{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"MA\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-house-passage-cash-act", "Chairman Neal Statement on House Passage of the CASH Act", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Statement on House Passage of the CASH Act \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Statement on House Passage of the CASH Act \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020:\nHouse Democrats have always favored sending more substantial relief to struggling families, and the CASH Act does just that. Increasing the second round of economic impact payments to $2,000 will make a real difference for Americans experiencing extreme financial hardship. Now that the House has approved these larger checks, it is up to Senate Republicans to do the same.\nEven if the CASH Act does pass the Senate and becomes law, it must not be the last COVID relief we provide to workers and families. The pandemic will not suddenly disappear when the calendar turns to 2021, and the economy will not immediately make a full recovery. Congress will need to work with the Biden Administration to create new jobs, successfully address the public health crisis, and ensure that Americans have the support they require to get back on their feet.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/officials-react-president-trump-signing-900-billion-covid-relief-bill", "Officials react to President Trump signing the $900-billion COVID relief bill", "2020-12-27", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- President Donald Trump has reportedly signed the $900-billion stimulus package, government spending bill. By signing the bill, it averted a government shutdown.\nWith the president signing this bill, millions of Americans can keep their federal unemployment benefits. Also, the eviction moratorium extended, and now millions of Americans will be getting a $600 stimulus check.\n\"Well, I mean, glad that he signed it because the consequences of him not signing it were massive in a bad way,\" said Karl Petrick, an economics professor at Western New England University.\nPetrick said the president's decision to sign the latest stimulus bill extends unemployment benefits and the moratorium on evictions, along with avoiding a government shutdown in the middle of a pandemic.\nCongressman Richard Neal released a statement to Western Mass News on the president's decision to sign the bill on Sunday night, saying:\nThe president's pointless delay in approving this relief legislation cost millions of Americans a week's worth of pandemic-related unemployment assistance that they desperately need. His stalling only intensified anxiety and hardship for workers and families who are collateral damage in his political games.\"\nThe president at first refused to sign the bill after asking for the stimulus checks to increase. Petrick told us he believes the president could still want that.\n\"He may well still push for the $2,000 outside of this bill,\" he noted. \"I'm sure the Democrats in the House will be happy to push that forward, possibly tomorrow.\"\nBut the timing could be off, as a new Congress gets sworn in next Sunday.\n\"It probably won't come to anything in this Congress. I don't think there's time to get extra money,\" he added. \"But if they're going to debate it now, then hopefully the incoming Congress next Sunday will take it up.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-president-trump-s-signing-covid-relief-legislation", "Chairman Neal Statement on President Trumps Signing of...", "2020-12-27", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Statement on President Trump's Signing of COVID Relief Legislation \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Statement on President Trump's Signing of COVID Relief Legislation \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  Tonight, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after President Trump signed into law the bipartisan COVID relief and omnibus spending package that Congress passed last week:\nThe President's pointless delay in approving this relief legislation cost millions of Americans a week's worth of pandemic-related unemployment assistance that they desperately need. His stalling only intensified anxiety and hardship for workers and families who are collateral damage in his political games. Now, people will need to wait even longer for direct payments and other vital assistance to arrive. President Trump made an already stressful holiday season even worse for American families.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/second-stimulus-update-millions-americans-set-lose-unemployment-benefits-day-after", "Second stimulus update: Millions of Americans set to lose unemployment benefits day after Christmas as COVID-19 relief measure awaits signature", "2020-12-26", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Financial assistance for millions of Americans hangs in the balance of the COVID-19 relief measure passed by the House and Senate earlier this week.\nThe bipartisan $908 billionCOVID-19stimulus package includes $600 stimulus checks to tens of millions of Americans earning less than $75,000 - as well as $600 for each child dependent - and an extra $300 in weekly unemployment aid through mid-March.\nIf President Trump does not sign the latest COVID relief package into law today, pandemic-related unemployment assistance will abruptly cut off for millions of Americans tomorrow, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal said on Saturday. A failure to avert this benefits cliff would be devastating for struggling workers and their families who aren't able to return to their jobs yet due to the ongoing public health crisis. As the economy continues to falter, folks are hanging on by a thread and desperately need this federal relief to continue so they can afford basics like food, medicine, diapers, phone bills, and housing.\nThe Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, estimates about 12 million Americans will lose pandemic unemployment assistance on Dec. 26 if the latest round of federal aid isn't passed.\nThese meager benefitsaveraging $240 per week for PUA and $317 for PEUC and state UIhave become the sole lifeline keeping millions of families out of poverty and extreme hardship, Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow with the foundation,wrote.\nThe bill also includes $284 billion in forgivable small business loans through the Payroll Protection Program; $20 billion in economic injury disaster loans in low-income communities; and $15 billion to live venues, independent movie theaters and other cultural businesses and nonprofits.\nIt's not perfect, but will offer desperately needed support to Americans hit hardest by the economic impacts of the pandemic, Rep. Richard Neal told MassLive earlier this week.\nThis deal is a good starting point and an important step in the short-term, but more must be done as the pandemic continues to grip the nation and the recession persists, Neal said. Congress will need to pass additional, substantial relief and stimulus legislation in 2021. Big investments must be made to create jobs, support families, and ensure states and localities have the resources necessary to continue providing essential services and distribute COVID vaccines quickly and fairly.\nNeal added that the Trump administration was directly involved in negotiations and called the president's delay underhanded and cruel.\nPresident Donald Trump in recent days called the bipartisan stimulus package a disgrace stuffed with wasteful spending and sided with Democrats in calling for the second round of direct payments to be increased to $2,000.\nThe president all but threatened a veto of the package if checks amounts are not increased. The relief package and omnibus spending bill were approved with veto-proof majorities.\nHouse Democrats have already proposed an amendment to the stimulus package featuring $2,000 checks to most Americans and are set to vote on the measure on Monday.\nTrump addressed the bill on Twitter again Saturday morning, writing, I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in pork'.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/us-uk-relationship-little-less-special-after-brexit", "U.S.-U.K. Relationship Is a Little Less Special After Brexit", "2020-12-26", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Britain's departure from the European Union and the legacy of the Trump administration means that the special relationship between the U.S. and U.K. isn't what it once was.\nBut theagreement struck on Christmas Eveover post-Brexit relations between the U.K. and EU removed a major potential source of friction betweenBoris Johnson's government and the incoming Biden administration in Washington.\nPresident-electJoe Bidenand some other Democrats, including those with active Irish-American blocs in their districts, had bristled over the possibility that a no-deal Brexit wouldresult in a hard borderbetween the British province of Northern Ireland and Ireland and violate the Good Friday peace deal, which the Clinton administration helped broker in 1998.\nWith a deal that avoids the need for tariffs between the U.K. and EU member Ireland, that prospect has been averted.\nI am glad to see that this deal preserves the Good Friday Agreement, which has maintained decades of peace for the British and European peoples and ensures that there will be no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland, said Rep. Richard Neal (D., Mass.), chairman of the U.S. House's tax and trade-focused committee. I look forward to continued U.S. engagement with our trading partners across the Atlantic in the years to come.\nBut even with this strain removed, in one important sense Brexit has reduced the value of the relationship with the U.S. because,since Jan. 31, the U.K. has no longer been in the corridors of power in Brussels, influencing EU decisions.\nThere is no question that we have lost a significant element of our value to the U.S. by no longer being around the EU table, said Kim Darroch, a former British ambassador to the U.S. and the EU, and national security adviser to the British government.\nHe said Washington used to consult London on a weekly basis on issues that it cared about in Brussels, from proposed EU legislation to relations with Russia. Now, London is no longer such an important conduit to or influence on Berlin, Paris and Brussels.\nBritain will likely continue to be closer to the U.S. than other European capitals in some fields where there is a long association, including intelligence sharing and military cooperation.\nAnd in many areas, the Biden administration's approach to international affairs is likely to be more comfortable for the U.K. than that of the mercurial Trump administration, where allies would sometimes learn of major policy developments on the president's Twitter account or from leaks from the White House.\nPresident Trump is viewed by foreign-policy specialists as accelerating a shift back to great-power politics just as the U.K. had decided to leave one of theworld's great economic powers. Mr. Biden will seek to reverse some of Mr. Trump's legacy but won't be able to erase all ofit.\nBritish officials expect that Mr. Trump's equivocal attitude to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be replaced by a president more supportive of the alliance, and that Mr. Biden will move with allies to seek a common approach toward Iran, after Mr. Trump unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal still backed by the U.K.\nAs a country that has just pulled out of one of the world's three big trading powers, the U.K. is also likely to welcome a more constructive approach to the World Trade Organization, which Mr. Trump sought to undermine.\nA spokesman for the Biden transition team said the president-elect has made it clear that he will support a strong U.K. and a strong EU, and that the incoming administration looks to work with them to address the range of global challenges facing them all.\nThese include climate change. Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate-change accord, and Mr. Biden said he would opt back in. Mr. Biden has tapped former Secretary of State John Kerry as a special climate envoy, and the U.K. hosts the next United Nations-affiliated climate summit in November in Glasgow.\nThe U.K. will also host a summit of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries next year.\nThe Americans will want to shape the outcome of both those meetings by working with us, Mr. Darroch said.\nAnother likely area of cooperation with the U.S. and U.K. is on confronting China, which Mr. Trump mostly did alone but Mr. Biden hopes to undertake with more help from allies and partner countries. The EU is seen in Washington as more equivocal since it givespriority to economic ties.\nIn a tweet seen as a warning to Brussels, Biden adviser Jake Sullivan this week said the U.S. would like to consult on the future economic relationship of the EU and China as the two consider an investment pact.\nIn two areas, there are important questions for London: trade and politics.\nMr. Biden will inherit Mr. Trump's incomplete trade negotiations with the U.K.A free-trade deal with the U.S. would be a hugely important political signal for Mr. Johnson's government, as a symbol of the U.K.'s freedom outside the EU to pursue its own trade policy. An agreement is also keenly supported by the right wing of his Conservative Party, which sees it as securing Britain's distance over the long term from the EU's economic and regulatory orbit.\nU.S. trade experts say that completing talks on a comprehensive deal by the middle of next year is a tall order, given British sensitivities about opening up to American agriculture and ambivalence about trade deals within the Democratic Party.In July, legislation to ease the passage of trade deals will expire, making any comprehensive deal with the U.K. an arduous two-step process on Capitol Hill.\nTrade deals aren't likely to be Mr. Biden's first concern as he takes office. When he does turn to the question, there is no guarantee the U.K. will be a priority for Democrats, compared with the larger EU economic bloc.\n\nI think we should look at what we would do with the EU first, said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D., N.Y.), who starting in January will be the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Then we can look at the U.K. also, he said in an interview Wednesday.\nStill, trade came up in a recent call between Messrs. Johnson and Biden, and U.S. and U.K. trade officials have remained in touch since the election.\nKatherine Tai, Mr. Biden's pick for U.S. trade representative, has recent experience hammering out a compromise with fellow Democrats on the Trump administration's new version of the North American trade pact. The sticking point in that dealenforcing high labor standards for traded productsis something Washington and London broadly agree upon.\nOn politics, there is no evidence yet that Messrs. Biden and Johnson will develop a close personal relationship that some American presidents and British prime ministers have had in the past. While some lawmakers in Mr. Johnson's party are sorry to see Mr. Trump depart, others question whether there was any tangible benefit to the U.K. from his embrace of Brexit and his apparent cozy relationship with Mr. Johnson.\nThat closeness andMr. Johnson's assertionin 2016 that President Obama may have had an ancestral dislike to the British Empire due to his part-Kenyan heritage means that for some allies of Mr. Biden in the Democratic Party, Mr. Johnson has work to do to build bridges with the new administration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-millions-will-lose-their-unemployment-benefits-tomorrow-if-trump-does-not-sign", "Neal: Millions Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits...", "2020-12-26", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal: Millions Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits Tomorrow if Trump Does Not Sign COVID Relief Bill \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal: Millions Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits Tomorrow if Trump Does Not Sign COVID Relief Bill \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding the urgent need for President Trump to sign legislation Congress passed that would extend expiring pandemic-related unemployment assistance through March 14, 2021:\nIf President Trump does not sign the latest COVID relief package into law today, pandemic-related unemployment assistance will abruptly cut off for millions of Americans tomorrow. A failure to avert this benefits cliff would be devastating for struggling workers and their families who aren't able to return to their jobs yet due to the ongoing public health crisis. As the economy continues to falter, folks are hanging on by a thread and desperately need this federal relief to continue so they can afford basics like food, medicine, diapers, phone bills, and housing.\nThe Trump Administration was directly involved in negotiations for the bipartisan COVID relief legislation that Congress passed on Monday and had agreed to the 11-week extension of this vital assistance that the package provides. It is underhanded and cruel for the President now to refuse to sign it into law and potentially end this brutal year by inflicting even more pain and suffering on families in need. Republican leadership in Congress should join in calling for the signing of this legislation  which they helped write and voted for  to extend this crucial aid.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/us-reps-mcgovern-neal-detail-pros-cons-relief-bill", "U.S. Reps. McGovern, Neal detail pros, cons of relief bill", "2020-12-25", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As Congress waits for President Donald Trump's signature on a COVID-19 stimulus and spending bill, the region's congressional delegation is describing the relief bill as an imperfect but necessary compromise.\nThe stimulus package, which Congress combined with appropriations to fund the federal government this coming year, includes $600 payments to individuals making less than $75,000, 11 weeks of a $300 enhancement to federal unemployment benefits, more money for the small-business Paycheck Protection Program, funding for schools, funding for vaccine distribution and more.\nHowever, the bill also includes some $200 billion in tax breaks for the wealthy and does not include direct aid to struggling state and local governments.\nFor U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, the bill wasn't big enough and contained some provisions he is unhappy with. He said negotiations with the Republicans, who don't share the same values as Democrats, made the process difficult.\nWe have something that has more good in it than not, McGovern said. I think it will help, but it's a down payment. We will have to come back when Biden is president and build on it.  I look at this bill as a bridge.\nThat echoes similar sentiments that McGovern shared in late March, when the U.S. House passed a $2 trillion stimulus package.\nBack in the spring, he also lamented the failure to increase benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. In the current bill, though, SNAP benefits  formerly known as food stamps  were boosted by 15 percent, and money was allocated to food banks and Meals on Wheels.\nThe nutrition part of this bill in part is particularly important to people who are going hungry right now, McGovern said. It is a strong portion of this bill that we have had to fight tooth and nail for.  I want that preserved and we have to then build on that.\nMcGovern noted that the U.S. House passed a more generous $3 trillion bill, known as the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, seven months ago but saw no desire to negotiate from Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McGovern said that is the cost of divided government.\nThis is a negotiation that involved a lot of give and take, he said, noting that there are things he dislikes that made it into the combined appropriations-stimulus bill. I think the defense spending is too high, I think there are some giveaways to corporate interests that quite frankly don't need it. It's more greed rather than need.  It's the best we can get with the people we're working with right now.\nThe bill passed the House and Senate, but was thrown into uncertainty when Trump criticized the $600 direct payments to individuals, calling for larger $2,000 checks. Democrats were quick to note they supported that increase and had called for larger checks from the beginning.\nWe've spent months fighting for increased direct payments to save the lives and livelihoods of the American people, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said in a tweet Wednesday. He added a message to McConnell: Let's get this done.\nNeal, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, held a press conference in Springfield on Tuesday about the bill, but was unavailable for an interview Wednesday. In a statement earlier in the week, he described the agreement as one that isn't perfect, but that provides needed support to struggling families, workers and businesses.\nOn Thursday, Neal released a subsequent statement after House Republicans blocked approval of the CASH Act, legislation Neal introduced that would increase the amount of money Americans receive in a second round of direct payments to $2,000.\nIf not for congressional Republicans, $2,000 checks would be heading to Americans in need. Instead, on this Christmas Eve morning, Minority Leader (Kevin) McCarthy directly undermined President Trump and led the charge to block this crucial relief from reaching millions of families, Neal said in the statement. This heartless obstruction comes at a time when folks across the country are wondering how they'll put food on the table and cover next month's rent payment. Democrats will continue to fight to provide Americans with the substantial support they require to make ends meet during the ongoing COVID crisis.\nThursday's vote left the future of the $900 billion stimulus package  and whether any changes will be added to it  in doubt. Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats will now move to pass the bill on the floor with a full up-or-down vote on Monday, Dec. 28.\nUnder the bill, Neal highlighted, community health centers will have dedicated funding for three years, and an employee retention tax credit offers 70 percent credit on up to $10,000 of wages per employee per quarter to help businesses keep them on the payroll. He also noted that New Market Tax Credits were given a five-year extension at $5 billion per year  a program meant to drive investment in economically disadvantaged areas.\nWe also made sure that the legislation includes key measures that will help us combat the public health emergency and save lives, Neal said. Until we effectively address the virus and people are safe, our economy cannot fully recover.\nAnother priority of Neal's was in the bill: his version of a fix for surprise medical billing.\nCritics have accused Neal of long blocking earlier fixes that would have used an industry benchmark to determine rates that doctors and hospitals could charge out-of-network patients, pointing to Neal's acceptance of corporate campaign contributions from industries that preferred a different fix that would send insurers and providers to arbitration over those bills.\nIn the end, Neal's version ended up prevailing, which he said was a victory for consumers and health care providers alike.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/congressman-richard-neal-reacts-house-blocking-cash-act", "Congressman Richard Neal reacts to House blocking CASH Act", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  On Thursday morning Congressman Richard Neal spoke with reporters about the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help Act that would increase the amount Americans receive in stimulus checks.\nCongressman Neal introduced the CASH Act to the House on Thursday but Republicans voted against it however Neal said he expected this to happen.\nThe CASH Act that Neal introduced to the House could increase the amount of money in stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. Something that President Trump and Speaker Pelosi have agreed upon.\nBut because the act didn't get unanimous consent, it will be shut down.\nCongressman Neal called this block a heartless obstruction of relief for millions of families.\nWhat we're saying here is that this is stability. Much of the money that had come from the CARES Act people have now used. And they're going to need money for rent payments and mortgage payments, said Congressman Richard Neal.\nAccording to Congressman Neal, 20-million Americans are receiving unemployment assistance.\nThe House could have voted on the new amount amendment on Monday if passed on Thursday, with Neal saying people could see payments by next week but that's now on hold.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/not-over-us-rep-richard-neal-says-after-gop-blocks-2000-covid-stimulus-checks", "This is not over, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal says after GOP blocks $2,000 COVID stimulus checks", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD  U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was in the middle of explaining the legislative procedure of unanimous consent to reporters Thursday when someone shouted out that House Republicans had blocked his bill to provide$2,000 COVID impactpayments to individuals.\nWe had a feeling that would happen, said Neal, a Springfield Democrat and chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.\nNeal's Thursday morning press conference on the steps of the federal courthouse was clearly part of a broader strategy to pressure Republicans. A press statement from Neal's office reacting to House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's blocking of the bill was distributed almost immediately.\nIn a tweet, meanwhile, Neal said, This is not over.\nHouse Democrats will still vote on the proposal Monday. They must be back in Washington anyway to vote on a potential override of President Donald J. Trump'svetoof a defense spending bill that would give pay raises to military members.\nBut the failure on Christmas Eve to move forward with unanimous consent throws a wrench into Neal and his fellow Democrats' proposal to provide $2,000 direct payments to individuals.\nNeal's bill  introduced Thursday morning after consultation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others  would do two things:\nincrease the value of the economic impact payments provided in the new COVID relief package so that each eligible family adult receives $2,000, up from $600;  \n\tapply the same, broader eligibility established in the end-of-year package to mixed-status families where only one spouse has a Social Security Number. Under the latest COVID relief legislation, families are eligible to receive the payment amount for each adult with a Social Security number, and can claim the corresponding amount for the first round of economic impact payments when they file their 2020 taxes.\nNeal's legislation also requires the White House to implement the whole bill in order to send out the $2,000 payments, a guard against letting Republicans pick and choose.\nMcCarthy, a California Republican, said Thursday his concerns are in the bill's overseas spending.\nForeign aid and other provisions are included because the legislation is not limited to pandemic relief; it is a2021 spending packageto close out the congressional session and avoid a government shutdown. The COVID-19 stimulus was one of many bills tacked on to the end-of-year package.\nWe think it's a good bill, Neal said.\nFor eight months Democrats have advocated for large payments to individuals in a new COVID relief bill. The money won't just help families with necessities, Neal said  it would also help the economy in general by inducing demand for goods and services.\nTwenty million Americans are still unemployed, Neal said, adding that the real economic recovery can't begin until more people are vaccinated and the virus is under control.\nNeal said Friday that at no time in eight months of negotiations did the President's representative at the table, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, indicate that the President wanted $2,000 payments. That figure is in line with the amount Democrats sought.\nIn fact, it was, if you recall, it was Sen.(Mitch) McConnell who opposed any impact payments, Neal said of the GOP leader in the Senate.\nBut then came a Trump tweet this week, demanding higher direct payments.\nSo there is an opportunity here to do what the President said, Neal said. We thought that the president's offer was a good one.\nNeal was asked if the tweet was a real offer, or just a bid for attention from the soon-to-be former president.\nThis illustrates the difficulty in doing policy by Tweet, Neal said.\nBut the tweet put Republican lawmakers, already having to figure out how the GOP will function in a post-Trump world, in a difficult position.\nWell it certainly succeeded in upending the debate, Neal said. And it's caused a lot of heartburn in the Republican party. That's for certain.\nNeal said he and his House colleagues have been consulting all along with Janet Yellen, the former Federal Reserve Chair and President-elect Joe Biden's choice to replace Mnuchin.\nWhat we are really doing here is building a bridge to the Biden administration, Neal said.\nBiden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, now a senator from California,take their oaths of office Jan 20.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/rep-neal-introduces-bill-increases-direct-payments-americans", "Rep. Neal introduces bill that increases direct payments to Americans", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Congressman Richard Neal has introduced a new bill that would increase the amount of money struggling Americans could receive in the second round of direct payments.