reserve to Maintain Wells Fargo Growth Restriction Until CEO Tim Sloan is Replaced
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell urging him to maintain the Federal Reserve's growth restriction on Wells Fargo until the bank replaces CEO Tim Sloan with someone who is not deeply implicated in the bank's misconduct. The letter states that the Wells Fargo Board of Directors cannot comply with the Federal Reserve's requirements for rescinding the growth restriction if it continues to employ a … Continue Reading
October 18, 2018
Warren, Markey Query Columbia Gas On Uninhabitable Homes Following Merrimack Valley Disaster
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today requested information from Columbia Gas on the number of homes that remain uninhabitable and number of residents that remain displaced in the aftermath of the Merrimack Valley gas explosions last month.The September 13 explosions and fires resulted in the death of one teenager, injured approximately 25 others, and damaged or destroyed dozens of homes. In the weeks following the … Continue Reading
October 17, 2018
Warren, Sanders Criticize Amazon's Distribution of Anti-Union Video at Whole Foods
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to Jeff Bezos, the Chief Executive Officer of Amazon, to request information about the distribution of anti-union materials that potentially encourage illegal interference with thousands of workers' rights at Whole Foods, Amazon's recently acquired subsidiary. The letter follows a recent report from Gizmodo about a leaked training video for "team leaders" at Whole Foods … Continue Reading
October 16, 2018
Warren Urges Dept. of Commerce, NOAA to Ensure Carlos Rafael Fishing Permits Remain in New Bedford
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to request that they do everything in their power to ensure that the 42 federal fishing permits held by disgraced fishing magnate Carlos Rafael remain in the Port of New Bedford. The federal permits, which cover a significant portion of the ground fish industry and have an economic footprint that goes far beyond fish … Continue Reading
October 16, 2018
Warren Seeks Answers from Vornado Realty Trust and Five Hedge Funds Following Toys "R" Us Liquidation
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent letters to Vornado Realty Trust and to five hedge funds -- Solus, Highland Capital, Franklin Mutual Advisers, Angelo, Gordon & Co., and Oaktree Capital -- to request information on the companies' role in the liquidation of Toys "R" Us, which resulted in more than 30,000 American workers losing their jobs without severance pay. Toys "R" Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2017, citing … Continue Reading
October 16, 2018
Sens. Warren and Markey Statement on JetBlue Decision to Retrofit Planes with Noise-Reducing Generators
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today issued the following statement on JetBlue's plans to retrofit its entire Airbus fleet with noise-reducing vortex generators and helping address airplane-related noise problems affecting communities near Logan International Airport and elsewhere."We are pleased that JetBlue has announced plans to retrofit its entire Airbus fleet with noise-reducing vortex generators, which was a request … Continue Reading
October 16, 2018
Warren Joins Baldwin, Colleagues in Effort to Give Workers a Greater Voice at Public Companies
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and 11 of her Senate colleagues in calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to use its upcoming Staff Roundtable to consider implementing reforms that will promote worker engagement, drive long-term growth and investment, and give workers a greater voice in public companies by allowing workers to be elected as company board members. In the letter, the senators note … Continue Reading
October 16, 2018
Warren Seeks Answers from Comerica, Social Security Administration, and VA on Direct Express Fraud, Security Breaches
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent letters to Comerica, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Department of Veterans Affairs to seek answers about security breaches in Comerica's Direct Express debit card program which led to hundreds of Americans becoming victims of fraud when their Social Security, disability, or other federal benefit payments were stolen.Since 2008, Comerica has administered the Direct Express program, which serves … Continue Reading
October 12, 2018
Warren, Markey Urge National Grid to Ensure Availability of Locked-Out Gas Workers to Assist with Merrimack Valley Recovery
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Marcy Reed, President of National Grid of Massachusetts, to urging her to ensure that the gas workers locked out by National Grid are available to help with the Merrimack Valley's recovery from the gas explosions on September 13, 2018. The letter follows a meeting between Senator Warren and Joe Hamrock, CEO of NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas, in which Mr. … Continue Reading
October 11, 2018
Senator Warren Statement on NTSB Preliminary Report on Merrimack Valley Gas Explosions
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today issued the following statement regarding the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) preliminary report on the Merrimack Valley gas explosions: “A life was lost, people were injured, dozens of homes were destroyed, business are shuttered, and thousands are without heat and hot water - this is unacceptable. This preliminary NTSB report confirms that Columbia Gas caused this disaster, and that it appears to have … Continue Reading
October 10, 2018
Warren, Murray, Smith Press FDA on Oversight of Digital Health Devices
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), today sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to express concern about the agency's proposed regulation of digital health devices and to request information on how the FDA plans to use its precertification pilot program - which will focus on reviewing and … Continue Reading
October 09, 2018
Sen. Warren & Rep. Khanna CNN Op-Ed: End US complicity in Yemen's humanitarian disaster
Washington, DC - In a joint op-ed published online by CNN, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) discussed the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the United States' role in it. Criticizing the Trump Administration for continuing to support the Saudi Arabia-led bombing campaign in Yemen, which has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, Sen. Warren and Rep. Khanna called on Congress to exercise its oversight authority over these military … Continue Reading
October 05, 2018
Warren Calls on VA Inspector General to Provide Update on Criminal Investigation into Veteran's Death at Bedford VA
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reiterate her request for an update on the status of the IG's criminal investigation into the death of a Vietnam veteran and patient, William R. Nutter, Jr., at the Bedford VA over two years ago. Senator Warren initially requested the information last October, but the VA has provided no update other than indicating that the … Continue Reading
October 04, 2018
Warren Delivers Floor Speech Opposing Kavanaugh Nomination to Supreme Court
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) delivered a speech today on the Senate floor in which she spoke out against the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the United States Supreme Court. In her remarks, Senator Warren discussed three reasons for opposing Judge Kavanaugh's nomination: his record, the broken and biased confirmation process, and the allegations of sexual assault. The full text of her remarks is available below.Remarks by Senator … Continue Reading
October 04, 2018
Warren Applauds Final Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Address Opioid Crisis
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) applauded the final Senate passage of bipartisan legislation combat the opioid crisis. The legislation, which is set to be signed by President Trump, contains several of Senator Warren’s bipartisan efforts to address the epidemic, including: Disposal of Controlled Substances by Hospice Care Providers: This provision, which is based on Senator Warren’s bipartisan Hospice Safe Drug Disposal Act, will allow … Continue Reading
