Press Releases
Senator Elizabeth Warren's Statement on House Vote to Gut Worker Protections on Overtime Rules
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren released the following statement about today's House of Representatives vote on the "Working Families Flexibility Act." This legislation amends the Fair Labor Standard Act to let private employers offer comp time instead of overtime pay, weakening worker protections that currently exist under the law. "With working families across the country scraping to make ends meet, Congress should strengthen protections for workers -- not gut protections … Continue Reading
May 01, 2017
Warren Joins Menendez, 14 Other Senators in Reintroducing the COAST Act in Response to Trump Executive Order to Expand Offshore Drilling
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 14 other Senate cosponsors in reintroducing the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act. which would ban offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Last Friday, President Trump signed an executive order that takes the first steps towards allowing offshore oil and gas drilling along the East Coast. "Sandy was a natural disaster that devastated New Jersey. The last … Continue Reading
May 01, 2017
Warren and Carper Receive Response from OGE on Ethical Concerns Raised by Ivanka Trump's White House Role
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) today released a new letter from the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) clarifying that at least six separate ethics laws and rules will apply to Ivanka Trump in her role as a White House employee. The letter detailed financial disclosure requirements that apply to Ms. Trump and confirmed that she is prohibited from participating in government matters related to the Trump family businesses. OGE also reported … Continue Reading
May 01, 2017
Senator Warren Helps Secure New Funding for Opioid Epidemic, Medical Research in Bipartisan Government Spending Deal
Washington, DC - Senator Warren today applauded the inclusion of $100 million in new funding to address the opioid epidemic and $2 billion in new funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of the bipartisan deal to fund the federal government. The funding comes after Senator Warren recently led a large group of senators calling for new opioid and research funding to be included in the spending bill. "Sometimes the aggressive negotiations over the budget yield something good, … Continue Reading
April 27, 2017
Senator Warren Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Protecting Veterans Credit Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has co-sponsored the Protecting Veterans Credit Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). This legislation would prohibit medical debt for care received through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Choice Program and other VA community care programs from being reported to credit reporting agencies for one year, in order to prevent veterans for … Continue Reading
April 27, 2017
Warren and Pallone Request EPA Inspector General Investigation of Administrator Pruitt's Reversal of Proposed Ban on Hazardous Pesticide
Washington, D.C. - Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector General, requesting an investigation into Administrator Scott Pruitt's decision to reject a petition banning the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos, reversing a previous EPA proposal to terminate use of this chemical and ignoring the EPA's scientific … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Murray, Warren, Scott, Bonamici Urge Secretary DeVos to Reinstate Student Loan Protections
More than 130 Members of Congress urge Secretary DeVos to reverse her decision to scrap Obama-era student loan servicing reforms On April 4, Secretary DeVos rescinded policy memos that included consumer protections for borrowers Washington, D.C. - Led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), more than 130 Members of Congress sent a letter today to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos urging her to reverse a decision to … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Warren and Rubio Introduce Bill to Shut Down Access to the Financial System for Human Traffickers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) today introduced legislation to aid financial institutions in identifying and reporting instances of human trafficking, so that offenders can be prosecuted and victims can be protected. The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act would direct federal banking regulators to work with law enforcement and financial institutions to combat the use of the financial system for human trafficking. The bill would further … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Senator Warren Leads Coalition Urging Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan to Focus on Funding for Opioid Crisis and Medical Research in Government Spending Bill
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a group of 19 senators calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to include a substantial increase in funds for the fight against the nation's opioid epidemic and additional investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as part of the Continuing Resolution currently being negotiated in Congress to avert a government shutdown. The letter was signed by Dianne Feinstein … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Senators Seek Clarification from FDA Commissioner Nominee Regarding Hiring Freeze
Washington, D.C. - Today, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner-Designate Scott Gottlieb, seeking clarification on his plans to ensure the FDA will have the necessary resources and capacity to protect the health and safety of the American people. In January, President Trump signed an executive order imposing a hiring … Continue Reading
April 25, 2017
Following Widespread Anti-LGBTQ Push Under President Trump, Sens. Murray, Booker Renew Efforts to End Dangerous, Fraudulent “Conversion Therapy”
Following Widespread Anti-LGBTQ Push Under President Trump, Sens. Murray, Booker Renew Efforts to End Dangerous, Fraudulent "Conversion Therapy" Senators reintroduce the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act to empower the FTC to crack down on so-called "conversion therapy" "Conversion therapy" advocates "heartened" by Trump Presidency Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions … Continue Reading
April 25, 2017
Senators Raise Concerns with Accounting Regulator about Wells Fargo Auditor KPMG
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today wrote to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), which sets standards for audits of public company financial statements required under Sarbanes-Oxley, raising questions and releasing new information about KPMG's role and findings as the independent auditor of Wells Fargo during the time period in which thousands of Wells Fargo staff engaged in fraudulent behavior affecting millions … Continue Reading
April 21, 2017
Members of Congress Raise Ethics Concerns about Deputy White House Counsel
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today sent a letter to Stefan Passantino, Deputy White House Counsel and Designated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO), questioning his previous financial connections to Carl Icahn, as well as other Trump Administration officials, and the resulting … Continue Reading
April 20, 2017
Senators Call on Trump to Disclose Ethics Waivers and White House Visitor Logs
Whitehouse, Udall, Carper, Heinrich, Warren, Markey, Duckworth: 'Secrecy is becoming the hallmark of the Trump White House' 'The American public is entitled to know who meets with the President and White House policy makers' 'We stand ready to work with your Administration to ensure the federal government meets the highest ethical standards. We are prepared to press for legislation to address these issues if you do not" Washington, D.C. - Amidst reports of lobbyists, lawyers, and … Continue Reading
April 20, 2017
Support for Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Grows
Washington, D.C. - In a signal of growing support for the bipartisan Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, Consumers Union, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology have released letters endorsing the legislation. These three groups joined a number of other leading organizations representing seniors, consumers and hearing health professionals in expressing support for the bill's potential to lower the costs of hearing aids … Continue Reading
April 20, 2017
Senators Question Steve Bannon, White House Ethics Official on Violations of Trump Ethics Pledge
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), today raised questions about reported communications between Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to President Trump, and his former employer, Breitbart News. In letters addressed to Mr. Bannon and Stefan Passantino, the designated agency ethics official for the White House, the senators asked for clarification on recent reports … Continue Reading
April 19, 2017
Senators Warren and Markey Call on FERC to Revoke Decision to Allow Western Mass. Pipeline to Begin Construction
Text of the letter is available here [PDF] Washington, D.C. - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), calling on the agency to revoke its authorization for Kinder Morgan to begin construction on its Connecticut Expansion Project in Western Massachusetts until FERC is able to consider pending challenges to the project. The Senators also note that FERC is allowing construction to … Continue Reading
April 18, 2017
On Tax Day, Senators Ask Government Watchdog to Review Tax-Time Products
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.), today asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the tax-time financial products most commonly used by taxpayers, as well as the transparency of and fees charged for these financial products. "An overwhelming majority of Americans rely on paid tax … Continue Reading
April 12, 2017
As Tax Day Approaches, Senators Will Introduce Bill to Simplify Tax Filing
Bill Text, Fact Sheet Washington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with ten other senators, today announced plans to reintroduce the Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2017 to simplify and decrease the costs of the tax filing process for millions of American taxpayers. This year, taxpayers will spend an average of 13 hours preparing and filing their returns, and will pay $200 for tax preparation services - a cost equal to almost 10 percent of the average federal tax … Continue Reading
April 11, 2017