\nThe bill, introduced as the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020, would allow eligible Americans to receive a direct payment of up to $2,000.\nCongressman Neal sent a statement to Western Mass News on this latest development, saying:\nFor months, Democrats have consistently sought to provide Americans with a substantial second round of direct financial assistance. Now that the President has finally endorsed that idea as well we're ready to immediately pass the CASH Act to put an additional $2,000 into the pockets of folks in need. Congressional Republicans must join us in this effort and not block critical relief from reaching families who are hurting.\nBut as of Thursday morning on Christmas Eve, House Republicans have blocked the Democrats' bid for the $2,000 stimulus checks demanded by President Trump.\nCongressman Neal also released a statement regarding the House Republicans latest decision, saying:\nIf not for congressional Republicans, $2,000 checks would be heading to Americans in need. Instead, on this Christmas Eve morning, Minority Leader McCarthy directly undermined President Trump and led the charge to block this crucial relief from reaching millions of families. This heartless obstruction comes at a time when folks across the country are wondering how they'll put food on the table and cover next month's rent payment. Democrats will continue to fight to provide Americans with the substantial support they require to make ends meet during the ongoing COVID crisis.\nFor a full report of the legislation, clickhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-introduces-cash-act-provide-2000-payments-americans-need", "Chairman Neal Introduces the CASH Act to Provide $2,000...", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Introduces the CASH Act to Provide $2,000 Payments to Americans in Need \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Introduces the CASH Act to Provide $2,000 Payments to Americans in Need \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) introduced the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020 to increase the amount of money struggling Americans receive in a second round of direct payments to $2,000. Upon introducing the new legislation, Chairman Neal said:\nFor months, Democrats have consistently sought to provide Americans with a substantial second round of direct financial assistance. Now that the President has finally endorsed that idea as well, we're ready to immediately pass the CASH Act to put an additional $2,000 into the pockets of folks in need. Congressional Republicans must join us in this effort and not block critical relief from reaching families who are hurting.\nThe CASH Act:\nIncreases the value of the economic impact payments (EIPs) provided in the end-of-year COVID relief package so that each eligible family member receives $2,000, up from $600.  \n\tApplies the same, broader eligibility established in the end-of-year package to mixed-status families where one spouse has a Social Security Number (SSN). As specified in the latest COVID relief legislation, these families are eligible for the EIP amount for each family member with an SSN, and can claim the corresponding amount for the first round of economic impact payments when they file their 2020 taxes.\nText of the legislation is available HERE.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-uk-eu-post-brexit-trade-agreement", "Chairman Neal Statement on UK-EU Post-Brexit Trade Agreement", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Statement on UK-EU Post-Brexit Trade Agreement \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Statement on UK-EU Post-Brexit Trade Agreement \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding reports that Britain and the European Union have reached a post-Brexit trade agreement:\nI commend the European Union and the United Kingdom for reaching an agreement regarding their future economic relationship today. I am glad to see that this deal preserves the Good Friday Agreement, which has maintained decades of peace for the British and European peoples and ensures that there will be no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland. I look forward to continued U.S. engagement with our trading partners across the Atlantic in the years to come.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-decries-republicans-heartless-obstruction-2000-checks-struggling-americans", "Neal Decries Republicans Heartless Obstruction of $2,000...", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Decries Republicans' Heartless Obstruction of $2,000 Checks for Struggling Americans \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Decries Republicans' Heartless Obstruction of $2,000 Checks for Struggling Americans \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after House Republicans blocked approval of the CASH Act, legislation the Chairman introduced to increase the amount of money struggling Americans receive in a second round of direct payments to $2,000:\nIf not for congressional Republicans, $2,000 checks would be heading to Americans in need. Instead, on this Christmas Eve morning, Minority Leader McCarthy directly undermined President Trump and led the charge to block this crucial relief from reaching millions of families. This heartless obstruction comes at a time when folks across the country are wondering how they'll put food on the table and cover next month's rent payment. Democrats will continue to fight to provide Americans with the substantial support they require to make ends meet during the ongoing COVID crisis.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-warren-and-rep-welch-lead-letter-on-trump-administration-failure-to-address-millions-of-orphan-oil-and-gas-wells-that-continue-to-emit-methane-and-toxic-chemicals", "Sen. Warren and Rep. Welch Lead Letter on Trump Administration Failure to Address Millions of Orphan Oil and Gas Wells That Continue to Emit Methane and Toxic Chemicals", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 23, 2020\n\t\t\t Sen. Warren and Rep. Welch Lead Letter on Trump Administration Failure to Address Millions of Orphan Oil and Gas Wells That Continue to Emit Methane and Toxic Chemicals \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe problem is exacerbated by\r\noil drillers' financial struggles caused by the pandemic and the Trump\r\nadministration slashing environmental regulations Trump administration's failed\r\nenforcement could cost states hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for\r\ncleanup, while endangering the environment and public health Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, DC -- United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led a letter to Secretary of\r\nthe Interior (DOI) David Bernhardt about the Bureau of Land Management's\r\nfailure to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for plugging millions of\r\nabandoned oil and gas wells on public lands, which continue to leak dangerous\r\nchemicals like methane and endanger both the environment and public health. The\r\nletter is also signed by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley\r\n(D-Ore.) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.). The federal government estimates that there are more than three million\r\nabandoned oil and gas wells across the United States, two million of which are\r\nunplugged and are releasing \"the methane equivalent\r\nof the annual emissions from more than 1.5 million cars.\" These\r\nabandoned wells can contaminate groundwater and emit volatile and hazardous\r\ncompounds, posing significant environmental and public health risks. Leaking\r\nmethane is particularly dangerous, since methane \"pound for pound can warm\r\nthe planet more than 80 times as much as carbon dioxide over a 20-year\r\nperiod.\" In 2018\r\nand 2019, the\r\nGovernment Accountability Office (GAO) laid out recommendations for how the\r\nBureau of Land Management can track and manage the wells. But the Trump\r\nadministration largely ignored and even hampered efforts to hold Big Oil and\r\nfranking firms accountable by weakening environmental laws like the Methane\r\nRule, which would have helped the government compel oil and gas companies to\r\nplug their wells, but instead freed these companies from the need to detect and\r\nrepair methane leaks. \"Implementing the GAO recommendations is a bare minimum action that the\r\nInterior Department and its agencies can take to address the growing number of\r\norphan and abandoned wells and their associated environmental health and safety\r\nrisks. Congress and the American public deserve an explanation as to why your\r\nagency has refused to do so in a timely manner,\" wrote Senator\r\nWarren and Representative Welch. Their letter notes that the Trump administration's inaction paired with oil\r\ncompanies' financial strain during the pandemic have exacerbated the problem,\r\nmaking it unlikely that bankrupt or struggling companies will pay to plug these\r\nabandoned wells that threaten the lives and livelihoods of surrounding\r\ncommunities. This shunts the financial responsibility of hundreds\r\nof millions of dollars to states and represents a lost\r\nopportunity to create good-paying jobs -- paid for by oil companies -- to\r\nclose the wells while also boosting the economy. \"Plugging these orphan and abandoned wells would reduce the threats\r\nthat they pose to human health and the environment, and could create thousands\r\nof new jobs during the pandemic-caused recession,\" the lawmakers\r\nwrote. Their letter to DOI requests updated information about the DOI's plans to\r\nimplement the recommendations from the GAO and the steps it is taking to assist\r\nstates in addressing these dangerous orphan and abandoned oil and gas wells\r\nbefore the impending end of the Trump administration. \"The American public deserves an Interior Department that will resolve\r\nproblems that fall under its jurisdiction,\" wrote the lawmakers.\r\n\"Without decisive action, the number of oil and gas wells... will only\r\ncontinue to grow.\" Senator Warren has called for an outright ban on fossil fuel extraction in\r\npublic lands and waters and has previously raised concerns about abandoned\r\nindustry sites that pose serious threats to local communities and exacerbate\r\nthe climate crisis. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-warren-and-booker-to-osha-your-persistent-failure-to-protect-workers-at-meatpacking-facilities-from-escalating-deadly-covid-19-outbreaks-is-disgraceful", "Senators Warren and Booker to OSHA: Your Persistent Failure to Protect Workers at Meatpacking Facilities From Escalating, Deadly COVID-19 Outbreaks is Disgraceful", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Booker to OSHA: Your Persistent Failure to Protect Workers at Meatpacking Facilities From Escalating, Deadly COVID-19 Outbreaks is Disgraceful \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tA new\r\nstudy finds that meatpacking facilities are associated with\r\ncommunity spread of COVID-19, leading to hundreds of thousands of cases and\r\nthousands of deaths in the U.S. OSHA has refused to establish\r\nemergency workplace safety standards Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent a letter to the Occupational Safety and\r\nHealth Administration (OSHA) asking why the agency is still failing to take any\r\naction to protect meatpacking workers during a raging global health pandemic in\r\nwhich meatpacking plants are serving as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)\r\nhotspots that are harming their employees and surrounding communities, the\r\nmajority of which are immigrant communities and communities of color. Their\r\nletter follows the recent release of a\r\nstudy that explicitly identified meatpacking facilities \"as (COVID-19)\r\ntransmission vectors into the surrounding population (that) accelerate the\r\nspread of the virus\" and are associated with hundreds of thousands of\r\ncases and thousands of deaths. The senators sent a letter to OSHA in September 2020\r\ncriticizing the agency's delayed and ineffective response to COVID-19\r\noutbreaks occurring at meatpacking facilities across the U.S. that have\r\nsickened and killed many workers. In response, OSHA wrongly asserted that\r\nenforceable, emergency health and safety standards are \"not necessary at\r\nthis time.\" Since the September 2020 letter to OSHA, an additional 8,974\r\nmeatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and 54 workers have died\r\nof COVID-19 across another 69 meatpacking plants. \"Given these ongoing concerns, we would like to know whether you plan\r\nto take any action while you are still in office to protect workers and\r\ncommunities during this surge in the pandemic, or if you plan to end your\r\ntenure by continuing to fail the workers you are sworn to protect,\" wrote\r\nthe lawmakers. Amid OSHA's continued refusal to engage in substantive enforcement of worker\r\nprotections or to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring\r\nenforceable worker safety protections specific to the pandemic, COVID-19\r\noutbreaks at meatpacking plants have worsened. Rather than taking significant\r\naction to protect worker safety in meatpacking facilities, DOL has instead\r\nreduced transparency about employers violations of workers' rights. In the\r\nabsence of standards and enforcement, workers' health and safety are left to\r\nthe whims of employers who know there isn't a cop on the beat - as is\r\nevidenced by repeated outbreaks at the same large meat-processing plants\r\noperated by the same industry giants. \"Your persistent failure to act continues to endanger these workers and\r\nthe communities where they live, work, and play. It has been clear since the\r\nonset of this pandemic that OSHA must promulgate an ETS to guarantee\r\nenforceable health and safety protections for workers specific to this\r\npandemic. The agency's failure to take action under your watch is disgraceful,\r\nand workers, their families, and their communities deserve better,\" the\r\nsenators concluded. Senators Warren and Booker have been working to hold the meatpacking\r\nindustry accountable for workers' rights and safety violations throughout the\r\npandemic: \r\n In May 2020, Senator Warren requested\r\n     the Department of Labor Inspector General (IG) open an investigation into\r\n     OSHA's handling of inspections and citations during the COVID-19 pandemic,\r\n     and the DOL's failure to issue an OSHA ETS, which the IG's office agreed\r\n     to consider in June.\r\n In July 2020, Senators Warren\r\n     and Booker\r\n     released information from their investigation into whether Tyson\r\n     Foods, JBS USA, Cargill and Smithfield Foods used the COVID-19 pandemic --\r\n     and warning of meat shortages -- as cover to increase prices for American\r\n     consumers while exporting record amounts of meat abroad, and successfully\r\n     lobby the President with a false pretext to sign an executive order that\r\n     gave them cover to continue operating in an unsafe fashion that endangered\r\n     workers, many of whom are people of color.\r\n Since releasing their July\r\n     2020 findings, Senator Warren\r\n     sharply criticized OSHA on September 10 for failing to hold Smithfield\r\n     Foods and other meatpacking companies accountable for putting thousands of\r\n     lives at risk, sending a message to the industry that OSHA is working for\r\n     big business, not workers.\r\n On September 22, Senators\r\n     Warren and Booker\r\n     pressed OSHA regarding the agency's delayed and feckless response to\r\n     the dozens of reports of COVID-19 outbreaks affecting thousands of workers\r\n     in hundreds of meatpacking facilities across the country.\r\n In October 2020, Senators\r\n     Warren and Booker\r\n     released the Department of Labor's inadequate, half-page response to\r\n     their inquiry about why OSHA failed to take quick and sufficient actions\r\n     to enforce workplace safety laws and protect workers in meatpacking\r\n     plants.\r\n In April 2020, Senator Warren\r\n     introduced the\r\n     Essential Workers Bill of Rights to ensure workers have the full suite\r\n     of rights, protections, and benefits they need and deserve during the\r\n     COVID-19 pandemic, including enforceable health and safety protections\r\n     through an OSHA ETS.\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-announces-funding-bill-will-restore-pell-grant-eligibility-to-victims-of-predatory-for-profit-colleges", "Warren Announces Funding Bill Will Restore Pell Grant Eligibility to Victims of Predatory For-Profit Colleges", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Announces Funding Bill Will Restore Pell Grant Eligibility to Victims of Predatory For-Profit Colleges \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today announced the Pell Grant Restoration Act, legislation that Senator Warren introduced, will be included in broader government funding legislation that the Senate will consider this week. This critical legislation would amend Higher Education Act to restore students' Pell Grant eligibility for any period of time during which they would have qualified for loan forgiveness due to school closure, fraud, or misconduct. This provision allows tens of thousands of low-income student borrowers who were cheated by now-defunct for-profit colleges like Corinthian Colleges and ITT Tech to have a clean slate, so they can start over in their pursuit of higher education that allows them to build a future. \"Students should not be punished for getting scammed by for-profit, predatory colleges, said Senator Warren. I'm glad that Congress has chosen to advance The Pell Grant Restoration Act to ensure that students who have been cheated can hit the reset button on their Pell Grant eligibility so that they can have a chance to go back to school and build a future.\" Senator Warren introduced the Pell Grant Restoration Act three times. She first introduced it in 2015, alongside then-Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and then-Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee Bobby Scott (D-Va.). She reintroduced the bill in 2017, alongside Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.),. The legislation considered this week, Senator Warren reintroduced with Representative Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) as well as Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Penn.), and Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) in both the House and Senate. Senator Warren has been a consistent fighter for defrauded students. She successfully fought for students cheated by for-profit colleges to get their federal student loans cancelled, tax free. In 2014, Senator Warren forced the Department of Education to acknowledge that students defrauded by their colleges had a right to debt cancellation and urged the Department to provide that relief. Through public letters, staff investigations, public awareness campaigns and coordination with state officials  Warren urged more and faster relief for cheated students. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-blumenthal-durbin-krishnamoorthi-and-degette-question-tobacco-companies-exploitative-e-cigarette-advertisements-during-the-covid-19-pandemic", "Warren, Blumenthal, Durbin, Krishnamoorthi and DeGette Question Tobacco Companies Exploitative e-Cigarette Advertisements During the COVID-19 Pandemic", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Blumenthal, Durbin, Krishnamoorthi and DeGette Question Tobacco Companies Exploitative e-Cigarette Advertisements During the COVID-19 Pandemic \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Extensive Use of Social Media Indicates Abusive Promotions Are Aimed at Youth\r\n\"Exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic of a respiratory disease to promote a product that increases risk for the very same disease is unconscionable\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Letter\r\nto BAT (PDF) | Letter\r\nto PMI (PDF) | Letter\r\nto FDA & FTC (PDF) Washington, DC - After a recent\r\nstudy by public health experts at Stanford University revealed that\r\nnumerous tobacco companies - including several subsidiaries of British American\r\nTobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) - have \"chosen to\r\nexploit a global pandemic for marketing purposes,\" United States Senators\r\nElizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and\r\nPensions Committee, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) along\r\nwith Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Chair of the House Committee on\r\nOversight and Reform's Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and\r\nCongresswoman Dianna DeGette (D-Colo.), Chair of the House Energy & Commerce\r\nCommittee's Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, sent letters to BAT,\r\nPMI, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Trade Commission\r\n(FTC) questioning the tobacco companies' exploitation of the COVID-19\r\npandemic to market their e-cigarette products using abusive and misleading\r\ntactics aimed at youths and adolescents, and seeking information on the\r\nenforcement actions taken by the agencies to regulate these\r\nadvertisements. Since the beginning of the pandemic, several subsidiaries of tobacco and\r\ne-cigarette companies BAT and PMI have taken advantage of the ongoing public\r\nhealth emergency to promote the sale of their products. The research conducted\r\nby a group of public health experts at Stanford found that in over 300\r\nCOVID-themed e-cigarette advertisements, several companies offered essential\r\nsupplies such as hand sanitizer, face masks, toilet paper, and other materials\r\nin short supply as free gifts with the purchase of a vaping product to increase\r\nrevenue. Some even falsely claimed that vaping is not associated with an\r\nincreased risk of contracting COVID-19. Moreover, these companies appear to\r\nhave specifically targeted underage users, placing the vast majority of\r\nadvertisements on Instagram and Twitter, a potential violation of federal\r\nlaw. This is particularly concerning given individuals with a history of\r\nchronic respiratory illness such as asthma, as well as individuals that smoke\r\nor use e-cigarettes, are at greater risk for suffering more severe symptoms of\r\nCOVID-19. \"These advertisements are a blatant exploitation of a pandemic that has\r\nkilled nearly two million people across the world and devastated the lives of\r\ncountless more. They are reckless and endanger millions, especially as\r\ncountries around the globe are experiencing yet another surge in cases,\"\r\nthe lawmakers wrote in their letters. \"This attempt to profit off the back of a global health crisis,\r\nreminiscent of decades of false and misleading advertising about cigarettes by\r\ntobacco companies, represents a callous indifference to the lives and\r\nwell-being of millions of people across the world,\" the lawmakers\r\ncontinue. In order to better understand BAT and PMI's abusive promotional activities,\r\nthe lawmakers requested copies of the company's advertisements, a list of\r\nsubsidiaries that distribute their products, internal documents discussing the\r\ncompany's COVID-19 advertisement practices, and any communications with federal\r\npublic health officials regarding the content of these advertisements. Together, the FDA and the FTC are responsible for the oversight and\r\nregulation of unfair, deceptive, and potentially harmful advertisements. In the\r\nletter to FTC and FDA, the lawmakers request a staff-level briefing as well as\r\ninformation regarding the agencies' enforcement authority related to\r\ne-cigarette advertisement and promotional activities, whether the agencies have\r\nreceived complaints regarding of e-cigarette or vaping products during the\r\nCOVID-19 pandemic, and to what extent the agencies have communicated with\r\ne-cigarette manufacturers regarding their promotional activities during the\r\npandemic. Senator Warren has worked with her colleagues in Congress to urge federal\r\nregulators and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) companies, like JUUL Labs, to\r\ncombat the growing public health crisis of vaping-related illnesses and the\r\nepidemic of youth tobacco use and to hold regulators and e-cigarette companies\r\naccountable. Her ongoing oversight work includes: \r\n Urging\r\n     the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move immediately and\r\n     aggressively to review e-cigarette products and take action to protect children\r\n     and the public's health.\r\n Writing to the CEO of JUUL raising\r\n     concerns about the company's partnership with Big Tobacco giant\r\n     Altria, and questioning its marketing tactics to hook children on nicotine\r\n     with kid-appealing flavors.\r\n Writing\r\n     to the FDA regarding reports that e-cigarette use may be correlated to the\r\n     occurrence of seizures, and urging the agency to swiftly conduct a public\r\n     health review of e-cigarettes.\r\n Sending\r\n     a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Norman Sharpless recognizing the\r\n     ten-year anniversary of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control\r\n     Act -- legislation that gave FDA sweeping authority to regulate the\r\n     manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of all tobacco products -- and\r\n     urging the FDA to act quickly and decisively to protect kids from\r\n     dangerous tobacco products.\r\n Calling on companies such as eBay,\r\n     Alibaba,\r\n     and Craigslist\r\n     to crack down on listings for e-cigarettes and vaping products on their\r\n     marketplace that provide youth an avenue to purchase these items without\r\n     any age verification.\r\n Demanding\r\n     answers from the heads of the FDA, U.S. Department of Health and Human\r\n     Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)\r\n     on their actions to address the health impacts of e-cigarette products, as\r\n     illnesses and even deaths are increasingly linked to vaping.\r\n Requesting\r\n     that Senate Appropriators include a $100 million investment in the final,\r\n     bipartisan appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2020 to boost public health\r\n     data infrastructure as the nation's public health system struggles to\r\n     adequately monitor and address the ongoing outbreak of\r\n     vaping-related illnesses.\r\n Urging\r\n     HHS to take long-overdue steps to stop the youth e-cigarette epidemic.\r\n Writing to JUUL\r\n     Labs and Altria\r\n     regarding their companies' role in fueling the youth vaping epidemic and\r\n     probing the recent corporate marriage of JUUL--the most popular\r\n     e-cigarette product among children-- with Altria, a large manufacturer of\r\n     traditional tobacco products, including Marlboro cigarettes and Black\r\n     & Mild cigars.\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-booker-durbin-and-colleagues-request-investigation-of-trump-administrations-unprecedented-spree-of-federal-executions", "Warren, Booker, Durbin, and Colleagues Request Investigation of Trump Administration's Unprecedented Spree of Federal Executions", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Booker, Durbin, and Colleagues Request Investigation of Trump Administration's Unprecedented Spree of Federal Executions \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\"Prior to the Trump\r\nAdministration's revival of federal executions, the federal government had not\r\nexecuted a federal prisoner since 2003 and has only executed three people in\r\nthe previous 50 years.\" \"The reversal of\r\nlong-standing DOJ policies and protocols for federal executions raise numerous\r\nquestions about the fairness and application of these policies and protocols by\r\nthe Trump Administration.\" Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen\r\n(D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.),\r\nand Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio.), sent a letter to Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector\r\nGeneral of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), seeking an investigation of\r\nthe frenzied and unprecedented \"spree of federal executions during\r\n[President Trump's] lame-duck period.\"  In July 2020, the Trump Administration ended\r\na 17-year hiatus on federal executions when it executed Daniel Lewis Lee, and\r\nfollowed that with six more executions between July 16, 2020, and September 24,\r\n2020. Since his defeat at the polls in the November 2020 election, President\r\nTrump and political appointees at the DOJ have ramped\r\nup the pace of executions during the lame duck period of his presidency,\r\nwith executions of Orlando Hall on November 19, 2020, Brandon Bernard on\r\nDecember 10, 2020, and Alfred Bourgeois on December 11, 2020. Three more\r\nexecutions are\r\nscheduled mere days before the end of President Trump's term in January\r\n2021, including Lisa Montgomery, who would be the first woman to be put to\r\ndeath by the federal government in 67 years. \"This spree of executions marks a break with both modern history and\r\ndecades-old practice. Prior to the Trump Administration's revival of federal\r\nexecutions, the federal government had\r\nnot executed a federal prisoner since 2003 and has only executed three\r\npeople in the previous 50 years. And the executions that have and are scheduled\r\nto occur after November 3, 2020 are 'the first executions under a 'lame duck'\r\npresident in over 100 years,' and come\r\ndespite the fact that 'President-elect Joe Biden has said he intends to end\r\nthe use of capital punishment by the federal government while in office,'\"\r\nwrote the Senators. The reversal of long-standing DOJ policies and protocols for federal\r\nexecutions raise numerous questions about the fairness and application of these\r\npolicies and protocols by the Trump Administration, including the clear\r\nevidence that \"racial bias against defendants of color and in favor of\r\nwhite victims has a strong effect on who is capitally prosecuted, sentenced to\r\ndeath, and executed,\" whether concerns about botched executions have been fully\r\naddressed, and whether \"employing death sentences during a pandemic is\r\nunsafe, particularly\r\nwhen it requires inmates, their families, and legal representatives, and\r\nteams of federal execution specialists to travel to the federal prison in Terre\r\nHaute, Indiana, where executions are held.