Press Releases
Senators Introduce Medical Innovation Act to Increase Federal Investments in Research
Bill Fact Sheet Available Here Bill Text Available Here WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today introduced the Medical Innovation Act, a bill that would boost funding for critical medical research. Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) plans to introduce the Medical Innovation Act in the House of Representatives next week with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Congressman Peter Welch … Continue Reading
January 29, 2015
Warren and Cummings Ask Banks about Swaps Trading Practices After Key Section of Dodd-Frank Gutted
Washington, DC - Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Policy, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters to Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Goldman Sachs requesting information about how they will alter their swaps trading practices after a law passed in December gutted a key section of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Section 630 of … Continue Reading
January 22, 2015
Senator Warren Announces Legislation to Advance Medical Research in Remarks at Families USA Conference
WASHINGTON, DC - In remarks at the Families USA Health Action Conference in Washington, DC today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren announced plans to introduce new legislation to advance medical research. "Over the past fifty years, the American system of medical innovation has transformed the health of literally billions of people around the world. But today, that incredible system is in trouble," Senator Warren said in her speech. "The first problem is the government. Congress used to … Continue Reading
January 21, 2015
Senator Warren and Senator Markey Re-Convene the Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Judicial Nominations to Consider Boston Vacancy
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey announced today that the Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Judicial Nominations will re-convene to consider applications for a federal judicial vacancy in Boston, Massachusetts. Candidates interested in applying for a U.S. District Court nomination must submit their applications to the Advisory Committee by February 23, 2015. The Advisory Committee, first appointed in March 2013, solicits, interviews, and comments … Continue Reading
January 20, 2015
Statement by Senator Warren on President Obama's State of the Union Address
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren released the following statement about President Obama's State of the Union address: "President Obama said it right: 'This country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules.' He laid out ways we can create more opportunities for working families -- helping students get an education without getting crushed by debt, expanding access to paid sick time and family … Continue Reading
January 07, 2015
Senator Warren's Remarks at AFL-CIO National Summit on Raising Wages
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke at the AFL-CIO National Summit on Raising Wages. The text of Senator Warren's remarks as prepared for delivery follows, and a PDF copy of her remarks is available here: Good morning, and thank you MaryBe for the introduction, and for your work with the North Carolina AFL-CIO. Your efforts make a real difference for our families. I want to start by thanking Rich Trumka and Damon Silvers for your leadership on economic … Continue Reading
December 18, 2014
Senators Raise Concerns to USTR About Trans-Pacific Partnership Provisions That Could Make it Harder to Prevent Financial Crises
WASHINGTON, DC - In a letter sent to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman on Wednesday, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) raised concerns about provisions that may be included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that would make it harder for Congress and regulatory agencies to prevent future financial crises. The senators specifically highlighted concerns about provisions related to the investor-state dispute … Continue Reading
December 17, 2014
Bill to Make Corporate Enforcement Deals More Transparent Blocked in Senate
Text of Senator Warren's remarksVideo of Senator Warren's remarks WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke on the Senate floor Tuesday night to ask for unanimous consent to pass the Truth in Settlements Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Warren and Dr. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). The Truth in Settlements Act would require more accessible and detailed disclosures about the content and value of settlements reached by federal enforcement agencies when the government … Continue Reading
December 15, 2014
Senators Warren, Feinstein and Gillibrand Ask Interagency Task Force About Efforts to Combat Antibiotic Overuse in Food Animals
WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today sent a letter to Secretaries Hagel, Vilsack, and Burwell, co-chairs of the newly formed interagency Task Force for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, to ask about how the Task Force plans to address critical gaps in current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policies to address the public health threat posed by the overuse of antibiotics in food … Continue Reading
December 15, 2014
Congress Passes "Smart Savings Act" to Strengthen Retirement Savings for Federal Employees
WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate unanimously passed the Smart Savings Act last week, which will substantially increase financial returns for federal employees' retirement plans without increasing federal spending. The Smart Savings Act was introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and co-sponsored by Senators Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.). The bill previously passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the President for … Continue Reading