\" To address concerns, the lawmakers request that the investigation reviews\r\nthe following matters: \r\n What was the policy rationale\r\n     for the 2019 reversal of long-standing policies and processes that\r\n     prevented federal executions since 2003? Did DOJ officials conduct\r\n     appropriate analyses and review when determining whether to reverse those\r\n     policies and procedures?\r\n Does the application of the\r\n     federal death penalty under President Trump exhibit a pattern or practice\r\n     of racial bias?\r\n Has the Trump Administration\r\n     taken appropriate steps to ensure that federal executions are not botched\r\n     and are conducted in the most humane fashion possible?\r\n What are the costs of federal\r\n     executions? Why has the Bureau of Prisons used secretive, no-bid contracts\r\n     to obtain lethal injection drugs, and was the use of these contracts\r\n     appropriate?\r\n Has the Trump Administration\r\n     taken appropriate steps to ensure that families and legal representatives\r\n     of those that are put to death, and federal officials involved in\r\n     executions are protected from the spread of COVID-19?\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-introduces-legislation-to-expand-access-to-federally-funded-covid-19-testing", "Warren Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Federally Funded COVID-19 Testing", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Federally Funded COVID-19 Testing \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\"Even as vaccine\r\ndistribution begins, testing will remain a critical tool in reducing rates of\r\nCOVID-19 infections\" The Expanding COVID-19 Testing\r\nCapacity Act of 2020 would require the federal government to manufacture and\r\ndistribute COVID-19 diagnostic tests to expand Americans' access to free\r\nCOVID-19 testing. Bill\r\nText | Bill\r\nOne-Pager Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, introduced the Expanding COVID-19 Testing Capacity Act of 2020,\r\nwhich would require the federal government to manufacture and distribute\r\nCOVID-19 diagnostic tests to community centers, congregate care settings,\r\nschools, and childcare facilities, religious centers, prisons and jails,\r\nbusinesses that employ essential workers, and other qualified locations across\r\nthe country for the purpose of expanding Americans' access to free COVID-19\r\ntesting. \"It's long past time that the federal government throws real muscle\r\nbehind controlling and mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and investing in and\r\nimplementing aggressive testing measures are a critical part of this effort.\r\nEven as vaccine distribution begins, testing will remain a critical tool in\r\nreducing rates of COVID-19 infections. High-quality and frequent COVID-19\r\ntesting should be easily available to all Americans, and this is why I'm glad\r\nto be introducing legislation to ensure that our nation has expanded access to\r\nfederally funded testing,\" said Senator Warren. \"For many months, physicians with a frontline view of the devastation\r\ncaused by the pandemic have been calling for federal support to enable broader\r\ntesting. A strong national testing framework is a critical component of an\r\noptimal COVID-19 mitigation strategy, and we applaud Senator Warren for her\r\nleadership in introducing this thoughtful bill,\" Massachusetts\r\nMedical Society president Dr. David A. Rosman said. \"We are\r\nespecially pleased by provisions that require test results to be delivered in\r\n24 hours, provide free testing to a wide range of workers regardless of their\r\nsymptoms, ensure transparency on spending and distribution of tests, and\r\naccount for evolving needs and changes in testing technology,\" Nearly 20 million Americans have contracted COVID-19, and over 300,000 have\r\ndied. Though vaccine distribution has begun, public health experts have warned\r\nthat the coming months will be \"the darkest days of the pandemic\" in\r\nthe U.S. To get the virus under control, experts have called for aggressive\r\nCOVID-19 testing, and leadership of the National Institutes of Health has\r\ncalled for testing \"as many people as possible.\" But the nation\r\nis not conducting nearly enough tests to stop the spread of the virus. Though\r\nthe nation's testing capacity has drastically improved since the start of the\r\npandemic, the U.S. is only conducting roughly 2 million daily tests. More\r\ntesting capacity is necessary: labs are experiencing processing delays and\r\nstruggling to access materials-like pipette tips-they need to conduct tests.\r\nThe federal government has yet to provide the resources necessary to mitigate\r\ntesting shortages. To ensure that the nation has the testing capacity it needs, the Expanding\r\nCOVID-19 Testing Capacity Act of 2020 would: \r\n Require the federal\r\n     government to publicly manufacture diagnostic tests and testing supplies. The\r\n     Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would stabilize the testing\r\n     supply chain by manufacturing, or contracting for the manufacture of,\r\n     diagnostic tests and associated medical products (like personal protective\r\n     equipment, reagents, and pipette tips) and providing those products free of\r\n     charge to state, local, territorial, and tribal health care providers and\r\n     programs.\r\n  \r\n Test essential\r\n     workers, students and teachers, residents and employees at congregate\r\n     facilities, and others for COVID-19. The bill requires the\r\n     federal government to distribute COVID-19 tests to qualified entities like\r\n     schools, nursing homes, homeless shelters, and factories for the purpose\r\n     of providing free testing to individuals at highest risk of COVID-19.\r\n  \r\n Provide federal\r\n     employees with free COVID-19 tests. The federal government would\r\n     provide employees unable to socially distance or telework in the course of\r\n     their jobs with free COVID-19 tests for the duration of the pandemic.\r\n  \r\n Invest an additional\r\n     $25 billion in state, local, territorial, and tribal testing\r\n     systems to strengthen existing infrastructure, develop new testing sites,\r\n     and reduce testing disparities.\r\n  \r\n Ensure individuals\r\n     hired or employed using funding provided by the bill have access to\r\n     critical labor protections, including a $15 minimum wage and\r\n     overtime pay.\r\n  \r\n Require HHS, acting\r\n     through the Food and Drug Administration, to issue a series of guidance\r\n     and reports designed to expedite the approval of COVID-19\r\n     diagnostic tests and provide resources on testing program best practices.\r\n  \r\n Collect demographic\r\n     data on COVID-19 tests administered through the bill to gather\r\n     the information necessary to reduce disparities in COVID-19 outcomes.\r\n Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Warren has been\r\ncalling for an expansion of COVID-19 diagnostic testing and pushing for health\r\nequity in the federal pandemic response. In March, Senator Warren laid\r\nout steps Congress should take to increase diagnostic testing supplies for\r\nCOVID-19 and the resources needed to administer these tests nationwide. In\r\nApril, Senator Warren and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) introduced\r\nthe bicameral Equitable\r\nData Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act to require the federal\r\ngovernment to collect and report coronavirus demographic data on race and\r\nethnicity. Along with Congresswoman Nannette Diaz Barragn (D-Calif.) and\r\nSenator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Senator Warren introduced the\r\nFederal Correctional Facilities COVID-19 Response Act, which would require\r\nweekly COVID-19 testing, data collection, and robust COVID-19 prevention\r\nstandards in federal prisons. Last week, Senator Warren and Tina Smith D-Minn.)\r\nreleased\r\nfindings from an investigation\r\ninto the nation's testing capacity and pediatric testing availability\r\nrevealing that \"significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity\" remain\r\nacross the country and made recommendations for how the federal government can\r\nimprove national testing infrastructure. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-tillis-question-private-military-housing-providers-on-reports-they-have-denied-access-and-failed-to-provide-appropriate-on-base-housing-to-military-families-with-disabilities", "Warren, Tillis Question Private Military Housing Providers on Reports They Have Denied Access And Failed to Provide Appropriate On-Base Housing to Military Families With Disabilities", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Tillis Question Private Military Housing Providers on Reports They Have Denied Access And Failed to Provide Appropriate On-Base Housing to Military Families With Disabilities \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t These letters follow troubling reports revealing that private military housing providers at multiple installations across all four Services may not be complying with federal laws that protect Americans with disabilities.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text\r\nof Letters (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Thom Tillis\r\n(R-N.C.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Military Personnel\r\nSubcommittee, sent letters to top executives at six major private military\r\nhousing companies requesting information about the on-base housing units they\r\ndeveloped and manage to determine whether military families are being denied\r\naccess to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant housing. In July 2020, the Military Housing Advocacy Network (MHAN), a nonprofit\r\norganization that advocates for military families to make sure that they have\r\naccess to safe and appropriate conditions in on-base, privatized housing, released\r\nfindings from a survey of military families with disabilities revealing\r\nthat private military housing companies that have partnered with the Department\r\nof Defense (DoD) do not appear to be following federal laws that protect\r\npersons with disabilities. \"These findings paint a clear and troubling picture of housing problems\r\nfor thousands of servicemembers and their families and are yet another example\r\nof how private military housing companies are padding their pockets with\r\nprofits at the expense of our women and men in uniform. Our military families\r\nshould have access to safe, accessible, high-quality housing and deserve better\r\nthan this,\" Senator Warren said in a statement shared with her\r\nletters. The DoD's Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) provides 137,000 military\r\nfamilies with special needs with necessary services and support throughout the\r\nUnited States and at DoD installations worldwide, including access to ADA\r\nhousing and/or reasonable accommodations to the home for disabled persons. A\r\nsurvey of these families by MHAN revealed that they faced significant barriers\r\nto acquiring their housing; some never received these homes or\r\naccommodations, and many waited exceptionally long periods of time before their\r\nneeds were approved or met. Some said their requests for accommodations\r\nwere challenged by housing management. In order to better understand why EFMP military families are not receiving\r\nADA-compliant homes or reasonable accommodations, Senators Warren and Tillis\r\nhave requested answers to their questions no later than January 15, 2021. This letter builds on Senator Warren's investigative and legislative\r\noversight of private housing providers in the Military Housing Privatization\r\nInitiative (MHPI). Last year, Senator Warren released\r\nfindings from her three-month-long investigation of MHPI and of the five\r\nprivate companies that have contracts with the DoD revealing how and why\r\nprivate military housing developers have failed to meet basic housing\r\nstandards, which in some cases, resulted in severe health problems for military\r\nfamilies. In response to her findings, Senator Warren introduced the Military\r\nHousing Oversight and Service Member Protection Act, which seeks to provide\r\nsolutions to substandard military housing and empower service members and their\r\nfamilies by: 1) requiring the DoD to establish guidance for how it enters and\r\nrenews housing contracts and standardizes all lease agreements it signs; 2)\r\nguaranteeing medical care for affected service members and their families; 3)\r\nestablishing tenant protections that give service members and families a\r\nstronger voice in dealing with private housing companies; 4) creating a new\r\ncomplaint database accessible to all tenants; and 5) requiring the disclosure\r\nof contracts and financial statements from each housing provider. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/covid-stimulus-only-beginning-massachusetts-lawmakers-pledge", "COVID stimulus only the beginning, Massachusetts lawmakers pledge", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "After both houses of Congress passed a $908 billionCOVID-19stimulus package on Monday night, Massachusetts lawmakers pledged to continue fighting for more aid after President-electJoe Bidentakes office in January.\nThe lawmakers touted Democrats' efforts to secure, at minimum, direct cash payments to Americans and rental and food assistance in the final stimulus deal, which comes nine months after the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The new aid package also includes enhanced unemployment benefits through the spring, billions of dollars for small business loans and funds for health care facilities and schools.\nBut the overwhelming message from the Massachusetts delegation is that more must be done  and soon. The lawmakers lashed out at Republicans for delays and for refusing to provide funding to states and municipalities hit with budget shortfalls and layoffs.\nWith millions literally lining up in bread lines, this relief package isn't even half a loaf, Sen. Ed Markey said late Monday night. This deal is better than the Republican alternative of nothing, but it must only be the beginning, a down payment on what is to come. This cannot be the last time that Congress speaks on this issue.\nThe $908 billion package, expected to be signed by PresidentDonald Trumpthis week, will deliver $600 stimulus checks to tens of millions of Americans earning less than $75,000, as well as $600 for each child dependent. For more on when checks will arrive and who's eligible,read here.\nThe bill also includes an extra $300 in weekly unemployment insurance through mid-March; $284 billion in forgivable small business loans through the Payroll Protection Program; $20 billion in economic injury disaster loans in low-income communities; and $15 billion to live venues, independent movie theaters and other cultural businesses and nonprofits.\nMarkey, who previously called for recurring payments of $2,000 for most Americans, said the bill's $600 stimulus checks and extended $300 boost in unemployment  including to gig workers and independent contractors  will provide some temporary relief.\nBut he advocated canceling student debt over expanding Pell Grants, and called for providing substantial paid sick time over a business tax credit.\nAs utility bills pile up, legislation that does not prevent the cruel shut-off of gas, electric, or water will lead to massive, unabated energy debt, he added. Broadband funding that ignores the successful E-rate  a proven program that is ready to connect vulnerable students now to the internet  will do little to close the homework gap'.\nRep. Ayanna Pressley on Monday night blamed Republican stonewalling and negligence for record levels offood and housing insecurity, unemployment and immigrants' being locked out of federal relief.\nI have consistently heard from parents in my district who have exhausted their entire savings to keep the lights on and cover the costs of groceries, diapers and formula, she said. I have heard from evicted seniors, immigrant families going hungry and essential workers deprived of (personal protective equipment) and access to paid leave and sick days. And I have heard from municipal leaders struggling to maintain critical jobs and services as the pandemic continues to worsen.\nPressley called the vote long overdue, but said Congress' work is far from over.\nI will continue to push for bold, comprehensive legislation that meets the moment and sets us on a path to a just and equitable recovery, she added.\nRep. Jim McGovern took issue with Republicans backing $700 billion in military spending in the final appropriations bill of the year, at a time when the GOP says there's not enough money for cities and states hit hard by the pandemic.\nWhile American families struggle to put food on the table and pay rent, that's just plain wrong, McGovern said.\nRep. Katherine Clark highlighted that the stimulus package included $10 billion for child care providers and $250 million to help Head Start program providers impacted by the pandemic. The bill also includes $69 billion for vaccine production and distribution, and coronavirus testing and tracing, she noted.\nThis bill is way too late and way too little, but it does extend a bridge to a brighter tomorrow when the incoming Biden administration will work with the House to advance policies grounded in science and compassion, she said.\nI voted for the COVID-19 relief package not because it's perfect, but because (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell's lack of compassion and President Trump's focus on stealing an election he lost has forced us to choose between this or no relief at all, Rep. Lori Trahan said. Working families desperately need more help NOW.\nOn Monday afternoon,Rep. Richard Nealsaid Congress must pass additional, substantial relief and stimulus legislation in 2021 to create jobs, support families and ensure state and local governments have enough resources to provide essential services and distribute vaccines.\nThis deal is a good starting point and an important step in the short-term, but more must be done as the pandemic continues to grip the nation and the recession persists, Neal said in a statement.\nDemocrats in the House approved a roughly $3 trillion stimulus package in mid-May, but the bill went nowhere in the Senate. Republicans have repeatedly proposed more targeted measures, with several expressing concerns over the rising deficit.\nIn the deal reached over the weekend, Democrats held off on repeated demands for state and local aid, while Republicans relented on a push for liability protections that would have shielded businesses from COVID-19-related lawsuits.\nMcConnell on Monday evening noted that Senate Republicans have been trying since July to get more targeted, bipartisan relief into the hands of the American people. Until the election, Democrats kept saying no. I'm glad for our country that we are finally moving ahead together.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/second-covid-19-relief-package-coming", "Second COVID-19 relief package is coming", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  Congress has passed a pandemic relief package that is aimed to help American families struggling, as well as resources to vaccinate a nation.\nLeaders are calling this a major accomplishment as more money comes to struggling businesses. Congress voted on Monday evening to approve a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that promises to accelerate vaccine distribution and deliver much-needed aid to small businesses hit hard by the pandemic.\nThe rescue package, which was negotiated on a bipartisan basis, was combined with a massive $1.4 trillion government spending bill to fund federal agencies for the new fiscal year.\nIt will include direct payments of up to $600 per adult, enhanced jobless benefits of $300 per week, roughly $284 billion in paycheck protection program loans, $25 billion in rental assistance, an extension of the eviction moratorium, and $82 billion for schools and colleges.\nCongressman Richard Neal spoke about the importance of the relief package this afternoon. Part of the comprise here was even though this is $900 billion dollars, that the duration will take us through march 31 and give president-elect Biden and his economic team, Janet Yellen, who I spoke with just a couple of days ago and give them a chance to sit in the saddle and see where they want to head, said Neal.\nThe bill also contains $25 billion in rental assistance, $15 billion for theaters and other live venues, $82 billion for local schools, colleges, and universities, and $10 billion for child care.\nPresident Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill sometime Tuesday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/12/21/2020/senators-warren-and-markey-convene-bipartisan-advisory-committee-on-nomination-of-united-states-attorney-for-the-district-of-massachusetts", "Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 21, 2020\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced they will convene a bipartisan advisory committee to review and provide recommendations on U.S. Attorney candidates for the District of Massachusetts. Candidates interested in applying for the U.S. Attorney position must submit their applications to the Advisory Committee by December 28, 2020.  The Advisory Committee on United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Nominations will solicit, interview, and comment on applications for the position of U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, the state's top federal law enforcement officer. The Advisory Committee comprises distinguished members of the Massachusetts legal community, including prominent academics and litigators, and is chaired by former U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Gertner.  \"The Advisory Committee plays an important role ensuring that a highly-qualified, fair-minded, and justice seeking candidate is appointed as U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts,\" said Senators Warren and Markey. \"We look forward to receiving the committee's recommendations.\"  Applications for the position will be reviewed by Nancy Gertner, former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts; Elissa Flynn-Poppey, former Deputy Legal Counsel to Governor Romney and Executive Director of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts; Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Dean of the Boston University School of Law; Walter Prince, Partner at Prince Lobel and former president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association; Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute; Jennifer Levi, Professor of Law at Western New England University School of Law and Director of the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) Transgender Rights Project; and John Pucci, Partner and trial lawyer at Buckley Richardson.  Interested candidates may access an application here, and questions may be directed to Judge Gertner at GertnerCommittee@gmail.com. Applications must be completed and received by December 28, 2020.  ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/brewers-restaurants-federal-workers-set-tax-wins-congressional-deal", "Brewers, Restaurants, Federal Workers Set for Tax Wins in Congressional Deal", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTONThe beer industry, struggling restaurants and federal workers forced into President Trump's payroll-tax deferral all stand to gain from theyear-end congressional agreementreached Sunday.\nThe deal includes tax breaks aimed at supporting the economy during the coronavirus pandemic as well as extensions of popular provisions that were set to expire at the end of the year. Lawmakers still must vote, but the contours of the tax provisions took shape over the weekend along with the broader coronavirus relief package.\nThere are a number of additional tax measures in the packages that will go a long way in supporting folks facing hardships while also helping get our economy back on track, said Rep. Richard Neal (D., Mass.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.\nThe tax provisions total $328 billion over a decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. About half of that is the one-time stimulus checks.\nBeer, wine and spirits makers had been bracing for excise tax increases Jan. 1. Instead, the lower tax rates they have had since 2018 will be extended indefinitely, as will a tax credit for maintaining short-line railroads.\nMr. Trump will get thebusiness-meals breakhe has desired for 2021 and 2022, allowing full write-offs inside of the current 50% limit. Some lawmakers and economists have questioned the merits of what they deride as a three-martini-lunch deduction that encourages indoor dining during a pandemic. But Mr. Trump, swayed by restaurateurs such as Wolfgang Puck, says it is important for the restaurant industry.\nThe deductions will lead to more spending in restaurants, said Sen. Tim Scott (R., S.C.), who championed the provision and had earlier authored a separate bill on it.\nCommon-sense solutions like my bill are no-brainers and will help save millions of restaurants across the nation from going under, he said.\nFederal workers were among the few who were pushed intodeferring their Social Security payroll taxesfor the final four months of 2020. Mr. Trump was trying to offer a payroll-tax cut without congressional support, but all he could do under the law was defer the payments. Most employers chose not to change workers' paychecks at all because of the complexities and potential liability, but Mr. Trump made federal employees participate.\nCurrently, the workers, including military service members, are required to pay back deferred taxes over the first four months of 2021, and that could pose hardships for people who aren't expecting smaller paychecks. The congressional agreement would extend the payback period through December 2021.\nThis provision to extend the payment period will provide at least some relief to those caught in Trump's political shell game, said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.).\nSome low-income workers will get flexibility on their 2020 tax returns that Democrats had sought, according to House SpeakerNancy Pelosi(D., Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.). Recipients of the child tax credit and earned-income tax credit can qualify for the 2020 credits based on their 2019 incomes, if that is better for them. That change can avoid situations where declines in income can shrink a low-income household's tax credits.\nThe lower tax rates that beer, wine and spirits makers have had since 2018 will be extended indefinitely.\nThe agreement helps ensure that families who faced unemployment or reduced wages during the pandemic are able to receive a strong tax credit based on their 2019 income, preserving these vital income supports for vulnerable families, Mrs. Pelosi wrote to House Democrats.\nThe legislation also would extend a variety of tax breaks set to expire at the end of 2020. Those include five-year extensions of tax credits for investing in low-income areas and hiring workers from disadvantaged groups, as well as a five-year extension of a provision helping multinational corporations move money between subsidiaries. All those provisions would now lapse after 2025, setting up a giant tax bill then because the bulk of the 2017 tax cuts for individuals also are scheduled to expire.\nCertainly, it's not all that I would like to see, but it's a solid step forward, said Rep. Kevin Brady (R., Texas), a longtime critic of Congress's habit of temporary tax-cut extensions.\nAn assortment of renewable-energy tax breaks would be extended for various lengths of time. That includes incentives for producing wind and solar energy and capturing carbon.\nHouseholds with significant medical expensesincluding nursing-home residentswould get to keep a more generous version of the deduction that lets them deduct expenses in excess of 7.5% of adjusted gross income instead of 10%. Companies that operate flexible spending account programs for workers to use pretax money on health care and dependent care would get more flexibility to let employees carry balances from one year to the next.\nA tax break created this year for charitable contributions would get extended. In 2021, individuals who don't itemize their deductions could still deduct $300 in donations and married couples could deduct $600.\nThe employee retention tax credit, effectively a government wage subsidy for struggling businesses, would get extended and made more generous for the employers using it.\nBusinesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans would be ableto deduct expenses associated with those loans. That moveurged by businesses after an extensive lobbying effort in recent weekswould overturn a Treasury Department decision that denied the deductions.\nTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and many tax experts contend that allowing the deductions and tax-free loan forgiveness amounts to double dipping, but bipartisan lawmakers say they intended that benefit. Negotiators had talked about placing limits on the deductions, but that piece of the plan was being dropped, a GOP aide said early Monday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/new-covid-stimulus-deal-not-perfect-will-deliver-desperately-needed-support-rep-richard", "New COVID stimulus deal: Not perfect but will deliver desperately needed support, Rep. Richard Neal says", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts on Monday said the recently-struckCOVID-19stimulus deal is not perfect, but will offer desperately needed support to Americans grappling with the economic fallout of the pandemic.\nThis deal is a good starting point and an important step in the short-term, but more must be done as the pandemic continues to grip the nation and the recession persists, Neal said in a statement. Congress will need to pass additional, substantial relief and stimulus legislation in 2021. Big investments must be made to create jobs, support families, and ensure states and localities have the resources necessary to continue providing essential services and distribute COVID vaccines quickly and fairly.\nThe $908 billion package set for approval Monday includes $600 stimulus checks to tens of millions of Americans earning less than $75,000, as well as $600 for each child dependent.\nNotably, eligibility for this new round of checks includes many mixed-status families who missed out on the first round of payments but will now have access to the federal aid, Neal noted.\nThe bill also includes an extra $300 in weekly unemployment aid through mid-March; $284 billion in forgivable small business loans through the Payroll Protection Program; $20 billion in economic injury disaster loans in low-income communities; and $15 billion to live venues, independent movie theaters and other cultural businesses and nonprofits.\nNeal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, touted Democrats' successful efforts to expand the Employee Retention Tax Credit, offering a 70% credit on up to $10,000 of wages per employee per quarter to help businesses to keep people on payroll. Lawmakers also made the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit more flexible by letting hard hit families use their 2019 income to determine the credits, putting more money in the pockets of working families, Neal said.\nWith the package coming after months of negotiations among Democratic and Republican leaders and the Trump administration, Neal gave a preview of potential battle lines once President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris take office in January.\nAny Republican push for austerity in the 117th Congress would be a dangerous attack on the future of our economy and the wellbeing of Americans in communities across the country, Neal said.\nThe final package did not include state and local aid long pushed by Democrats, but Republicans also relented on their insistence that any new funding include liability protections for businesses whose workers or consumers might be impacted by the pandemic.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/us-rep-richard-neal-us-sens-ed-markey-and-elizabeth-warren-get-covid-vaccinations", "U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren get COVID vaccinations", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  In separate tweets over the weekend, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey all announced they have received the first of two COVID vaccinations.\nEach tweet was accompanied by a shot of the lawmaker getting vaccinated. All had similarly worded statements of support for the vaccine.\nNeal, like his Democratic colleagues from the Massachusetts delegation, used the opportunity to encourage others to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity.\nToday, under the guidance of the Office of the Attending Physician, I received the first of 2 COVID19 vaccinations, Neal wrote Sunday. It is safe, will save lives & I encourage everyone who can receive it to do so. Please continue to wear masks, practice social distancing & stay home when possible.\nAll three members are over the age of 70: Neal is 71, Markey is 74 and Warren is 71.\nPresident-Elect Joe Biden was expected to get vaccinatedMonday on live television. Sitting Vice President Mike Pence was vaccinated last week.\nThe vaccination program that began only in the last week has given initial shots to about 556,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\nThe Associated Press reported that people 75 and older and essential workers like firefighters, teachers and grocery store workers should be next in line for COVID-19 shots.\nThe COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany's BioNTech already is being distributed, and regulators last week gave approval to the one from Moderna Inc. that began shipping Sunday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-floor-statement-he-covid-19-relief-and-omnibus-spending-agreement", "Chairman Neal Floor Statement on he COVID-19 Relief and...", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(As Prepared for Delivery)\nAfter long, intense negotiations, we are finally here today with relief in sight for the American people.\nThis agreement isn't perfect, but it will offer struggling workers, families, and business with some immediate support.\nAmericans are suffering, wondering how they'll afford to put food on the table and stay in their homes.\nDemocrats understand that folks are in extraordinary crisis, so we fought to make sure this package includes urgently-needed relief provisions. \nAs with previous COVID legislation, the Ways and Means Committee contributed several of the most crucial measures in today's bill.\nWe included 11 weeks of $300 per-week emergency unemployment benefits, as well as an extension of pandemic-related unemployment assistance that's otherwise set to cut off in the coming days.\nImportantly, there are new protections for individuals who received pandemic-related benefit overpayments through no fault of their own and are now unable to repay the funds.\nFolks in need will also receive a second round of direct payments. These $600 checks are not as robust as we would have liked, but they will help Americans bridge the gap until we can provide further relief.\nI'm pleased that we expanded eligibility for this round of checks to include people in some mixed-status families. In situations where one spouse does not have a Social Security number, the other eligible spouse and children will not be denied their direct payments, as they were under the CARES Act.\nWhat's more, the eligible spouse and children in these families will also be able to claim the first round of payments they initially missed out on when they file their 2020 taxes. \nWe put more money in the pockets of working families by providing greater flexibility for those who are eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit.\nAn expanded Employee Retention Tax Credit and the deductibility of expenses paid for using PPP loans will both incentivize the hiring and retention of workers.\nWays and Means Democrats also made sure that the legislation includes key provisions that will help us combat the public health emergency and save lives. There are important protections for American seniors, and critical support for health care providers.\nAs I've said all along, until we effectively address the virus and people are safe, our economy cannot fully recover.\nAnd I am extremely pleased that the package contains our bipartisan, bicameral agreement to protect patients from surprise medical bills  this is particularly crucial as the pandemic continues to spread and thrust Americans into unexpected health and financial peril.\nOne other bipartisan Ways and Means addition is emergency help for vulnerable foster youth, many of whom are struggling or at risk of homelessness during the pandemic. Committee Democrats and Republicans worked hand in hand to secure that support.\nI'm relieved that after so many months of refusing to negotiate with us, Senate Republicans finally came to the table and we've reached this deal. They wouldn't even hold votes on the two versions of the Heroes Act that the House passed earlier this year. They are responsible for the terrible delay in additional relief being provided to those in need.\nWhile today's agreement is an important step in the short-term, more must be done as the pandemic continues to grip the nation and the COVID recession persists.\nCongress will need to pass additional, substantial relief and stimulus legislation in 2021. Big investments must be made to create jobs, support families, and ensure states and localities have the resources necessary to continue providing essential services and distribute vaccines quickly and fairly.\nAny Republican calls for austerity in the 117th Congress would be a dangerous attack on the future of our economy and the wellbeing of Americans in communities across the country.\nI urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this vital relief with the clear understanding that this is a starting point, not the end of our work. I yield back the remainder of my time, thank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-covid-19-relief-and-omnibus-spending-agreement", "Chairman Neal Statement on the COVID-19 Relief and Omnibus...", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the introduction of bipartisan, bicameral end-of-year legislation:\nThis agreement isn't perfect, but it will offer struggling workers, families, and businesses desperately needed support. Americans are suffering, wondering how they'll afford basics like food, medications, and rent payments. Democrats ensured that the reinstatement and extension of critical unemployment assistance and a second round of direct payments made it in this package so that people will be able to cover their most immediate needs. Notably, eligibility for this new round of checks includes many mixed-status families who missed out on the first round of payments but will now have access to the federal aid.\nThere are a number of additional tax measures in the packages that will go a long way in supporting folks facing hardships while also helping get our economy back on track. We put more money in the pockets of working families by providing greater flexibility for those who are eligible to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit. Though we faced resistance, Democrats fought for and successfully secured inclusion of the expanded Employee Retention Tax Credit and the deductibility of expenses paid for using PPP loans, two provisions that incentivize the hiring and retention of workers.\nWe also made sure that the legislation includes key measures that will help us combat the public health emergency and save lives. Until we effectively address the virus and people are safe, our economy cannot fully recover. I'm extremely pleased that the package contains our bipartisan, bicameral agreement to protect patients from surprise medical bills  this is particularly crucial as the pandemic continues to spread and thrust Americans into unexpected health and financial peril.\nThis deal is a good starting point and an important step in the short-term, but more must be done as the pandemic continues to grip the nation and the recession persists. Congress will need to pass additional, substantial relief and stimulus legislation in 2021. Big investments must be made to create jobs, support families, and ensure states and localities have the resources necessary to continue providing essential services and distribute COVID vaccines quickly and fairly. Any Republican push for austerity in the 117th Congress would be a dangerous attack on the future of our economy and the wellbeing of Americans in communities across the country.\nWays and Means Committee contributions to the package include:\nAdditional unemployment assistance:\n Provides 11 weeks of $300 per-week emergency unemployment benefits.\n\tExtends expiring pandemic-related unemployment assistance, ensuring that beneficiaries of the programs who are unable to return safely to work will not exhaust the benefits before March 14, 2021.\n\tProtects individuals who received pandemic-related unemployment benefit overpayments through no fault of their own and are now unable to repay the funds.\n A second round of economic impact payments, with improvements:\n Delivers a new round of direct cash assistance to provide relief to Americans who are struggling, with family members each receiving $600.\n\tExpands eligibility to mixed-status families where one spouse has a Social Security Number (SSN). These families are eligible for the economic impact payment amount for each family member with an SSN, and can claim the corresponding amount for the first round of economic impact payments when they file their 2020 taxes.\n Relief for families and workers:\n Allows families who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) and who experienced an income loss to use their 2019 income to determine these credits, putting more money in the pockets of working families.\n\tReduces the income threshold for medical expense deductions from 10 percent to 7.5 percent, ensuring that more medical expenses are properly deductible.\n\tProvides relief for employees with unused amounts in their health and dependent care flexible spending accounts by allowing for more expansive carryover and grace period policies.\n\tExtends for three months credits reimbursing employers for paid sick and family leave paid to employees due to COVID-19.\n\tHelps more students take advantage of the Lifetime Learning Credit by increasing the income threshold at which the credit phases out.\n\tProvides more time for employees and employers to pay back deferred employee payroll tax amounts from the President's August memorandum.\n Incentives for hiring and retaining workers:\n Extends, expands, and significantly improves the Employee Retention Tax Credit, offering a 70 percent credit on up to $10,000 of wages per employee per quarter to help keep employees on payroll and connected with their jobs.\n\tImproves the coordination between the Employee Retention Tax Credit and the Paycheck Protection Program by allowing access to both programs while preventing a double dip.\n\tClarifies that expenses paid with the proceeds of a forgiven PPP loan are deductible.\n\tExtends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years, helping employers continue to hire disadvantaged individuals.\n New patient protections and meaningful improvements to Medicare and the broader health care system:\n Protects patients from surprise medical bills and the establishment of a fair framework to resolve payment disputes between health care providers and health insurance companies.\n\tExpands health care workforce training opportunities and creates 1,000 new Medicare medical residency positions directed for hospitals with the greatest need, and makes improvements in the rural training track and graduate medical education rotator programs to expand rural medical training opportunities.\n\tProvides critical support for providers during the continued COVID crisis, including a three-month delay of the Medicare sequester and a one-time payment to help physicians adjust to Medicare fee schedule changes.\n\tMakes important, overdue investments to simplify the Medicare enrollment process, lower beneficiary costs, and improve beneficiaries' access to affordable, comprehensive health care, including mental health telehealth treatment.\n\tChanges to Medicare specifically designed to support rural communities and ensure patients in those areas have access to health care services they need.\n\tIncreases and extends for three years funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, which provide free insurance counseling and assistance for Medicare for beneficiaries.\n Crucial investments in green energy and energy efficiency:\n Provides a lifeline to green energy investments by extending the investment tax credit for two years and the production tax credit for one year.\n\tExpands tax incentives for offshore wind, waste heat to power property, and efficient biomass stoves.\n\tIncentivizes energy efficient commercial buildings by making permanent the deduction for certain energy efficient property.\n\tExtends several other initiatives, including credits for energy efficient and renewable energy property for homeowners, new energy efficient homes, EV charging and fuel cell refueling stations, and certain zero-emissions vehicles.\n Support for older Americans:\n Makes a down payment on funding the Elder Justice Act, legislation that includes key protections for American seniors, a population that has faced particular devastation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a dedicated investment in state Adult Protective Services agencies.\n\tImproves quality and safety in skilled nursing facilities and hospices to better protect Medicare beneficiaries and other vulnerable populations.\n Help for vulnerable young people:\n Includes the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act to help families stay together, keep young people safe, and provide additional support for vulnerable youth affected by the COVID-19 crisis.\n Support for affordable housing and community development:\n Jumpstarts and guarantees a pipeline of affordable housing projects by establishing a four percent minimum credit rate for the low-income housing tax credit.\n\tDrives investment to economically disadvantaged areas by providing a five-year extension of the New Markets Tax Credit at $5 billion per year.\n Disaster relief:\n Provides a broad suite of disaster relief supports to individuals and employers affected by natural disasters.\n\tHelps counties rebuild by providing additional allocations of the low-income housing tax credit to states hit by natural disasters.\n Tax certainty at a time when certainty is crucial:\n Makes the Craft Beverage Modernization Act permanent, supporting hard-hit beer, wine, and distilled spirits producers across the country.\n\tResponsibly extends various tax provisions before they expire.\n USMCA fixes:\n Makes technical corrections to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to ensure the trade deal reflects the intentions of Congress and the three signatory nations.\n \nA Ways and Means FAQ on the new round of economic impact payments is available HERE.\nText of the legislation can be found HERE.\nSection-by-section summaries of the package are available here:\nAppropriations  Coronavirus relief  Authorizing matters\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-green-energy-investments-and-jobs", "Chairman Neal Statement on Green Energy Investments and Jobs", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Today, following House passage of a legislative package that included extensions of energy-related tax credits, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement underscoring the importance of pro-worker policies accompanying future investments in the green energy sector:\nDuring a time of great uncertainty for the nation, we have advanced a bipartisan bill to provide timely relief and certainty to workers and businesses, including to those in the green energy space. This fast-growing sector is not only critical to our fight against climate change, but also a core part of our economic recovery from the COVID recession.\nFor a successful recovery, we must ensure that green jobs are good jobs. To do anything less would be to squander this opportunity to build back the American middle class and restore the power and dignity of workers.\nWorkers in the green energy sector deserve good pay, benefits, safe workplaces, and all rights and protections afforded under our nation's labor laws. Unions are crucial to ensuring collective bargaining rights and to standing up for workers whose employers are violating the law. I am disappointed by the low unionization rate within the renewable energy sector and dismayed at reports of attempts to restrict unionization and retaliate against workers for attempting to unionize. Workers must be at the center of a transition to a green economy.\nIn undertaking this transformation, it is also critical that we continue working to ensure that the benefits of our ongoing investments in green energy lift up American manufacturing with products made in the United States. American-made steel, solar panels, and other sustainable goods can and should be a top choice for consumers here at home and around the world. As part of that effort, the United States must take the lead by engaging our trading partners to effectively address trade and climate change.\nWays and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman Mike Thompson has been a consistent leader on green energy issues, and I look forward to his continued efforts in the 117th Congress. I also commend Rep. Brendan Boyle for his leadership on the Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act, a provision I was proud to include as part of the Moving Forward infrastructure bill which passed the House earlier this year. This proposal provides additional support for green energy and energy efficiency projects that pay prevailing wages and engage in high-road labor practices.\nIn the years to come, future extensions of federal support for green energy and energy efficiency incentives must be accompanied by a commitment to strong labor standards and worker protections. I look forward to continued engagement with the labor, environmental, and business communities, as well as the Biden Administration, to forge a path toward creating the good, green jobs our nation needs.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-and-jayapal-reintroduce-the-anti-corruption-and-public-integrity-act", "Warren and Jayapal Reintroduce the Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren and Jayapal Reintroduce the Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Strengthened provisions include banning members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and other senior officials from owning or trading individual stock to eliminate financial conflicts of interest; The Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act of 2020 would improve ethics and reform the country's campaign finance laws; Legislation would make fighting corruption a top priority in Washington as the country faces \"historic lows\" in the public's faith in democracy\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Bill\r\nText (PDF) | Bill\r\nSummary (PDF) | New\r\nProvisions (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) today reintroduced the Anti-Corruption\r\n& Public Integrity Act, bicameral legislation to fundamentally change\r\nthe way Washington does business and restore the American public's faith in\r\ndemocracy, which has been at \"historic lows\" forover\r\na decade. Today, only20%\r\nof Americans trust the government \"to do the right thing.\" Originallyintroduced\r\nin 2018 as the most ambitious anti-corruption legislation since Watergate,\r\nthe Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act of 2020 includes\r\nadditional reforms to the country's campaign finance laws. The bill also\r\nincludes new provisions to ban members of Congress from serving on corporate\r\nboards, to establish new ethics accountability for Supreme Court justices, and\r\nto overhaul the nation's campaign finance laws. The legislation also\r\nstrengthens provisions to ban members of Congress, federal judges, and other senior\r\nfederal officials from owning or trading individual stock. \"After nearly four years of the most corrupt president in American\r\nhistory and with U.S. senators brazenly trading stocks to profit off a raging\r\npandemic, the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act is more urgent\r\nthan ever in order to rein in corruption, strengthen ethics, end lobbying as we\r\nknow it, improve the integrity of our judiciary, reform campaign finance laws\r\nand finally ensure that we put people over profits and communities over corporations,\"\r\nsaid Senator Warren and Congresswoman Jayapal. \"The\r\nAnti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act is about making government work\r\nfor everyone -- not just the rich and powerful -- and restoring Americans'\r\nfaith in government.\" Senator Warren and Congresswoman Jayapal's legislation contains seven big\r\nideas: \r\n Lock the Revolving Door\r\n     and Increase Public Integrity by eliminating both the appearance and the potential\r\n     for financial conflicts of interest; banning members of Congress, cabinet\r\n     secretaries, federal judges, and other senior government officials from\r\n     owning and trading individual stock or serving on corporate boards;\r\n     locking the government-to-lobbying revolving door; and eliminating\r\n     \"golden parachutes.\"\r\n End Lobbying as We Know\r\n     It\r\n     by exposing influence-peddling in Washington; banning foreign lobbying;\r\n     banning lobbyists from donating to candidates and members of Congress;\r\n     strengthening congressional independence from lobbyists; and instituting a\r\n     lifetime ban on lobbying by former members of Congress, Presidents, and\r\n     agency heads.\r\n End Corporate Capture of\r\n     Public Interest Rules by requiring disclosure of funding or editorial\r\n     conflicts of interest in rulemaking comments and studies; closing\r\n     loopholes corporations exploit to tilt the rules in their favor and\r\n     against the public interest; protecting agencies from corporate capture;\r\n     establishing a new Office of the Public Advocate to advocate for the\r\n     public interest in the rulemaking process; and giving agencies the tools\r\n     to implement strong rules that protect the public.\r\n Improve Judicial\r\n     Integrity and Defend Access to Justice for All Americans by strengthening ethics\r\n     requirements for judges and requiring the Supreme Court follow the ethics\r\n     rules for all other federal judges; enhancing accountability for judges\r\n     who engage in misconduct; boosting the transparency of federal courts\r\n     through live streaming audio of federal appellate court proceedings and\r\n     providing the public access to case information free of charge; reducing\r\n     barriers that prevent Americans from having their day in court; and\r\n     encouraging diversity on the federal bench.\r\n Strengthen Enforcement\r\n     of Ethics Rules by\r\n     creating a new, independent anti-corruption agency dedicated to enforcing\r\n     federal ethics laws and by expanding an independent and empowered Congressional\r\n     ethics office insulated from Congressional politics.\r\n Boost Transparency in\r\n     Government and Fix Federal Open Records Laws by requiring elected\r\n     officials and candidates for federal office to disclose more financial and\r\n     tax information; increasing disclosure of corporate money behind\r\n     Washington lobbying; closing loopholes in federal open records laws;\r\n     making federal contractors -- including private prisons and immigration\r\n     detention centers -- comply with federal open records laws; and making Congress\r\n     more transparent.\r\n Reform the Country's\r\n     Campaign Finance Laws to Get Big Money out of Politics by ending the corrupt\r\n     system of money for influence; disrupting the system of dark money for\r\n     influence that allows the wealthy, well-connected, and foreign actors to\r\n     tilt the political process in their favor; empowering ordinary people\r\n     through a small-dollar public financing system that gives candidates an\r\n     incentive to spend more time courting working people, rather than just big\r\n     donors; and reforming the Federal Election Commission, so that it can\r\n     actually enforce election laws. \r\n The Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act of 2020 has been\r\nendorsed by 20/20 Vision, AFL-CIO, AFGE AFSCM, American Family Voices, American\r\nFederation of Teachers, American Oversight, Asbestos Disease Awareness\r\nOrganization, Campaign for Accountability, Campaign Legal Center, Care for\r\nCrash Victims, Center for Common Ground, Center for Emergent Diplomacy, Center\r\nfor Progressive Reform, Citizens' Environmental Coalition, Citizens for Responsibility\r\nand Ethics in Washington, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America,\r\nConnecticut Citizens Action Group, Consumer Action, Daily Kos, Demand Progress\r\nAction, Democracy 21, Dr. James A. Thurber, Empire State Consumer Project,\r\nInc., End Citizens United, Endangered Species Coalition, Families USA,\r\nFranciscan Action Network, Global Witness, Government Accountability Project,\r\nGovernment Information Watch, Greenpeace, League of Women Voters of the United\r\nStates, MoveOn, National Center for Health Research, Newground Social\r\nInvestment, Open the Government, Orion Partners, People Demanding Action,\r\nPeople for the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Project on\r\nGovernment Oversight, Public Citizen, Revolving Door Project, SAFER -- A Committee\r\nof Economists and other Experts for Stable, Accountable, Fair and Efficient\r\nFinancial Reform, Service Employees International Union, Sunlight Foundation,\r\nand Transparency International U.S. Office. \"The imperative to repair our democracy is not merely a reaction to the\r\nlast four years. It is the product of a decades-long corrosion of the\r\nguardrails of our democracy, and also of the systematic exclusion of many\r\nvoices that has plagued our democracy since its founding. We must be\r\nguided by the core principle that government exists to serve all of the people,\r\nnot just the wealthy and powerful. The Anti Corruption Act of 2020 is\r\nambitious, but ambition is necessary if we are to move towards a more perfect\r\nunion.\" -- Jennifer Ahearn, Policy Director, Citizens for\r\nResponsibility and Ethics in Washington \"The Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act is vitally important\r\nlegislation that will prevent corporate capture of our government and ensure\r\nour officials are working in the public interest. We applaud Sen. Warren for\r\nher unyielding commitment to ending corruption and creating a system that works\r\nfor all of us,\" said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens\r\nUnited // Let America Vote Action Fund. \"The Project On Government Oversight is proud to endorse the\r\nAnti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act. Accurately named, this legislation\r\nwould dramatically improve some of the greatest systemic weaknesses in our laws\r\nand enforcement structures that allow corruption - both illegal and legal - to\r\npervert the powers of government against the people. We applaud Senator\r\nWarren's and Representative Jayapal's commitment to addressing these critical\r\nissues.