December 15, 2014
Legislators Call on HHS to End Discriminatory Blood Donation Policy, Implement Risk-Based Policies
Washington D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and Representatives Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), led a letter with 75 of their congressional colleagues calling on Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell to replace the outdated and discriminatory lifetime ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM) with a policy based on individual risk factors. The legislators expressed deep … Continue Reading
December 12, 2014
Senators File Bipartisan Amendment to Strip Wall Street Bailout Provision from Government Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and David Vitter (R-La.) today filed a short, one-page, bipartisan amendment to remove a provision from the government funding bill that would allow for future bailouts of financial institutions that engage in risky derivatives trading. "Ever since the new financial regulations went into place, Wall Street has been working behind the scenes to open another loophole so they could gamble with taxpayer money and get bailed out … Continue Reading
December 12, 2014
Remarks by Senator Warren on Citigroup and its Bailout Provision
Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate this evening on the grasp Citigroup has on government. Below is the text of the Senator's speech, as prepared for delivery: Mr. President, I'm back on the floor to talk about a dangerous provision that was slipped into a must-pass spending bill at the last minute to benefit Wall Street. This provision would repeal a rule called, and I'm quoting the title of the rule, "PROHIBITION AGAINST … Continue Reading
December 11, 2014
Senators Applaud FHFA’s Move to Fill Affordable Rental Housing Funds
WASHINGTON, DC - After the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) took a major step toward making affordable renting housing more available to American families, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today applauded FHFA's decision to end the temporary suspension of contributions to the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) and the Capital Magnet Fund (CMF). The CMF was also designed to increase investment in related economic … Continue Reading
December 11, 2014
Senator Warren Urges Republicans to Oppose Bailout Provision in Government Funding Bill
Video of the Senator's remarks available here WASHINGTON, DC - In a speech on the Senate floor this afternoon, Senator Elizabeth Warren urged her Republican colleagues to oppose a provision added to the government funding bill that would increase the chance of future bailouts. Video of the Senator's remarks is available here, and the text of her speech as prepared for delivery follows: Mr. President, yesterday I came to the floor to call on House Democrats to withhold their support from the … Continue Reading
December 10, 2014
Senator Warren Calls On House To Strike Repeal Of Dodd-Frank Provision From Government Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke on the Senate floor this afternoon to urge the House of Representatives to remove from the government funding bill a reckless provision that would repeal important financial protections in Dodd-Frank. The text of Senator Warren's remarks as prepared for delivery follows: Mr. President, I come to the floor today to ask a fundamental question - who does Congress work for? Does it work for the millionaires, the billionaires, the giant … Continue Reading
December 10, 2014
Senators Urge Department Of Education To Discharge Loans For Students At Colleges That Break The Law
WASHINGTON, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and twelve Senate colleagues sent a letter on Tuesday calling on the Department of Education (ED) to implement clear policies for using its existing authority to discharge federal student loans for students who attend colleges that break the law. The letter was signed by Senators Warren, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Al Franken … Continue Reading
December 09, 2014
Markey, Warren, Keating Push for Release of Fishery Disaster Money
WASHINGTON (December 9, 2014) - Massachusetts Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, with Rep. Bill Keating, are pushing the head of the Department of Commerce to release a second round of disaster fishing aid to Bay State fishermen and businesses before the end of the year. Some fishermen and businesses did not qualify for the first round of funding that was released in August, and recent emergency measures put in place by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
Senators Warren, Warner Urge FHFA Action on Housing Finance Infrastructure and Access to Credit
Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) today wrote a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Melvin Watt urging the agency to take steps "to build a housing finance infrastructure for the future, enhance the role of private capital in the agency mortgage-backed security (MBS) market, and responsibly increase access to mortgage credit." The senators highlighted six areas where further FHFA action can advance these goals: (1) … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
Cummings and Warren Ramp Up Investigation of Consumer Data Breaches Throughout U.S. Financial Sector
Washington, D.C. (Nov. 18, 2014)-In light of reports that more than 500 million records have been compromised due to data security breaches in the U.S. financial sector over the past year, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and Senator Elizabeth Warren sent letters today to 16 banks, investment firms, and other financial service providers requesting information about recent data breaches and seeking detailed briefings from corporate IT security officers. "The increasing number of cyber-attacks and data … Continue Reading