\" -- Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy at Project on\r\nGovernment Oversight \"Public Citizen applauds Senator Warren for reintroducing the\r\nAnti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act. This necessary legislation takes on\r\nthe influence-peddling industry and works to clean up corruption. At a time\r\nwhen American trust in government is at an all-time low this bill provides a\r\nclear vision for reining in out-of-control lobbying and fixing government so it\r\nworks for the people.\" -- Lisa Gilbert, Executive Vice President,\r\nPublic Citizen Fix the Court executive director Gabe Roth said, in a statement of\r\nsupport: \"When thinking about ways to rectify the ethical\r\nfailures we've seen in Washington the last few years, too often the judiciary\r\nis left out of the equation, even with federal judges attending untold junkets,\r\nruling on cases despite conflicts of interest and in some instances retiring to\r\navoid punishment for misconduct. Sen. Warren's proposal would fix each of these\r\naforementioned gaps in judicial accountability and more, and I thank her for\r\nher strong advocacy to improve integrity in all three branches - not just the\r\nfirst two.\" Senator Warren firstunveiled\r\nthe Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act in remarks at a meeting\r\nof the National Press Club. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-statement-on-republican-attempt-to-restrict-the-ability-of-the-federal-reserve-to-help-the-economy", "Warren Statement on Republican Attempt to Restrict the Ability of the Federal Reserve to Help the Economy", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Statement on Republican Attempt to Restrict the Ability of the Federal Reserve to Help the Economy \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) today released the following statement on the Republican attempt to\r\nrestrict the ability of the Federal Reserve to help the economy. \"After weeks of refusing to acknowledge Biden's victory, some\r\nRepublicans have now decided that sabotaging his presidency is more important\r\nthan helping our economy recover by insisting that any COVID relief legislation\r\nalso restrict the ability of the Federal Reserve and the new Administration to\r\nhelp states, cities, and American businesses next year,\" said\r\nSenator Warren. \"Proposals to sabotage President Biden and our\r\nnation's economy are reckless, they're wrong, and they have no place in this\r\nlegislation.\" ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-warren-criticizes-fdic-rule-on-brokered-deposits", "Senator Warren Criticizes FDIC Rule on Brokered Deposits", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2020\n\t\t\t Senator Warren Criticizes FDIC Rule on Brokered Deposits \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Final rule guts critical protections meant to safeguard the financial system; Warren calls on FDIC Board to focus on maintaining financial stability and keeping consumers' bank accounts safe amidst this ongoing pandemic\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban\r\nAffairs, today released the following statement criticizing the Federal Deposit\r\nInsurance Corporation (FDIC) for issuing a final rule on brokered deposits that\r\nposes serious risk to the financial system: \"Following a multi-year effort to weaken key safety and soundness rules\r\nput in place after the 2008 financial crisis, Trump-appointed regulators have\r\nnow gutted decades-old restrictions on certain banks' ability to accept\r\nbrokered deposits, opening up the floodgates for banks to rely on this risky\r\nsource of funding even though FDIC research\r\nshows that they are correlated with higher risks of bank failures. Instead of\r\nundermining these critical protections at the behest of the banking industry,\r\nthe FDIC Board should focus on maintaining financial stability and keeping\r\nconsumers' bank accounts safe amidst this ongoing pandemic.\" Deposits are considered \"brokered\" when they are placed through a\r\nthird-party rather than directly by individuals and businesses. Restrictions on\r\nthe types of banks that can accept these deposits were put in place after the\r\n1980s Savings and Loan Crisis during which banks' reliance on these unstable\r\ndeposits contributed to distress in the financial system. The FDIC's final rule\r\nwill significantly limit the scope of these restrictions. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-warren-and-markey-convene-bipartisan-advisory-committee-on-nomination-of-united-states-attorney-for-the-district-of-massachusetts", "Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2020\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC -United States SenatorsElizabeth\r\nWarren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced they will\r\nconvene a bipartisan advisory committee to review and provide recommendations\r\non U.S. Attorney candidates for the District of Massachusetts. Candidates\r\ninterested in applying for the U.S. Attorneypositionmust submit\r\ntheir applications to the Advisory Committee by December 24, 2020. The Advisory Committee on United States Attorney for the District of\r\nMassachusetts Nominations will solicit, interview, and comment on applications\r\nfor the position of U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, the\r\nstate's top federal law enforcementofficer. The Advisory Committee\r\ncomprises distinguished members of the Massachusetts legal community, including\r\nprominent academics and litigators, and is chaired by\r\nformerU.S.District Court Judge Nancy Gertner. \"The Advisory Committee plays an important role ensuring that a\r\nhighly-qualified, fair-minded, and justice seeking candidate is\r\nappointedasU.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts,\"said\r\nSenators Warren and Markey.\"Welook forward to\r\nreceiving the committee's recommendations.\" Applications for the position will be reviewed byNancy Gertner, former\r\nUnited States District Judge of the United States District Court for the\r\nDistrict of Massachusetts; Elissa Flynn-Poppey, former Deputy Legal Counsel to\r\nGovernor Romney and Executive Director of the Judicial Nominating Commission\r\nfor the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts; Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Dean\r\noftheBoston University School of Law; Walter Prince, Partner at\r\nPrince Lobel and former president oftheMassachusetts Black Lawyers\r\nAssociation; Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director\r\noftheMassachusetts Law Reform Institute; Jennifer Levi, Professor\r\nof Law at Western New England University School of Law and Director of the Gay\r\nand Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) Transgender Rights Project; and John\r\nPucci, Partner and trial lawyer at Buckley Richardson. Interested candidates may access an application here,\r\nand questions may be directed to Judge Gertner atGertnerCommittee@gmail.com.\r\nApplications must be completed and received by December 24, 2020. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-markey-keating-joint-statement-on-attorney-general-maura-healeys-investigation-into-the-may-1-2020-incident-at-bristol-county-jail", "Warren, Markey, Keating Joint Statement on Attorney General Maura Healey's Investigation Into the May 1, 2020 Incident at Bristol County Jail", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 15, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Markey, Keating Joint Statement on Attorney General Maura Healey's Investigation Into the May 1, 2020 Incident at Bristol County Jail \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representative William Keating\r\n(D-MA-09) released a joint statement on Attorney General Maura Healey's investigation\r\ninto the violent events of May 1, 2020 at the C. Carlos Carreiro Immigration\r\nDetention Center, Unit B, Bristol County Sheriff's office. \"The thorough investigation by the Office of Attorney General Healey\r\ncompiled significant evidence that the Bristol County Sheriff's Office violated\r\nthe civil rights of immigrants detained at the facility. We agree with the\r\nreport's recommendation that the Bristol County Sheriff's Office should not be\r\nengaged in immigrant detention,\" said the lawmakers in a joint\r\nstatement. \"Every person - regardless of their immigration status\r\nand regardless of where they are living - deserves to feel safe, to have access\r\nto due process under the law, to be treated with dignity, and to have their\r\nrights protected. We led our colleagues in calling on the Department of\r\nHomeland Security Inspector General and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil\r\nLiberties to conduct a federal investigation of these events. We look forward\r\nto the findings of that additional investigation, which we expect to help\r\ndetermine accountability for this disturbing incident and to offer further\r\nrecommendations about how such events can be avoided in the future.\" In May, shortly after the violent altercation, Senators Warren and Markey,\r\nalong with Representatives Keating and Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), wrote\r\nto Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson to express alarm about the\r\nincident, to request that Sheriff Hodgson preserve video of the events to\r\nfacilitate an investigation, and to allow persons detained at the facility to\r\nspeak with their attorneys immediately. The four lawmakers also led the entire\r\nMassachusetts Congressional Delegation, as well as several members of the\r\nCongressional Hispanic Caucus-Chairman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and\r\nRepresentatives Jess G. \"Chuy\" Garca (D-Ill.), Juan Vargas\r\n(D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Nydia M. Velzquez\r\n(D-N.Y.)-in requesting\r\nthe Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and Office for Civil\r\nRights and Civil Liberties investigate the violent incident. On April 2, 2020, the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation wrote privately\r\nto the sheriffs overseeing each of the Massachusetts facilities, including\r\nBristol County, that detain people on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs\r\nEnforcement. The letter urged officials to implement alternatives to detention\r\nas much as possible, requested information about COVID-19 testing and their\r\nsteps to comply with federal guidelines on management of COVID-19, and\r\nencouraged them to work to limit facility-to-facility transfers in order to\r\nprotect the health and safety of detained people, facility personnel, and the\r\ngeneral public during the pandemic. ### \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-to-outgoing-sec-chair-delay-rushed-lame-duck-resource-extraction-rule-until-corruption-and-transparency-concerns-can-be-addressed", "Warren to Outgoing SEC Chair: Delay Rushed, Lame Duck Resource Extraction Rule Until Corruption and Transparency Concerns Can Be Addressed", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 15, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren to Outgoing SEC Chair: Delay Rushed, Lame Duck Resource Extraction Rule Until Corruption and Transparency Concerns Can Be Addressed \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tText\r\nof letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) today sent a letter to outgoing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)\r\nChair Jay Clayton urging the SEC to delay the rushed, lame duck vote on its\r\nfinal Resource Extraction Rule, expected Wednesday, December 16th, until the\r\nrule can be strengthened. \"The current SEC proposal would severely undermine the anti-corruption\r\nmeasures included in Dodd-Frank, and the Commission should conduct a full and\r\ncomplete analysis of the potential harm caused by implementing this rule before\r\nrushing to finalize it before you resign from the Commission at the end of the\r\nyear,\" Senator Warren wrote to Chair Clayton. Congress enacted Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and\r\nConsumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), also known as the bipartisan Cardin-Lugar\r\namendment, to address the \"resource curse\" of leaders of countries\r\nrich in fossil fuels siphoning off the wealth from resource sales to enrich\r\nthemselves and their allies, rather than investing in the countries' economies.\r\nStrong\r\nrules under Section 1504 were meant to require governments to increase\r\ntransparency and help root out the corruption that keeps entire nations in\r\npoverty and enables corrupt regimes to funnel money to terrorist groups. The nation's largest public pension funds and other major institutional\r\ninvestors have supported strong disclosure and oversight into payments for\r\nresource extraction to foreign governments, calling them \"essential\r\nto safeguarding the effective functioning of the financial markets.\" But the rule up for a vote on Wednesday is severely flawed, limiting the\r\namount of information companies would need to share about their payments to\r\nforeign countries and strengthening companies' ability to shield payments from\r\npublic scrutiny. It also places the United States requirements below\r\ninternational disclosure standards, setting precedent for those standards to be\r\nweakened around the globe. \"The obvious desire of the fossil fuel industry and its allies in\r\nCongress and the Trump administration for a weaker anti-corruption rule is not\r\nenough justification to push through these rules in the waning weeks before you\r\nand President Trump leave office and before you potentially rejoin an industry\r\nthat you worked steadfastly to deregulate,\" Senator Warren wrote. Earlier this year, Senator Warren joined Senator Cardin and eight of their\r\ncolleagues in a letter\r\ncalling on SEC Chair Clayton to express their concerns with the proposed\r\nresource extraction rule as it is \"inconsistent with the transparency,\r\naccountability and investor protection goals Congress intended\" and\r\n\"does not appropriately consider or reflect the significant shift in\r\nindustry practice and market realities.\" In 2017, Senator Warren delivered a Senate floor speech warning against\r\nrepeal of the SEC's second extraction rule, describing it as a massive\r\ngiveaway to ExxonMobil and corrupt foreign regimes, making it easier to\r\nfunnel funds to terrorists around the world. In today's letter she notes that\r\nExxonMobil's CEO and future secretary of state Rex Tillerson once lobbied\r\nagainst Section 1504. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-delauro-pocan-and-lee-blast-nlrb-members-admitting-they-would-defy-recusal-guidance-from-ethics-officials", "Warren, DeLauro, Pocan and Lee, Blast NLRB Members Admitting They Would Defy Recusal Guidance from Ethics Officials", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 14, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, DeLauro, Pocan and Lee, Blast NLRB Members Admitting They Would Defy Recusal Guidance from Ethics Officials \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Three NLRB Members say federal ethics laws allow them to disregard ethics official's guidance on recusal and substitute their own \"independent judgment\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t William\r\nJ. Emanuel Response | Marvin\r\nE. Kaplan Response | Lauren\r\nMcFerran Response John\r\nF. Ring Response on Behalf of Board | John\r\nF. Ring Individual Response Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) Chairwoman of the House\r\nLabor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee,\r\nMark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) released the following joint\r\nstatement regarding answers from the majority of National Labor Relations Board\r\n(NLRB) members attesting they would defy ethics officials' recusal\r\nguidance. \"It should alarm every worker, employer, and American that a majority\r\nof NLRB members have stated they would openly defy the guidance of ethics\r\nofficials, and rely instead on their 'individual judgment' about whether their\r\nconflicts of interest necessitate recusals. Public service is a public trust,\r\nand by brazenly flouting our federal ethics program, these members have\r\nundermined public confidence in the integrity of the NLRB and in these Board\r\nmembers' commitment to comply with principles of ethical conduct,\" wrote\r\nthe lawmakers. The lawmakers wrote\r\nto the NLRB in March, regarding concerns that the Board's November 2019\r\nethics report and new recusal guidance \"inexplicably suggests that it is\r\nnot only permissible, but preferable for a potentially-conflicted Board member,\r\nrather than a third party, to make the final determination of whether they\r\nshould recuse.\" The lawmakers wrote that the new NLRB guidance\r\n\"belies common sense and decades of relevant legal precedent,\" and\r\nurged the NLRB to rescind the protocol. In September, the\r\nlawmakers raised additional questions about the policy and the Board's lack\r\nof public transparency regarding revisions to the ethics report and the\r\nconsequences of their new recusal process. The members of Congress also sent\r\nletters to each NLRB member requesting they commit to following the NLRB\r\nDesignated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO)'s recommendation regarding recusal if\r\nadvised to recuse from a case or other official matters. In response, Chairman\r\nJohn F. Ring, Member William\r\nJ. Emmanuel, and Member Marvin\r\nE. Kaplan refused to commit to following the guidance of the NLRB\r\nDesignated Agency Ethics Official (DAEO) regarding recusal. Chairman John Ring\r\nand Member Emmanuel both threatened that if they \"disagree\" with an\r\nethics official's guidance, they would not follow it; Members Emmanuel and\r\nKaplan both stated they believe federal ethics laws allow them to \"make an\r\nindependent judgment regarding (any) recusal,\" rather than following an\r\nethics officials' judgment. Chairman Ring and Members Emmanuel and Kaplan only\r\nmade a firm commitment to follow the inadequate ethics protocol they helped\r\nwrite. In contrast, Member Lauren\r\nMcFerran responded: \"Based on these positions, and the oaths that I\r\nhave taken as a public servant, I can unequivocally commit that I will follow\r\nthe g?idance of the NLRB Designated Agency Ethics Official if I am advised to\r\nrecuse myself from a case or any other official matter.\" Member McFerran\r\nvoted against items included in the November 2019 report, including the\r\nrequirement \"allowing individual Board members to determine their own\r\nrecusal motions.\" The November 2019 NLRB report included new guidance on procedure regarding\r\ninstances when a member ignores the advice of a DAEO to recuse themselves from\r\na case due to a conflict of interest. The NLRB initiated the report after the\r\nNLRB Inspector General (IG) and DAEO found that Member William Emanuel violated\r\nhis ethics pledge by participating in the Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors, Ltd.\r\nand Brandt Construction Co. case, which the Board subsequently vacated because\r\nof that violation. The new guidance allows NLRB members to simply ignore the\r\nDAEO's determination and \"(reach) his or her own decision\" on\r\nrecusal. Writing on behalf of the Board, Chairman\r\nRing also told the lawmakers that the Board's new ethics protocol, written\r\nin response to Member Emanuel's failure to recuse himself due to a conflict of\r\ninterest, creates a mechanism \"to handle recusals where there might be a\r\nlegitimate disagreement over the recusal obligation.\" As the lawmakers\r\nwrote to the NLRB in March, \"instead of strengthening the agency's\r\nethics procedures to ensure that, in a future similar situation, Board members\r\nwould not participate in any matter in which they had a conflict of interest,\r\nthe agency's report created procedures that explicitly allow such\r\nconflicts.\" Member Emanuel's term doesn't expire until August 27, 2021; Ring's on\r\nDecember 16, 2022; and Kaplan's on August 27, 2025. Member McFerran's term\r\nexpires December 16, 2024. There is one vacancy on the Board. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-democrats-press-trump-administration-on-decision-not-to-pre-order-more-doses-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-need-for-transparent-plan-going-forward", "Warren, Democrats Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 14, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Democrats Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t FDA granted an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine last Friday; Reporting revealed the Trump administration turned down an option this summer to pre-order additional doses of Pfizer's vaccine; We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation;\" the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much fundi\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC  United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Patty Murray (D-Wash.), ranking member of the HELP Committee, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and 15 of their Democratic Senate colleagues, in a letter to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, and General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer of Operation Warp Speed, asking about recent reports that earlier this year the Trump administration declined to purchase additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine when given the opportunity. The decision could hinder efforts to launch a nationwide vaccination campaign as the U.S. will reportedly be unable to purchase additional doses of the vaccine from Pfizer until pre-orders from other countries are filled. In their letter, the senators express concern about the Trump administration's lack of planning and transparency, and press for more information about the administration's preparations to purchase vaccines. We write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year. We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic, wrote the senators. The letter continued, To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic. The letter was also signed by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Maggie Hassan (D-N,H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/reports/warren-investigation-finds-pervasive-conflicts-of-interest-and-rubber-stamp-approvals-by-the-nations-largest-accreditor-of-private-prisons-and-immigration-detention-centers", "Warren Investigation Finds Pervasive Conflicts of Interest and Rubber Stamp Approvals by the Nation's Largest Accreditor of Private Prisons and Immigration Detention Centers", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 14, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Investigation Finds Pervasive Conflicts of Interest and Rubber Stamp Approvals by the Nation's Largest Accreditor of Private Prisons and Immigration Detention Centers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Accreditation process is supposed to ensure quality -- but overlooks serious problems and allows private prison companies CoreCivic, GEO, and MTC to evade responsibility; \"The U.S. criminal legal and immigration systems are broken from top to bottom;\" Rather than addressing major health and safety concerns during COVID-19 pandemic, the ACA has \"greatly reduced its auditing of correctional facilities\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Report\r\n(PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) today released the findings of the May\r\n2019 investigation she opened into the American Correctional Association\r\n(ACA) -- the nation's largest accreditor of prisons and immigration detention\r\nFacilities -- and its relationship with the three largest private prison\r\ncompanies that receive ACA accreditation: CoreCivic, GEO Group (GEO), and\r\nManagement & Training Corporation (MTC). Her investigation confirms that\r\nthe deeply flawed ACA accreditation system is riddled with conflicts of\r\ninterest and fails to provide meaningful oversight of the facilities it\r\naccredits, resulting in rubber-stamping of dangerous facilities and the wasting\r\nof millions of taxpayer dollars. Senator Warren's 16-page report opens with troubling truth about the\r\nnation's criminal legal and detention systems: \"The criminal\r\nlegal and immigration systems in the United States are broken. The criminal\r\nsystem incarcerates too many people, locks them away for too long, and fails to\r\nprovide the formerly incarcerated with the necessary tools and support to\r\nsuccessfully return to their communities upon release. The immigration system\r\nis similarly in shambles. Instead of providing refuge to vulnerable immigrants\r\nfleeing poverty and violence, including children and families, the Trump\r\nAdministration is turning them away or throwing them into unsanitary and overcrowded\r\nfacilities with little to no standards.\" Private prison companies derive immense benefits from these flawed systems.\r\nFederal, state, and local taxpayers spend billions of dollars propping up the\r\nprivate prison industry that profits off the backs of prisoners and detainees.\r\nThese companies are driven by incentives that reward locking up more people in\r\nworse conditions, prioritizing their bottom line over the safety and well-being\r\nof incarcerated and detained individuals, corrections and immigration professionals,\r\nand communities. Key findings in Senator Warren's report include: \r\n The ACA's dual role\r\n     as an advocate for the private prison industry and the organization\r\n     responsible for overseeing conditions at facilities run by private prison\r\n     companies creates an irreconcilable conflict of interest. This\r\n     conflict is exacerbated by the additional financial support the ACA\r\n     receives from private prison and detention companies unrelated to\r\n     accreditation.\r\n The ACA accreditation\r\n     process is a rubber stamp that lacks rigor and ignores serious health and\r\n     safety problems. It is almost impossible for a facility to fail\r\n     an ACA audit.\r\n Serious problems\r\n     persist at ACA-accredited facilities. Neither the ACA nor the\r\n     private prison companies Senator Warren's office contacted could provide a\r\n     single, recent example of a prison or detention facility that had been\r\n     denied accreditation -- even when the facility had a public record of\r\n     safety, health, or security violations.\r\n The ACA failed to\r\n     adapt to COVID-19. Rather than shifting its oversight of prisons\r\n     and detention facilities to address major health and safety concerns\r\n     during COVID-19, the ACA has \"greatly reduced its auditing of\r\n     correctional facilities.\"\r\n \"The primary result of the flawed ACA accreditation process is a system\r\nthat ignores major problems and gives private facilities a free pass, putting\r\nthe well-being of detainees, prisoners, and corrections professionals at\r\nrisk,\" Senator Warren's report reads. \"To address these problems, the federal government, and state and local\r\nauthorities, should end their reliance on ACA accreditation and stop\r\noutsourcing oversight of its prisons and detention facilities to for-profit\r\norganizations. The U.S. criminal legal and immigration systems are broken from\r\ntop to bottom,\" the report concludes. \"Ending\r\nreliance on the ACA's corrupt accreditation process is one small but important\r\nstep in reforming that system.\" Senator Warren's report is a result of her investigation\r\ninto the accreditation of private prisons and detention facilities, during\r\nwhich she has demanded\r\ninformation on the ACA's measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.\r\nSenator Warren also led\r\nan investigation into private detention operators' compliance with federal\r\nimmigration detention standards and the private auditor responsible for\r\ninspecting detention facilities, Nakamoto Group, last year. That investigation\r\nrevealed that neither the private prison companies nor their private auditor,\r\nNakamoto, have taken responsibility for grievous failures identified by the OIG\r\n-- and also revealed a dispute between the Nakamoto Group, the contractor\r\nresponsible for auditing detention facilities, and the OIG about the quality of\r\nNakamoto's inspections. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/ma-delegation-press-usda-over-reports-food-box-shortages", "MA delegation press USDA over reports of food box shortages", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Unexpected shortages of food boxes and reduced service from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture contractor have left several Massachusetts food banks and schools scrambling to buy agricultural goods to adequately serve families, according to lawmakers.\nMassachusetts lawmakers on Mondaywrote to USDAto request a meeting after schools and food banks participating in theFarmers to Families Food Box Programreported that the Northeast region's new contractor, New York-based Whitsons Culinary Group, could not service all the facilities that received food in prior rounds of the program.\nIn our conversations with Whitsons, we learned that regional needs not only vastly outweigh its contracted capacity, but also that, as of December 3, 2020, it has a waitlist of 21 organizations  many of which are previous food box recipients now without a supplier, wrote the lawmakers, led by U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Ed Markey. Food banks have also reported that some of the Whitsons' food box content has fallen short of meeting nutritional and quality standards.\nFood banks and schools say the USDA gave almost no warning of any transition in vendors, and that Whitsons provided minimal notice to many schools and food banks that its distributions would be greatly reduced or stopped entirely.\nThe USDA has agreed to meet with lawmakers this week, McGovern's office told MassLive. MassLive left a voicemail with Whitsons on Monday evening.\nThe lawmakers' pressure on USDA comes as the commonwealth's food-insecurity rate has jumped by 54% since COVID-19 hit, according to theGreater Boston Food Bank. About one in eight don't have access to enough food for three healthy meals a day, and one in five children live in food-insecure homes, Arlene Fortunato, senior vice president of advancement for Greater Boston Food Bank, toldWCVBon Sunday.\nWe're looking at the possibility of 1 million Massachusetts residents being food insecure during this pandemic, Fortunato said. Food insecurity rates are definitely moving in the wrong direction.\nThe roughly $4.5 billion Farmers to Families program, authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, creates partnerships with distributors and organizations to provide hungry families with fresh produce, dairy and meat products. The USDA says it's provided more than 127 million food boxes nationwide, but Massachusetts lawmakers expressed concerns this summer that families in the Northeast were missing out.\nIn July,MassLivereported that only about 4.4% of the $1.2 billion in the USDA's first allotment went to distributors and organizations in the Northeast, where at least 3.6 million people were already experiencing food insecurity before the pandemic.\nAmerican families must always have access to basic necessities, but never more so than during this pandemic, the lawmakers wrote. To ensure their needs are being met and that the program is effective, USDA must engage in effective oversight, including seeking feedback from the program's contractors and recipients.\nAccording toBlue Book Services, which tracks financial data in the produce industry, USDA passed on Boston-based Costa Fruit & Produce Company, a previous Farmers to Families participant, for the fourth round of the food box program.\nThe Boston wholesaler previously had a $19.8 million contract in the third round to deliver 426,264 food boxes to nonprofits in Massachusetts, New York and Vermont. Blue Book noted that Costa Fruit & Produce's round three contract amounted to $46.44 per food box, whereas USDA contracts averaged closer to $40 per box in round four.\nAccording to the USDA's website, Whitsons' nearly $43 million contract was the third-highest theUSDA signed for the fourth roundnationwide. The cost per Whitsons box was $39, with the company agreeing to deliver 1.1 million boxes to organizations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.\nEarlier this fall, New Hampshire lawmakers wrote to USDA after receiving reports that a Delaware contractor replacing Costa Fruit & Produce provided enormously inferior nutritional quality in its food boxes, according toManchester InkLink, an independent news site. Round three food boxes contained scrapple, a pork-based breakfast mush more familiar to people in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey than New England, New Hampshire Food Bank warehouse manager Mark Gambeski told Manchester InkLink.\nIn a statement emailed to MassLive, a USDA spokesperson noted the fourth round of contracts, from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, is funded by a $500 million boost in appropriations made available in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.\nHowever, the amount of funding available is about one third of the total available in previous rounds, which resulted in some non-profits being unable to participate and some deliveries completing prior to December 31, the agency said. Although deliveries under the program are expected to conclude at the end of the year, USDA continues to work with its state and local partners to leverage USDA programs to reduce food insecurity.\nFood banks, USDA said, will continue to receive food through supplemental coronavirus relief appropriations and program purchases that supportThe Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). About $700 million in purchases of domestically produced and processed agricultural products were made this year as part of the USDA'sSection 32program, nearly $500 million of which will be delivered in fiscal year 2021.\nSen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Richard Neal, Stephen Lynch, Katherine Clark, Bill Keating, Joe Kennedy III, Seth Moulton and Lori Trahan also signed Monday's letter to USDA.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/us-rep-richard-neal-touts-compromise-surprise-medical-billing", "US Rep. Richard Neal touts compromise on surprise medical billing", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Surprise medical bills  ones sent to people who receive care outside their insurer's network, often without knowing it until later  could be headed to arbitration under bipartisan compromise legislation hashed out last week by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and others.\nThis was a significantbreakthrough, Neal said Monday. The incentive there clearly is for the parties to avoid arbitration.\nNeal said he hopes surprise medical billing legislation is part of COVID-19 relief legislation now talking shape in Washington and set to pass in the next week.\nArbitration could be winner-take-all, he said. The hope is that providers, insurers and consumers can work out a compromise.\nIt's sizable legislating achievement, said Neal, D-Springfield, chairman of the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means.\nNeal's opponent in the fall's Democratic primary, Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, used the surprise medical billing issue against him, saying Neal helped shelve a competing solution about a year ago.\nThat plan, Neal said, was skewed too favorably toward insurance companies and would have hurt hospitals and providers. Detractors said Neal was responding to the concerns of corporate campaign donors by blocking progress on the matter.\nNeal's position was backed by hospitals, includingSpringfield's Baystate Health. A similar arbitration program is in place in New York, where Neal said it has worked well.\nThe agreement would hold patients harmless from surprise medical bills, including from air ambulances, by ensuring they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts, including deductibles, in both emergency situations and certain non-emergency situations where patients do not have the ability to choose an in-network provider. Air ambulance charges had been a sticking point.\nThe deal prohibits certain out-of-network providers from billing patients, unless the provider gives the patient notice of their network status and an estimate of charges 72 hours prior to receiving out-of-network services and the patient provides consent to receive out-of-network care.\nMonday, the New York Times editorial page used surprise medical billing as an example of pressing needs Congress needs to address. It said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had asked Neal to compromise.\nNeal on Monday said that wasn't exactly what happened, and that discussion among leaders has been ongoing. He learned Thursday on his way to the airport that an agreement had been reached.\nOn board are House Republican leader Kevin Brady of Texas; House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., and Ranking Member Greg Walden, R-Ore.; House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. Bobby Scott, D-Va., and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.; and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Ranking Member Patty Murray, D-Wash.\nAlexander is leaving the Senate at the end of this term, but Neal said he has spoken with Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is in line to take over the role.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/covid-pandemic-changes-face-hunger-food-banks-across-massachusetts-see-double-digit", "As COVID pandemic changes the face of hunger, food banks across Massachusetts see double-digit increases in demand", "2020-12-12", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD  For more than 20 years, Andrea Allen-Glenn has helped people in need have one less thing to worry about each week.\nAs the food coordinator for the Emergency Food Assistance Program at Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services on Rutland Street, Allen-Glenn connects people who need food with fresh produce, meat and other items.\nOrganizations like Allen-Glenn's have seen the faces of hunger for generations. But this year, thecoronaviruspandemic has exacerbated the problem, and more people turning to food pantries than ever before.\nThere is a lot of need and it's not just people who live in the neighborhood, Allen-Glenn said. I am seeing people coming from Longmeadow, Chicopee and other communities. They need food, but they don't want their neighbors to know they are in need.\nAccording to data compiled by the Associated Press on quarterly food distributions at food banks across the country, three major Massachusetts saw double-digit percent increases in the third quarter of 2020, compared to the same quarter in 2019. The Greater Boston Food Bank saw the greatest increase: food distributions, measured in total pounds, were up by 65.7%. Distributions at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts were up 38.2%, and the Worcester County Food Bank saw an increase of 11.7%.\nAndrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, said the need has always been there  but it has increased substantially since March.\nCommunities like Springfield and Holyoke, that are predominantly made up of communities of people of color, are being particularly hard hit because of the COVID-19 virus and its impact on the economy. So many businesses are struggling that people have lost their jobs and their source of income. It's something we need to be very mindful of because everyone deserves and needs to have heathy food, he said.\nMorehouse said 45% of the people the organization serves are children and senior citizens, but the faces of hunger have changed since the pandemic hit.\nOur children and elders are the most vulnerable in our community. However, we are also providing food for about 20,000 people a month who have never been to a pantry or meal site before. These are working folks who had never had to rely on public assistance and now have to go to a meal site for a bag of groceries or a hot meal, he said.\nThe Food Bank of Western Massachusetts provides food for nearly 200 food pantries and meal sites in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties. In September, the organization provided meals for 116,000 people. In Springfield alone in the last 12 months 32,000 people were served  a 41% increase over the previous year, Morehouse said.\nIn the last 12 months the Food Bank has provided the equivalent of 4 million meals in all four Western Massachusetts counties, with 65% made up of fresh produce, meat and dairy products, he said.\nThe Greater Boston Food Bank provides food to more than 500 member agencies in 190 eastern Massachusetts cities and towns.\nNow nine months into this crisis with another COVID-19 surge upon us, we continue to experience historic levels of food insecurity throughout the state resulting in record levels of distribution, said Catherine Drennan, the organization's senior director of public affairs and communications.\nShe said Feeding America released revised 2020 projections in October, showing Massachusetts with the nation's greatest projected increase in food insecurity  an increase of 59% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Statewide, it's estimated that 1 in 7 individuals and 1 in 5 children will struggle to get enough healthy food this year.\nJean McMurray, executive director of the Worcester County Food Bank, said the increased need has been significant. The organization provides food for 115 partner agencies from pantries to community meal programs, and shelters.\nIn April we saw a 205 percent increase in the number of people going to a food pantry for the first time and those numbers stayed pretty high and then started to taper off a little bit, we know due to additional SNAP benefits, unemployment assistance. When people have extra resources it really does make a difference in whether or not they can eat and meet all of their other needs, she said.\nIn the fall, as people exhausted unemployment benefits, the numbers started to rise again, McMurray said.\nWe have seen about a 27 percent increase compared to a year ago, she said. Our network of food pantries went from serving 30,320 people a month to 38,830 people per month.\nMcMurray said the agency has received thousands of calls since the pandemic hit from people just wanting to know how they could access food for their families.\nWe had a hunger and food insecurity problem before the pandemic and too many of our neighbors were struggling, so for them the pandemic made things worse. For people who had never had to turn to a food pantry before, their first struggle was how to find help, she said.\nEach of the major food banks relies on funding from individual donors, small businesses and grants from the state and federal government to purchase food from local farmers and grocery stores.\nU.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, has championed for food banks for decades and has brought the issues of food insecurity and hunger before Congress.\nI think it's really sad that we live in the richest country in the history of the world that we have allowed this problem to go on for so long and are not responding more aggressively to it now in the middle of a health crisis is astounding to me, he said.\nMcGovern said the issues of food insecurity and hunger are not going away any time soon.\nWe need a COVID-19 relief package that actually provides additional money for our food banks and food pantries, he said. We need to have a relief package that increases SNAP benefits for people who need it, and that state and and local governments have the funding to ensure kids, many of whom are learning form their homes, have access to adequate nutrition.\nU.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said financial support is needed to help families as well as food banks, which are providing services for more people.\nWe are pushing very hard to extend the CARES Act even on a temporary basis to get us until March so that President-elect Biden will have a chance to then assess where we are, he said.\nWe lost 22 million jobs and have only regained 12 million of them, he said. We are looking at 10 million people who never dreamed they would be unemployed or collecting an unemployment check, and we need to address that issue before the end of the year.\nAllen-Glenn said the faces of those who need food have changed dramatically this year.\nWe are getting a lot of diversity. It used to be that we wanted to have a bilingual person on staff who spoke Spanish and English, but now we are getting people from different places. We have had people who speak Swahili, we've had people from Haiti and various Asian countries, faces we have never seen before, she said. Just last month the center served 2,500 individuals, up from an average of 2,000 people before the pandemic.\nRonald Johnson, president and CEO of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, said the pandemic not only changed the faces of those in need of food, but also the way in which people access food. The MLK Emergency Food Pantry is located in a food desert with no major grocery stores within walking distance of the neighborhoods. Most people drive or take public transportation to larger grocery stores or buy food from small corner markets that don't have fresh produce.\nWe actually noticed in the first few weeks of the pandemic that numbers were lower, our elders were not coming to get food. We were missing some folks and we figured out it was mainly because of the stay at home order and transportation issues, he said.\nJohnson said the pantry has also seen an increase in clients from surrounding suburban communities.\nWe know that people of color are disproportionally affected, but in terms of those who are losing their jobs and economic base, it is far reaching. We are seeing people that come from Ware, Monson and Palmer and other communities that people don't realize have pockets of food insecurity, but some of those folks are living on the margins due to losing their jobs, he said.\nSmall family-owned businesses as well as nationwide corporations have shown support for local food banks and emergency food pantries through monetary donations.\nFood Link, a food rescue organization serving eastern Massachusetts, recently received $60,000 in program support from Kohl's.\nKohl's Cares' overwhelming generosity will enable Food Link to collect more nutritious, fresh food and deliver it to communities in eastern Massachusetts that are suffering greatly from food insecurity, including Lawrence, Lowell, Revere, and Chelsea, said DeAnne Dupont, executive director at Food Link.\nLast week, Dan and Jane Roulier, the owners of Dan Roulier & Associates, Inc. donated $25,000 to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts with a challenge to other businesses to donate what they can.\nSpringfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced Monday that two additional local companies, Kelly-Fradet Lumber in East Longmeadow and Crowley & Associates in Wilbraham, pledged an additional $12,500 each towards the Food Bank's work. That same day someone made an anonymous $25,000 donation.\nIt's only with support like this, from people, not institutions, that we are able to carry out our mission to feed our neighbors in need, Morehouse said. A $25,000 donation has a tremendous impact. It provides the equivalent of 100,000 meals because for every $1 donated to the Food Bank we are able to provide four meals.\nWith just a few weeks left until the new year, many people are hoping 2021 will bring a COVID-19 vaccine, a restored economy and a brighter tomorrow. But those who have been battling food insecurity for decades know there is no easy solution to the new, elevated demand.\nThis is not going to be something that is going to be resolved in six months. It is going to take a much longer time for a lot of people to feel comfortable taking a vaccine and the availability may not be as rapid as we want it to be in some communities, Johnson said. We are in this for the ride and we are not looking at it as something that has an end date.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/op-eds/elizabeth-warren-what-a-biden-harris-administration-should-prioritize-on-its-first-day", "Elizabeth Warren: What a Biden-Harris administration should prioritize on its first day", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As Democrats celebrate the election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris, we need to have an important conversation about building a 50-state party that can win up and down the ticket. But with a hobbled economy, an international health crisis, a vanishing middle class and widespread racial inequities, we also need to answer another important question  how to deliver on our campaign promises and improve the lives of the American people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-urges-senate-leaders-to-adopt-bill-to-address-health-inequity-in-the-covid-19-relief-package", "Warren Urges Senate Leaders to Adopt Bill to Address Health Inequity in the COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Urges Senate Leaders to Adopt Bill to Address Health Inequity in the COVID-19 Relief Package \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWarren's bill with Rep.\r\nBarbara Lee provides $8 billion for faith-based and community organizations and\r\nthe Indian Health Service The funds would reach\r\nmedically-underserved communities that have been hit disproportionately hard by\r\nthe pandemic The bill also funds public\r\noutreach to overcome medical mistrust Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) today wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y) and\r\nSenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urging them to ensure the next\r\nCOVID-19 relief package includes her bill - first introduced by Representative\r\nBarbara Lee (D-Calif.) - the COVID\r\nCommunity Care Act, which provides grants to faith-based and community\r\norganizations, as well as funding to the Indian Health Service, to conduct\r\ntesting, contact tracing, and public outreach in medically under-served\r\ncommunities. \"As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact\r\non low-income communities, Tribal nations, and communities of color. It is\r\nessential that the next federal pandemic relief package include funding that\r\ndirectly reaches these communities and enlists trusted partners to provide\r\nservices and information that slow the spread of COVID-19,\" Senator\r\nWarren wrote. The coronavirus pandemic has had an especially severe effect on low-income\r\ncommunities, communities of color, and Native communities. Black and Latino\r\npeople are\r\nbeing hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher rates and are dying\r\nfrom COVID-19 at younger ages. American Indians and Alaska Natives have\r\nbeen especially\r\nhard hit by the pandemic and its economic effects. At the same time,\r\nfederal pandemic relief resources have not prioritized under-served\r\ncommunities. For example, a study\r\nof the Provider Relief Fund found that hospitals with the most revenue from\r\nprivate insurance received more than twice as much funding per hospital bed as\r\nthe hospitals with the least private insurance revenue. This week the\r\nGovernment Accountability Office (GAO) agreed to Senator Warren's and\r\nCongresswoman Ayanna Pressley's request to open an investigation\r\ninto racial inequity in the pandemic response. Further, success in any public health crisis also depends on people's\r\nwillingness to trust the health information they are getting. This is\r\nparticularly true of communities that are medically underserved or suffer from\r\nhealth disparities. A legacy of discrimination in our health care has created\r\nmistrust among Black and Brown people and in Native communities-mistrust so\r\nprevalent that it has been documented by the National Institutes of Health.\r\nPublic communication from local, trusted sources is critical to effective\r\ncontact tracing and will be critical to administering COVID-19 vaccines once\r\nthey become available to the broader public. To contain and mitigate COVID-19 in medically underserved communities, the\r\nCOVID Community Care Act specifically: \r\nCreates an $8 billion grant program for\r\ncommunity organizations and nonprofits to conduct testing, contact tracing, and\r\noutreach in medically under-served communities. \r\nComplements the \"CONTACT\" initiative\r\nin the HEROES Act, which supports a nationwide test-and-trace initiative run\r\nthrough public health agencies, by engaging trusted community partners to reach\r\ncommunities that public health agencies have difficulty engaging. \r\nRequires individuals hired for contact tracing\r\nto have experience and relationships in medically under-served communities. \r\nRequires HHS to develop a comprehensive strategy\r\nfor addressing health disparities. \r\nProvides $400 million to the Indian Health\r\nService (IHS) to implement a comprehensive program to prevent and respond to\r\nCOVID-19, in partnership with tribal nations, tribal organizations, and urban\r\nIndian organizations. The COVID Community Act has been endorsed by the National Minority Quality\r\nForum, National Hispanic Medical Association, Asian & Pacific Islander\r\nAmerican Health Forum, National Indian Health Board, Partners in Health, SEIU,\r\nNational Women's Law Center, Justice in Aging, National Immigration Law Center,\r\nFamilies USA, and UnidosUS. The House bill (H.R. 8192) was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and is\r\nco-sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Black\r\nCaucus; Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health\r\nBraintrust; Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic\r\nCaucus; Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American\r\nCaucus; Reps. Debra Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS), Co-Chair and Vice\r\nChair, respectively, of the Congressional Native American Caucus; and more than\r\n50 of their colleagues.  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/committees-reach-bipartisan-deal-protect-patients-surprise-medical-bills", "Committees reach bipartisan deal to protect patients from surprise medical bills", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Four congressional committees on Friday reached a bipartisan deal on legislation to protect patients from massive \"surprise\" medical bills after a series of tense negotiations.\nTheagreementis a milestone in a roughlytwo-year long effort to pass legislation to protect patients from what is widely seen as an especially egregious practice in American health care.\nBackers of the deal are hoping toinclude it in the year-end spending package slated to go through Congress next week.\nThe deal was struck by the leaders in both parties of the Senate Health and House Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor and Ways and Means Committees, though it would still need buy-in from leadership to be added to the year-end package.\nThe legislation would protect patients from receiving medical bills for thousands of dollars afterroutine occurrenceslike going to the emergency room and getting care from a doctor that is outside the patient's insurance network.\nThe Hillreportedearlier this week that House Ways and Means Committee ChairmanRichard Neal(D-Mass.) was a roadblock to an agreement, as he held out for his own approach and clashed with the other three committees.\nBut the deal eventually came together after House SpeakerNancy Pelosi(D-Calif.) spoke toNealand helped restart talks.\nPelosi praised the agreementin a statement and said: \"The House will push for this critical legislation to end surprise billing to be passed as part of the end-of-year package.\nSenate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer(D-N.Y.) said he supported the agreement. \"There is now a consensus path forward on how to fix a broken system that harms patients,\" he said. \"I hope to see it passed into law as soon as possible. A spokesman for Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnelldid not immediately respond to a request for comment.\n  \n\tThe legislation does move much closer to Neal's position. It uses a method known as arbitration to determine how much insurers pay doctors once patients are protected. That is the method favored by doctor and hospital groups, as well as Neal.\nInsurers, unions and consumer groups had favored a different approach, used by the other three committees, that would have set the payment rate based on the median rate paid for services in that geographic area. They said that approach would have saved consumers and the government more money compared to Neal's approach.\nThe details of these payment systems have been the subject of intense lobbying for months, which helped hold up an agreement for more than a year.\nIt is still unclear how powerful doctor and hospital groups will respond.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/congressman-neal-weighs-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine", "Congressman Neal weighs in on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine has obtained emergency use authorization by the FDA, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the U.S.\nNow that the COVID-19 vaccine has been approved, the public could see the first shipments of the vaccine arrive in Massachusetts by December 15.\nWestern Mass News spoke with Congressman Richard Neal about these positive developments. He told us he's amazed at how fast the vaccine developed.\n\"In about eight months. We have now developed two vaccines that have positively tested,\" he said. \"They're being administered in other counties.\"\nWith news of the first coronavirus vaccine receiving emergency use authorization from the FDA, Neal spoke with Western Mass News about these positive developments and what will take to get them to western Mass.\nThis week Governor Charlie Baker announced how the state's plan to distribute the vaccine in three phases. The first phase estimated to start between December and February, and the third phase between April and June, something that Neal is on board approves.\n\"I've been in touch with him. I've encouraged him to make sure first that there was geographic equity,\" he explained. \"Combined with the acknowledgment that essential workers, nursing home patients, [and] people who are in healthcare jobs would be those who would be vaccinated first.\"\nOne Chicopee resident Western Mass News spoke to Friday night said he approves of the governor's plan.\n\"You got to keep the people who are taking care of the safe first, and then after that, it's a trickling. But it's the only way to keep people safe during this time. You might as well do it,\" said Chicopee resident Devin Badone.\nAlso, this week, 15 communities in western Mass. are in the red on the state COVID-19 map, making them high-risk areas for spreading the virus. Badone said everyone needs to do their part to stop the spread.\n\"Honestly, people just need to wear their mask and do what you got to do, and if this is what's proven to keep it down, why not do it,\" he added.\nNeal said because the pandemic has crippled the economy and been especially hard on small businesses, another stimulus package is needed.\n\"I've been suggesting for weeks now that it's another reason that Congress has to put out another assistance program for the American people to continue stability,\" he said.\nNeal added there are negotiations for a potential stimulus relief bill between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Neal is confident something can get done by next Wednesday or Thursday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/lawmakers-strike-deal-end-surprise-medical-bills", "Lawmakers strike deal to end 'surprise' medical bills", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Key congressional committees have clinched a last-minute deal to protect patients from receiving surprise medical bills, potentially putting an end to nearly two years of infighting over an issue that's pitted powerful health care giants against each other and frustrated Congress.\nShielding insured patients from eye-popping medical bills for unexpected out-of-network and emergency care has been a bipartisan priority for lawmakers, but progress had been stalled for over a year. The late-breaking deal surprised Washington, where the fight over what was supposed to be a simple policy fix had devolved over the past two years into a lobbying blood bath  with private equity-backed physician groups pouring millions of dollars to sink an earlier deal that could cut into their profits.\nIn recent days, sources said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ramped up pressure on House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who is aligned with physician groups and had been one of the largest impediments to striking a deal. The compromise reached Friday night hews closer to the policy preferred by doctors and physicians.\nPelosi in a Friday night statement said the measure should be included in a year-end funding package, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hoped it would be \"passed into law as soon as possible.\" Representatives for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell didn't respond to a request for comment\nWhat's in the deal:The committees largely abandoned a framework struck earlier in Congress by the Senate HELP and House Energy and Commerce committees. That bicameral legislation would have set a benchmark rate health insurers would pay providers for out-of-network care, pegged to local charges for in-network rates. Health insurers favored the proposal, but doctors and hospitals fought hard against the idea, saying it was tantamount to price controls.\nInstead, the latest proposal which was formalized Friday night calls for parties to negotiate an agreed-upon rate or bring their dispute to a mediator. Air ambulances, which can often leave patients with bills worth tens of thousands of dollars and had been a sticking point in negotiations, would also be included in the surprise billing ban.\nBilling disputes could be batched together for a mediator, who would be allowed to take several factors into consideration: the median in-network rate for the service in question, the complexity of the case, and the relative market power of the insurer versus the doctor or hospital, among other factors. However, the mediator wouldn't be allowed to account for the charges billed by a provider, which are typically far greater than the actual cost of care.\nImportantly, larger bills for out-of-network care wouldn't be outlawed entirely. Providers would still be allowed to bill patients to make up the difference of what insurers would otherwise pay if they inform patients the services won't be covered and they provide an estimate of charges 72 hours before care.\nAdditionally, the deal includes long-term funding extensions for key health programs, like community health centers and diabetes research and prevention.\nWhy it matters:Storiesof patients facing unexpected medical bills have flooded news reports in recent years, prompting Congress to take up the issue.\nHowever, just earlier this week renewed talks appeared dead after Neal again rejected the bicameral framework. But Pelosi kept pushing for an agreement. Besides Neal's Ways and Means panel, three other committees are involved in the latest talks: Senate HELP, House Energy and Commerce and House Education and Labor.\n\"Under this agreement, the days of patients receiving devastating surprise out-of-network medical bills will be over,\" committee leaders said in a joint statement. \"Patients should not be penalized with these outrageous bills simply because they were rushed to an out-of-network hospital or unknowingly treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility.\"\nShould this deal fail, prospects for a fix in the next Congress would be uncertain. Two of the key Republican champions of a surprise billing fix  Alexander and Energy and Commerce ranking member Greg Walden of Oregon  are retiring this year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/top-house-democrat-prods-biden-reopen-eu-trade-talks", "A Top House Democrat Prods Biden to Reopen E.U. Trade Talks", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  The chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee urged the incoming administration to renew trade negotiations with the European Union, countering a pledge by President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to postpone any new trade talks until after the United States has made significant domestic investments.\nThe statement on Friday, from Representative Richard E. Neal, Democrat of Massachusetts, raises the question of whether congressional pressure could persuade the Biden administration to take a more aggressive approach to trade negotiations with close allies.\nMr. Biden has downplayed expectations for new trade negotiations early in his term, saying he wants to first wrest control of the pandemic and make substantial investments in American industries like energy, biotech and artificial intelligence.\nI'm not going to enter any new trade agreement with anybody until we have made major investments here at home and in our workers, Mr. Bidensaid in a New York Times interview last week.\nBut since congressional opposition would be one of the main obstacles to any new trade agreement, the support of key Democrats could be strong motivation for initiating talks.\nIn an interview, Mr. Neal suggested that reaching a trade agreement with the European Union would help deal with the rising economic threat from China, which has used hefty subsidies, state-owned companies and other practices to dominate industries and challenge the trade rules long embraced in the West.\nMr. Neal called Mr. Biden's approach fine and fair, but argued that pursuing E.U. trade negotiations is part of a foreign policy challenge as it relates to China's expansionist activities.\nI think that we should, right now, be preparing to match the aggressive nature of what China's doing in the world, he added.\nMr. Biden would need the support of Mr. Neal and others to cement such a deal. So-called trade promotion authority, a statute that sets out guidelines for the executive branch as it negotiates trade deals and streamlines the approval process, is set to expire in July; any deals submitted to Congress after that could face a more difficult path to ratification. It's not yet clear whether the Biden administration will petition Congress to renew the authority.\nDespite deep historic ties, the United States and Europe have not always had an easy trading relationship. The governments have argued for decades over tariffs, farm subsidies and food safety standards, and efforts to reach a comprehensive trade pact under both the Obama and Trump administrations were ultimately scrapped.\nBut Mr. Biden has often spoken of the importance of strengthening American alliances, and he and his advisers have been eager to remedy ties with Europe that have been strained by President Trump's confrontational trade approach. They also see much common ground with the European Union on issues like climate change, labor standards and consumer protections, as well as countering China's growing geopolitical power and trade practices.\nBoth governments appear eager to make progress on trade issues that have festered under the Trump administration, including spats oversubsidies to the aircraft industryand plans by European countries totax American technology giants.\nThose discussions would be led by Mr. Biden's trade representative,Katherine Tai, whom the president-elect plans to introduce Friday as his nominee for the post. Ms. Tai is on Mr. Neal's staff as the Ways and Means Committee's chief trade lawyer.\nMr. Neal declined to elaborate on conversations he'd had with Ms. Tai about pursuing trade deals with the European Union, but said, I think we're in broad agreement on the nature of the challenge.\nMr. Neal pointed to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement as a blueprint for new trade pacts. The accord, the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement, was negotiated by Mr. Trump and revised by congressional Democrats, including Mr. Neal and Ms. Tai, beforegoing into force this year.\nWhat we were able to do with U.S.M.C.A. in terms of environment, labor standards, enforcement  I think we have some momentum, Mr. Neal said. He said he was continuing to work to drum up support for using a European trade deal to counter China's influence around the globe.\nIn his statement on Friday, Mr. Neal said pursuing a trade deal with the Europe Union would be a strategically sound choice as the United States tried to compete economically with China and rebuild its economy from the pandemic recession.\nHe urged the Biden administration to engage with allies in Europe and elsewhere to formulate a strategic, far-reaching, forward-looking, robust package of programs and investments to defend against anti-competitive, anti-democratic influences of China's policies.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/congressional-committee-leaders-announce-surprise-billing-agreement", "Congressional Committee Leaders Announce Surprise Billing...", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressional Committee Leaders Announce Surprise Billing Agreement \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Congressional Committee Leaders Announce Surprise Billing Agreement \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    Legislation Will Protect Patients from Surprise Medical Bills and Establish Fair Framework to Resolve Disputes Between Providers and Insurers   \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, key House and Senate Committee leaders announced a bipartisan agreement on legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills and establish a fair framework to resolve payment disputes between health care providers and health insurance companies.\nThe deal was agreed to by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA).\nWe have reached a bipartisan, bicameral deal in principleto protect patients from surprise medical bills and promote fairness in payment disputes between insurers and providers, without increasing premiums for patients or interfering with strong, state-level solutions already on the books, the bipartisan, bicameral Committee leaders said. Under this agreement, the days of patients receiving devastating surprise out-of-network medical bills will be over. Patients should not be penalized with these outrageous bills simply because they were rushed to an out-of-network hospital or unknowingly treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility. This is a win for patients and their families that will improve America's health care system.\nWe are pleased to share this language for stakeholder feedback and look forward to continuing to work together to finalize and attach this important new patient protection to the end-of-year funding package. We're hopeful this legislation will be signed into law in the coming days so we can give Americans confidence they will no longer receive financially ruinous surprise out-of-network medical bills.\nThe bipartisan, bicameral agreement protects patients and establishes a fair payment dispute resolution process including:\n Holds patients harmless from surprise medical bills, including from air ambulance providers, by ensuring they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts, including deductibles, in both emergency situations and certain non-emergency situations where patients do not have the ability to choose an in-network provider.\n\tProhibits certain out-of-network providers from balance billing patients unless the provider gives the patient notice of their network status and an estimate of charges 72 hours prior to receiving out-of-network services and the patient provides consent to receive out-of-network care.\n\tCreates a framework that takes patients out of the middle, and allows health care providers and insurers to resolve payment disputes without involving the patient.\n\tUnder the agreement, insurers will make a payment to the provider that is determined either through negotiation between the parties or an independent dispute resolution (IDR) process. There is no minimum payment threshold to enter IDR, and claims may be batched together to ease administrative burdens.\n\tIf the parties choose to utilize the IDR process, both parties would each submit an offer to the independent arbiter. When choosing between the two offers the arbiter is required to consider the median in-network rate, information related to the training and experience of the provider, the market share of the parties, previous contracting history between the parties, complexity of the services provided, and any other information submitted by the parties.\n\tFollowing an IDR process, the party that initiated the dispute may not take the same party to arbitration for the same item or service for 90-days following a determination by the arbitrator. However, all claims that occur during the 90-day period are eligible for IDR after the 90-days.\n\tProvides additional consumer protections when insurance companies change networks, including a transition of care for people with complex care needs and appeal rights for consumers.\n\tEmpowers consumers by providing a true and honest cost estimate that describes which providers will deliver their treatment, the cost of services, and provider network status.\n\tAs part of the legislative agreement, the package includes a long-term extension of expiring public health programs, including: Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Centers, and Special Diabetes Programs.\n Legislative text is available HERE.\nSection-by-section is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/at-warren-pressley-request-independent-watchdog-agrees-to-investigate-racial-inequity-in-pandemic-response", "At Warren, Pressley Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 10, 2020\n\t\t\t At Warren, Pressley Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tResponse from the\r\nGovernment Accountability Office (GAO) here Lawmakers\r\nInitial Request here Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a member of the House\r\nCommittee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement regarding\r\nGAO approving\r\ntheir request to investigate how COVID-19 relief funds have been distributed to\r\ndisproportionately affected communities. \"Decades of structural racism have hindered the ability of communities\r\nof color to get ahead, and right now, Black and Brown people are some of the\r\nhardest hit by these economic and public health crises. The GAO's agreement to\r\ninvestigate inequities in the distribution of COVID-19 relief funds is a\r\ncritical step to help ensure that communities that are most affected by this\r\npandemic have the resources they need to address these crises head-on,\" said\r\nthe lawmakers. The coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on communities of\r\ncolor and Indigenous communities. Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American\r\nIndian/Alaska Native people are being hospitalized with and dying from COVID-19\r\nat higher\r\nrates and are dying from COVID-19 at younger ages.\r\nPeople living on tribal lands are more\r\nthan four times as likely to have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as the U.S.\r\npopulation as a whole. The same communities have also been hit hardest by the\r\neconomic fallout: every month since the economic crisis began in March 2020,\r\nBlack and Latino workers have had significantly\r\nhigher unemployment rates than white workers, even after adjusting for age\r\nand education status. To date, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars to sustain\r\nthe health system and mitigate the economic fallout during this public health\r\nemergency. However, it is not clear whether that relief has successfully\r\nreached the communities that are most in need. A survey of Black and Latino\r\nbusiness owners found\r\nthat only 12% of those who applied for a loan from the Paycheck Protection\r\nProgram and other federal relief programs were approved for the full amount,\r\nand half expected their businesses to permanently close within six months. In health care, a study of the Provider Relief Fund found that hospitals\r\nwith the most revenue from private insurance received more\r\nthan twice as much funding per hospital bed as the hospitals with the least\r\nprivate insurance revenue - raising the question of whether funds truly reached\r\nhealth care providers serving communities that are most in need. COVID-19\r\ntesting may also be harder to obtain for people of color: one\r\nanalysis found that testing sites located in predominantly Black and\r\nHispanic neighborhoods of major cities face higher demand than those in\r\npredominantly white areas of those same cities, leading to longer wait times.\r\nIndependent analyses\r\nhave found that ZIP codes with large white populations have had more\r\ntesting sites throughout the pandemic than ZIP codes with more people of color,\r\nand 35 percent of rural Black Americans live in a \"highly vulnerable\r\ntesting desert.\" Since the beginning of the pandemic, Senator Warren has been pushing for\r\nhealth equity in the federal pandemic response and for transparent information\r\non racial equity. \r\n In August, Senator Warren and Congresswoman Pressley\r\n     introduced bicameral legislation, the\r\n     Corrections Data Transparency Act, to require the Federal Bureau of\r\n     Prisons, the United States Marshals Service, and state governments to\r\n     collect and publicly report detailed data about COVID-19 in federal,\r\n     state, and local correctional facilities.\r\n Senator Warren and Congresswoman Pressley introduced\r\n     the bicameral Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act to\r\n     require the federal government to collect and report coronavirus\r\n     demographic data on race and ethnicity.\r\n In March, the lawmakers wrote\r\n     to Health & Human Services Secretary Azar urging the agency to collect\r\n     racial and ethnic demographic data on COVID-19 testing and treatment.\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/mass-congressmen-introducing-holyoke-veteran-s-act-response-deadly-covid-outbreak", "Mass. congressmen introducing Holyoke Veterans Act in response to deadly COVID outbreak", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HOLYOKE, MASS. (WHDH) - Congressmen Joe Kennedy III and Richard Neal are introducing a bill in response to the deadly COVID-19 outbreak that occurred at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in the springtime.\nThe Holyoke Veteran's Act aims to get justice for 76 veterans who died from coronavirus exposure at the home and prevent an incident like that from happening again.\nIf passed, the bill would require all top administrators at soldiers' homes to be properly licensed. It would also require those homes to hire an infection prevention expert.\nIf the infection had been detected earlier, the contagion had been discovered quicker, it strikes me that there might have been a better opportunity to cut down on the number of deaths that took place, Neal said.\nNeal, who has a 92-year-old uncle at the facility, would like a new Soldiers' Home in Holyoke. His uncle, a Korean War veteran, caught the virus but survived.\nIf you were to walk through the corridors [of the Soldier's Home] you'd be struck as to how small some of the bedroom facilities are and they have two beds, Neal said. You would be struck by the proximity that they all had in the dementia unit. They literally sit elbow to elbow.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/we-want-go-back-not-until-it-s-safe-teachers-workers-impacted-covid-share-stories-rep", "We want to go back, but not until its safe: Teachers, workers impacted by COVID share stories with Rep. Richard Neal, call for stimulus deal", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "James Ryan, a history and social science teacher at the Springfield Honors Academy, says most if not all teachers are eager to get back in the classroom in the wake of theCOVID-19pandemic shaking up the school year nationwide.\nWe miss our kids. We miss each other. We miss the school communities, Ryan said Wednesday. We want to go back, but as we've been saying since the summer, not until it's safe. Not until it's safe for our staff, our students and our families, and we're just not there yet. We need your help.\nRyan, whose wife also teaches, was one of 10 workers across the country directly impacted by the pandemic who shared stories in avirtual listening sessionhosted by Rep.Richard Nealof Massachusetts.\nThe workers  who were in education, health care, hospitality, retail and other fields  painted a dire picture of workplaces and communities in need of funding, personal protective equipment as well as greater understanding from local, state and federal leaders. They were unified in calling on Congress to finalize astimulus packagethat could provide relief to taxpayers, schools, small businesses and local governments struggling to equip first responders.\nAnthony Murray, a firefighter and paramedic in Indiana, told Neal that without additional plans and funding for PPE, fire departments wind up competing with other health care providers for equipment. He said towns and cities urgently need more funding for PPE and to boost paid sick leave, particularly because firefighters and emergency responders are in such close proximity to COVID-19 patients and each other, a situation ripe for viral spread that can lead to debilitating staffing shortages when crews must quarantine.\nWe need Congress to recognize this reality by passing legislation that provides more PPE, sick leave and funding for state and local governments, Murray said. We see America at 2 a.m., and America is hurting right now.\nNeal told participants and reporters that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act helped save the economy in the spring.\nWe need to do this again, Neal, the chairman of House Ways and Means Committee, said, noting President-elect Joe Biden is likely to propose another infusion of funds after he takes office in January. Democrats are going to continue to fight for you in Congress on these measures and others as well. We understand the challenges you have and we're committed to getting you the relief you need.\nThis week, severalMassachusetts lawmakers pressed congressional leadersand the Trump administration to finalize a stimulus deal.\nThe people that I represent are not asking me about what polls are saying or what is the bipartisan appetite, they're asking about what relief are you going to deliver that's going to make my life better and keep me safe, Rep.Ayanna PressleytoldMSNBCthis week.\nRyan, who acknowledged that remote learning has hindered students' educational experience, argued the pandemic exacerbated existing problems in schools, including poor ventilation and inequities in Internet access.\nA lot of schools have been in dire need of repairs and retrofitting and reconstruction for quite some time now, he said. The dilapidated state of HVAC systems due to deferred maintenance have made them patently unsafe during this time.\nMeanwhile, Ryan said, districts have faced substantial pressure and threats of budget cuts from state actors who want us to return to in-person learning as soon as possible.\nThis is coming as our state has already seen hundreds upon hundreds of staff and students in non-remote districts contract COVID and then they end up going remote anyway, he said. A lot of our state and local officials are doing the best they can. We can only do so much. Budget constraints are only making things worse. We're calling on federal leaders to pass this relief package and help get our communities back on the right track and make it out of this pandemic.\nSlightly more than three-quarters of Massachusetts school districts are either in-person or hybrid learning, while 23% of districts are fully remote as of last week, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Boston, Worcester and Springfield are among districts with online-only learning.\nBetween Nov. 19 to Nov. 25, a total of482 coronavirus caseswere reported in schools, excluding students who are learning remote-only. State officials estimate there are about 450,000 students and 75,000 staff members currently in public school buildings during the pandemic.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-opening-statement-virtual-listening-session-workers-affected-covid-19", "Chairman Neal Opening Statement at Virtual Listening...", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(As Prepared for Delivery)\nGood afternoon, thank you to everyone for tuning in.\nToday, we are over nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic that has inflicted unthinkable losses on our country. Over 280,000 Americans have died from the virus and countless are suffering. Scores are sick or have lost loved ones. Our frontline health care workers are overwhelmed and overworked as they continue to risk their health and that of their loved ones to care for those who are sick. Millions of Americans are unable to work. Families are struggling to put food on the table and are behind on rent payments. Folks desperately need solutions.\nWays and Means Democrats convened this listening session because we know these challenges aren't new, but it's more important than ever that we take action. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hardships workers face every day. We've all heard from constituents who are enduring nightmare after nightmare. Whether it be that they have been denied unemployment insurance or they are risking their own health to continue showing up for a job with inadequate personal protective equipment, they are being pushed to their limits.\nLisa is a constituent of mine who lives in Springfield, Massachusetts and shared her story with my office. She was a U.S. Postal Service employee until this past May, when she left her job to help her daughter who was struggling with online learning at home. After taxes, her weekly unemployment benefit is a mere $80, so she picked up part time work at Dunkin Donuts to try to make ends meet as the crisis continues. \nJoining us today for this session is another constituent of mine, James, who is a teacher in Springfield and will be sharing his experience grappling with the pandemic. James, thank you for taking the time to speak with us.\nAn economic recovery would provide some relief to people like Lisa and James. We can prevent a complete economic crash by providing unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, and other temporary measures that prop up our economy. But a real recovery won't happen until we've successfully eliminated the virus. As last month's jobs report indicated, the state of the economy is absolutely linked to the severity of the pandemic.\nThis listening session follows another one that Committee Democrats hosted this summer ahead of the cut off of the $600 per week emergency unemployment insurance supplement, which allowed many workers to keep their heads above water. Senate Republicans allowed that vital benefit to end, even though House Democrats passed an extension of the assistance and pleaded with our counterparts to join us at the table. It seems now that we are finally close to congressional agreement on another round of COVID-19 relief, but this package won't solve all the longstanding challenges American workers face.\nToday, we will hear about the unique and pervasive ways that this pandemic has affected all types of workers. I am extremely grateful to the ten individuals from across the country who have joined us to tell their stories and share how the COVID-19 crisis has affected their lives. My colleagues and I appreciate their courage and candor during these frightening times, and we hope our colleagues who have stood in the way of both short-term relief and long-term solutions like universal paid leave, child care access, adequate pay, and fair treatment of workers are listening, too.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/sens-warren-smith-tell-azar-they-discovered-significant-gaps-in-covid-testing", "Sens. Warren, Smith tell Azar they discovered \u2018significant gaps\u2019 in Covid testing", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Sens. Warren, Smith tell Azar they discovered significant gaps' in Covid testing \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., have informed the secretary of Health and Human Services they have discovered significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity. In aletterthis week to HHS chief Alex Azar, Warren and Smith said they made the discovery after contactingfive of the worlds largest Covid testing labs: Quest, BioReference, ARUP Labs, LabCorp., and Mayo Clinic. They said the labs informed them that they experienced a large spike in COVID-19 diagnostic testing needs during the summer surge. The letter said the labs are also developing additional testing capacities but are still short on supplies and are experiencing confusion about payment and reimbursement for COVID-19 diagnostic testing as a result of Congressional and Administration inaction.  ...Read the full article on CNBC.com here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\n\t\t\t\t    Brian Schwartz, Stephanie Dhue\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCNBC.com\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/warren-files-bill-to-require-immigration-agencies-report-out-covid-19-data", "Warren Files Bill To Require Immigration Agencies Report Out COVID-19 Data", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Files Bill To Require Immigration Agencies Report Out COVID-19 Data \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSen. Elizabeth Warren and several Democratic colleagues want immigration detention facilities to track and publicly report data about COVID-19 cases.Warren, along with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, filedthe bill, called the COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act, Wednesday in both chambers of Congress.The billwould requireImmigrations and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement  and any facilities that contract with those agencies  to collect and submit COVID-19 data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a weekly basis. That data would then be published publicly.  ...Read the full article from WBURhere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\n\t\t\t\t    Ally Jarmanning\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWBUR\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/as-nation-grapples-with-covid-19-surge-warren-smith-release-their-findings-on-national-testing-capacity-and-pediatric-testing-availability", "As Nation Grapples With COVID-19 Surge, Warren, Smith Release Their Findings on National Testing Capacity and Pediatric Testing Availability", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t As Nation Grapples With COVID-19 Surge, Warren, Smith Release Their Findings on National Testing Capacity and Pediatric Testing Availability \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t \"Our findings reveal significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity, exacerbating the ongoing public health threat. Addressing these problems will require aggressive federal government action.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text\r\nof Letter Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Health, Education,\r\nLabor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to Alex Azar, Secretary of\r\nthe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) summarizing the findings from\r\ntheir investigation\r\ninto the nation's testing capacity and the availability\r\nof pediatric testing and making recommendations for how the federal\r\ngovernment can improve national testing infrastructure. On August 26, 2020, Senators\r\nWarren and Smith wrote to five of the largest COVID-19 testing laboratories\r\nregarding each company's capacity to process COVID-19 diagnostic tests and\r\ndeliver prompt results. From the responses to these letters, the lawmakers\r\nlearned that lab companies experienced a large surge in COVID-19 diagnostic\r\ntesting needs during the summer surge, straining lab company capacity and\r\nslowing test turnaround times in some cases. Supply shortages hampered their\r\nefforts to develop additional capacity. They also experienced confusion about\r\npayment and reimbursement in different scenarios - for instance, whether\r\ninsurers or the government was responsible for payment when a test was not\r\nconsidered \"medically necessary.\" Furthermore, in response to reports that families were having difficulty\r\nobtaining COVID-19 testing for their young children, on October 7, 2020, Senators\r\nWarren and Smith wrote to the retail providers participating in the HHS\r\nCommunity-Based Testing Sites partnership to ask for information about their\r\npolicies regarding pediatric testing and their plans to expand testing to more\r\nage groups. They found that pediatric testing is becoming more widely\r\navailable, though most retail providers were not currently offering testing for\r\nyoung children. The responses from the retail providers indicated that the\r\nprimary barrier to expanding pediatric testing is the providers' use of\r\n\"self-swab\" test kits, which are difficult for children or their\r\ncaregivers to use. Additionally, independent pharmacies have had difficulty\r\nobtaining the tests needed to participate in the HHS program. Following Senator\r\nWarren and Smith's letters, Walgreens announced that it would begin offering\r\ntesting for children as young as three years old, and Rite Aid announced that\r\nit would offer testing for children as young as 13. \"Together, our findings reveal significant gaps in COVID-19 testing\r\ncapacity, exacerbating the ongoing public health threat. Addressing these\r\nproblems will require aggressive federal government action. We have previously\r\ncalled for dedicated federal funding and a national testing plan to ensure that\r\neveryone who needs a COVID-19 test can access one quickly and easily,\" wrote\r\nthe lawmakers. The Senators now recommend that the federal government: 1.\r\nInvoke the Defense Production Act to\r\nensure that testing labs and providers have adequate access to supplies needed\r\nto conduct tests and to ensure that supplies are reaching communities that are\r\nmost in need; 2.\r\nClarify rules regarding payments for\r\ntesting so that patients and providers can more clearly understand\r\nwhen third-party payers, the government, or other responsible parties should\r\nprovide reimbursement for various types of COVID-19 testing, including for\r\ndiagnostic, screening, or surveillance purposes; 3.\r\nProvide detailed guidance on appropriate\r\nprocedures for testing children and education and outreach to retail\r\nproviders to enable them to offer pediatric testing services more widely; and 4.\r\nWork with independent pharmacies to\r\naddress supply chain issues and provide greater access to tests so\r\nthat more independent providers are able to participate in the HHS\r\nCommunity-Based Testing Sites program. In April, Senators Warren and Smith led 44 of their colleagues calling on\r\nVice President Mike Pence, Head of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, and\r\nthe Federal Emergency Management Agency to\r\nconduct a national inventory of the COVID-19 diagnostic testing supply,\r\npublicly release data on testing results, and provide a detailed plan and\r\ntimeline for addressing future shortages and gaps in the testing supply chain.\r\nThe Trump administration never took these actions. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/at-warren-and-baldwin-request-independent-watchdog-agrees-to-investigate-mandatory-work-requirements-at-drug-and-alcohol-rehabilitation-facilities-receiving-federal-funding", "At Warren and Baldwin Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t At Warren and Baldwin Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t A recent investigation found that individuals at these facilities are being required to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a \"huge, unpaid shadow workforce\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Response\r\nfrom Government Accountability Office (GAO) Here Senators'\r\nInitial Request to GAO Here Washington, DC - At the request of United States Senator\r\nElizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and\r\nPensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member\r\nof the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, the Government\r\nAccountability Office (GAO) has agreed to conduct an independent audit of\r\nmandatory vocational requirements at drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities\r\nthat receive federal funding. The senators' call for an investigation follows recent\r\nreporting by the Center for Investigative Reporting which found that\r\nindividuals at some drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities are being\r\nrequired to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a\r\n\"huge, unpaid shadow workforce.\" \"The GAO's decision to investigate this practice is a good first step\r\ntoward ensuring no one seeking treatment for substance use disorder is\r\nsubjected to predatory conditions that threaten their recovery and violate their\r\nrights,\" Senator Warren said. \"Their investigation\r\nwill aid in ensuring federal funds are being used for evidence-based treatment\r\nprograms, and that federal labor laws are being properly enforced.\" \"It is simply wrong that some drug and alcohol rehabilitation\r\nfacilities are requiring patients to work for little or no pay, under predatory\r\nand unfair working conditions, as part of their treatment program,\"\r\nsaid Senator Baldwin. \"The Government Accountability Office is\r\nright to have accepted our request to investigate so we can learn more and\r\nensure that these facilities are operating within the rule of law. We need to\r\nmake sure these rehabilitation facilities are using evidence-based treatments\r\nand that they are not taking advantage of those who are in recovery.\" Some rehabilitation facilities have mandatory work requirements, described\r\nas vocational therapy, in which facilities send participants to work for\r\ncontractors of or directly at private companies, with these individuals\r\nreceiving little to no pay for their labor. This practice appears to be a\r\nviolation of federal labor law, but has escaped federal enforcement. \"Requiring individuals to work without compensation is a violation of\r\nthe Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes standards for labor\r\nprotections including minimum wage and overtime pay,\" the senators\r\nwrote\r\nin their request. \"Individuals struggling with substance use\r\ndisorder who attend rehabilitation programs should never be subjected to\r\npredatory conditions that threaten their recovery and violate their rights\r\nunder the law.\" ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-warren-and-markey-welcome-independent-report-on-fort-hood-urge-immediate-action-to-protect-soldiers", "Senators Warren and Markey Welcome Independent Report on Fort Hood, Urge Immediate Action to Protect Soldiers", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Markey Welcome Independent Report on Fort Hood, Urge Immediate Action to Protect Soldiers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senators called for an independent investigation into Ft. Hood after the disappearance and death of Brockton native Elder Fernandes, who died near the base in August\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington D.C. - Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass),\r\nmember of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Ed Markey (D-Mass) released\r\nthe following statement upon the release of the report of the Fort Hood\r\nIndependent Review Committee, which was tasked with investigating the command\r\nculture and climate at Fort Hood Army Base, near Killeen, Texas. The report's\r\nexecutive summary reveals pervasive deficiencies in the sexual harassment and\r\nassault reporting structure, a lack of clearly outlined procedures for\r\nresponding to reports of missing soldiers, and a command culture permissive of\r\nsexual harassment and sexual assault, among other problems. As a result of the\r\nreport's findings, the Army announced today they are firing or suspending 14\r\nFort Hood commanders and other leaders. \"The pervasive problems found by the independent investigation into\r\nFort Hood demonstrate a gross disregard by Army leadership and the Command at\r\nFort Hood for the safety and well-being of America's soldiers,\" said\r\nSenators Warren and Markey. \"It should not have taken the dozens\r\nof deaths of men and women of our armed forces at Fort Hood to trigger an\r\ninvestigation. \"While we appreciate the findings of the independent investigation,\r\nit's been clear that the Army's leadership must be held accountable for the\r\nharm caused by allowing a climate of harassment, fear, and retaliation to take\r\nhold for so long. The Army must make immediately clear what steps it will be\r\ntaking to address the problems outlined in the report. Top Army leadership\r\nshould testify before the Senate as soon as possible, and the incoming Biden administration\r\nmust continue to ensure that the problems caused by the lack of leadership and\r\nlack of care for the soldiers serving at Fort Hood are fully resolved. \"When a young person puts on the Army uniform it becomes our\r\nresponsibility to keep them safe,\" continued the Senators.\r\n\"The U.S. Army failed Sergeant Elder Fernandes, Specialist Vanessa\r\nGuillen, and their families and they, like the families of all of the soldiers\r\nwho have suffered at Fort Hood, deserve justice.\" In September, Senators Warren and Markey, and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch\r\n(MA-01) called\r\non the independent review panel investigating the command climate and\r\nculture at U.S. Army Base Fort Hood, Texas to include the case of Army Sergeant\r\nElder Fernandes in its review of the base. Sergeant Fernandes, a 23 year-old\r\nnative of Brockton, Massachusetts who was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division\r\nat Fort Hood, was found dead on August 25 after having gone missing on August\r\n17. Shortly after he was reported missing, public reports revealed that in May\r\nof this year Sergeant Fernandes had reported a sexual assault allegation\r\nagainst a member of his chain of command and also became the target of\r\nbullying, hazing, and harassment. Senators Warren and Markey along with Senator\r\nJohn Cornyn (R-Tex.) requested\r\nthe Senate Armed Services Committee hold a public hearing with Army\r\nleaders and the independent review panel to probe the findings and\r\nrecommendations of the independent review panel. Senator Warren led the\r\nMassachusetts Congressional Delegation in requesting\r\nthat the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General conduct a complete and\r\nthorough investigation of the circumstances that led to the disappearance and\r\ndeath of Sergeant Fernandes.  \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n###   \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-and-nadler-introduce-the-consumer-bankruptcy-reform-act-of-2020", "Warren and Nadler Introduce the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren and Nadler Introduce the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 would simplify and modernize the consumer bankruptcy system to make it easier for individuals and families forced into bankruptcy to get back on their feet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t One-Pager\r\n(PDF) | Bill\r\nSummary (PDF) | Bill\r\nText (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)\r\nintroduced the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020, bicameral\r\nlegislation to simplify and modernize the consumer bankruptcy system to make it\r\neasier for individuals and families forced into bankruptcy to get back on their\r\nfeet. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and\r\nSheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N.\r\nCicilline (D-R.I.). \"Our bankruptcy system too often fails to provide financially\r\nstruggling individuals and families the relief they desperately need,\" said\r\nSenator Warren. \"The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020\r\nwill take long overdue steps to make it easier and less expensive for\r\nfinancially-strapped families and individuals to obtain meaningful bankruptcy\r\nrelief and give Americans a better chance to get back on their feet.\" \"Bankruptcy is an option of last resort, but it also promises a fresh\r\nstart so that people can get back up and keep working and providing for their\r\nfamilies,\" said Chairman Nadler.\r\n\"Today that promise rings hollow for many people because the bankruptcy\r\nsystem has become complex, unfair, and even punitive for ordinary consumers.\r\nThe Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act ensures that the bankruptcy system works for\r\nthe American people and not just big corporate creditors. Senator Warren and I\r\nhave worked on this issue for many years, and I look forward to continuing our\r\nfight for consumers with this new legislation.\" \"As we grapple with the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic,\r\nAmerican families will continue facing serious financial pressures,\"\r\nsaid Senator Durbin. \"Whether it is finding ways to help families\r\nstay in their homes during bankruptcy, to restoring dischargeability of student\r\nloans, to addressing racial and gender disparities in the bankruptcy system; we\r\nmust end years of delay and finally make our bankruptcy system fairer by\r\npassing this legislation.\" \"Our bankruptcy system tends to put the profits of big corporations\r\nahead of families fighting to stay afloat,\" said Senator\r\nWhitehouse. \"I'm proud to support this sensible bill to allow\r\nAmericans facing financial hardship to free themselves of student loan and\r\nmedical debt.\" \"I'm proud to join Senator Warren and Chairman Nadler in introducing\r\nthis important bill,\" said Chairman David N. Cicilline.\r\n\"Giving people a fresh start is the cornerstone of our bankruptcy code.\r\nBut for too many, that relief is out of reach due to significant burdens and\r\nhigh costs. This bill will remove these barriers and bring much-needed reforms\r\nthat give working Americans a fair shot and a second chance at economic\r\nopportunity.\" The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis has left millions of\r\nAmericans out of work, drowning in debt, and struggling under the weight of\r\nmedical bills, student loans, mortgages, and car loans. Even before the\r\npandemic hit, Americans were already hanging on by their fingernails. In the\r\nlast 40 years, consumer credit skyrocketed as Americans, faced with stagnant\r\nwages, took on more debt to deal with the increasing costs of housing,\r\neducation, medical care, and child care. For millions of households, a shock\r\nlike a job loss or a family illness can send them tumbling over a financial cliff.\r\nRecent reports warn\r\nthat a wave of bankruptcies is on the horizon. The bankruptcy system is supposed to be a lifeline of last resort; instead,\r\nindividuals and families forced into bankruptcy encounter a broken system that\r\ntoo often fails to provide them with the financial relief they seek and benefits\r\nbig corporate creditors. The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act will: \r\n Make it easier and less\r\n     expensive for financially-strapped families and individuals to obtain financial\r\n     relief by replacing the two separate consumer bankruptcy chapters with a\r\n     single system available to all consumers, streamlining the filing process,\r\n     and reducing filing fees.\r\n  \r\n Ensure that filers can\r\n     care for themselves and their families during the bankruptcy process by helping\r\n     renters with back rent avoid eviction and continue to make payments,\r\n     making student loan debt dischargeable in bankruptcy, and allowing people\r\n     to protect their homes and cars during the bankruptcy process.\r\n  \r\n Help address racial and\r\n     gender disparities in the bankruptcy system by ending the special\r\n     privilege that prevents people from discharging local government fines in\r\n     bankruptcy; preventing individuals from obtaining relief from debts\r\n     arising from civil rights violations; and exempting sources of income and\r\n     assets traceable to alimony, child support income, the child tax credit,\r\n     and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).\r\n  \r\n Close loopholes that\r\n     allow the wealthy to exploit the bankruptcy system, including the\r\n     \"Millionaire's Loophole\" and \"spendthrift clause\r\n     loophole.\"\r\n  \r\n Crack down on predatory\r\n     practices and hold corporate wrongdoers accountable by banning collection\r\n     of debts that violate consumer protection laws, allowing lawsuits against\r\n     creditors that attempt to collect previously discharged debt, and\r\n     preventing creditors from pursuing consumers in mandatory arbitration.\r\n The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 has been endorsed by\r\nAction Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE); Alliance for Retired Americans;\r\nAmerican Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME);\r\nAmericans for Financial Reform; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO;\r\nAssociation of Young Americans (AYA); Consumer Federation of America; Demos;\r\nNational Alliance for Partnerships in Equity; National Association of Consumer\r\nAdvocates; National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education\r\n(NAFEO); National Consumer Law Center (NCLC); National Indian Education\r\nAssociation (NIEA); Progressive Change Campaign Committee; Public Citizen;\r\nService Employees International Union (SEIU); Social Security Works; UnidosUS;\r\nU.S. PIRG; and Young Invincibles. \"The Association of Young Americans (AYA) is deeply appreciative of,\r\nand pleased to endorse, the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act introduced by\r\nSenator Warren and Chairman Nadler, which would help young Americans forced\r\ninto bankruptcy get back on their feet,\" said Ben Brown, Founder,\r\nAssociation of Young Americans. \"This bill would create a less\r\nhostile financial relief environment for people struggling financially,\r\nespecially at a time when millions of young people are being crushed by student\r\ndebt, dealing with economic fallout from COVID-19, and experiencing intense job\r\ninsecurity. Senator Warren's and Chairman Nadler's legislation is commendable\r\nas it would make it easier for people to obtain relief by streamlining the\r\nbankruptcy filing process, ensuring rent protections, making student loans\r\ndischargeable in bankruptcy, and protecting filers from predatory practices and\r\nexploitation. Along with student debt cancellation, these are the kinds of\r\npolicies young Americans need to be enacted in order to stimulate a strong\r\neconomy in which all young people are able to meaningfully participate. For\r\nthese reasons, AYA advocates for the passage of this bill into law.\" \"The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, the\r\nmembership and advocacy association for all HBCUs and PBIs, is grateful to\r\nSenator Warren and Congressman Nadler for introducing the Consumer Bankruptcy\r\nReform Act, a comprehensive measure to fix our bankruptcy system, to give\r\npeople forced into bankruptcy a second chance a lifeline of last resort,\" said\r\nLezli Baskerville, President & CEO, National Association for Equal\r\nOpportunity in Higher Education. \"This tremendous fix of the\r\nbroken American bankruptcy system is especially needed at this time as millions\r\nof new people are filing for unemployment and millions more are under water\r\nwith no foreseeable way out. People of color, women, the frontline workers we\r\ndo not see on the evening news, and others who were thriving before we got\r\nmired in the worst pandemic since the 1819 epidemic, and the worst recession in\r\nrecent years, are buried beneath unpaid rent and mortgages, car loans, medical\r\nbills, maxed out on credit cards being used for food, family, and other\r\nnecessities. The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act will give people who fall down\r\na way to get back up again.\" \"In a time when millions of Americans have lost their jobs and\r\nlivelihoods due to the ongoing COVID-19 health and economic crisis, it's clear\r\nour system needs a stronger financial safety net,\" said Christine\r\nHines, Legislative Director at National Association of Consumer Advocates.\r\n\"Senator Elizabeth Warren's and Chairman Jerry Nadler's Consumer\r\nBankruptcy Reform Act is a thoughtful and comprehensive package of protections\r\nthat supports families struggling with burdensome debt and facilitates\r\nsustainable paths to help get them back on their feet.\" \"Public Citizen enthusiastically supports this critical set of reforms\r\nfrom Senator Warren and Chairman Nadler,\" said Lisa Gilbert,\r\nExecutive Vice President, Public Citizen. \"Modernizing and\r\nclarifying the consumer bankruptcy system is long overdue, and in this time of\r\nnational economic crisis, making it easier for individuals and families forced\r\ninto bankruptcy to get back on their feet is just the right thing to\r\ndo.\" \"U.S. PIRG supports the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act, which will\r\nre-balance consumer rights to a fairer bankruptcy process and will give them a\r\nbetter chance to reorganize their finances, especially during a pandemic,\"\r\nsaid Ed Mierzwinski, Senior Director for Federal Consumer Programs,\r\nU.S. PIRG. \"Importantly, the proposal includes protections for\r\nboth homeowners and renters, prohibits and punishes illegal practices by debt\r\ncollectors and others, addresses racial and gender disparities in the\r\nbankruptcy system and eliminates loopholes exploited by the wealthy. Finally,\r\nit also eliminates one of the cruelest provisions in U.S. law by removing the\r\nprovision that makes private and federal student loans non-dischargeable.\" \"Young people have struggled to obtain solid financial footing since\r\nthe Great Recession, and the Covid-19 economic downturn only places a heavier\r\nburden on millions of Americans already hardest hit,\" said Dr.\r\nKyle Southern, Policy and Advocacy Director for Higher Education and Workforce,\r\nYoung Invincibles. \"We applaud Senator Warren's and Chairman\r\nNadler's introduction of the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act, which would\r\nprovide a more straightforward path for economically distressed Americans to\r\nmove forward. In particular, the bill's provision to make student loan debt\r\ndischargeable would be a much-needed change in law to help struggling student\r\nborrowers. This bill's focus on racial and gender disparities in the bankruptcy\r\nsystem would also foster greater equity and strengthen the strained social\r\nsafety net.\" In the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys'\r\n(NACBA) letter of encouragement, NACBA President Colwell stated,\r\n\"We share Senator Warren's and Chairman Nadler's belief that now is the\r\ntime to make the improvements to the Bankruptcy Code that have long been\r\nneeded.\" The full letter is available here. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-castro-booker-colleagues-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-require-covid-19-data-collection-in-immigration-detention-facilities", "Warren, Castro, Booker, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Require COVID-19 Data Collection in Immigration Detention Facilities", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Castro, Booker, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Require COVID-19 Data Collection in Immigration Detention Facilities \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t The COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act would provide public health experts, policymakers, immigration advocates, and the public with critical information about COVID-19 in immigration detention facilities.\r\nCurrent information about the number of COVID-19 cases affecting individuals in immigration detention is inadequate for the purpose of stopping the spread of the virus and protecting detainees, staff, and nearby communities.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Bill\r\nText | Bill\r\nOne-Pager Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas.), Chair of the Congressional\r\nHispanic Caucus, and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate\r\nJudiciary Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, introduced\r\nthe bicameral COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act,\r\nwhich would require immigration-detention facilities to collect and\r\npublicly report data about COVID-19 cases and the preventative measures in\r\nplace in these facilities. This legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.),\r\nChris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),\r\nDick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Amy\r\nKlobuchar (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bob Casey\r\n(D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Representatives\r\nJamie Raskin (D-Md.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas.),\r\nFilemon Vela (D-Texas.), James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), Bonnie Watson Coleman\r\n(D-N.J.), and Al Green (D-Texas.). COVID-19 presents serious risks to individuals in group settings, including\r\nin immigration detention. Tens of thousands of people are currently held in, or\r\nwork in, facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs\r\nand Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as\r\nwell as in immigration-detention facilities that have contracted with these\r\nagencies. Many detained people cannot take precautionary measures such as\r\nsocial distancing and wearing personal protective equipment due to their close\r\nconfinement and the limited resources available to them. Currently, available\r\ninformation about the number of COVID-19 cases affecting individuals in\r\nimmigration detention is inadequate for the purpose of stopping the spread of\r\nthe virus and protecting detainees, staff, and nearby communities. Federal\r\nreporting standards are necessary to protect against the virus and mitigate outbreaks. \"We are facing a crisis unlike anything in our lifetimes -- and it is\r\nhitting vulnerable members of our communities the hardest, including those in\r\ndetention facilities. Many detained people are at the mercy of the facilities\r\nin which they're held. That is why we need to mandate these reporting\r\nstandards,\" said Senator Warren. \"Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I've visited multiple\r\nimmigration detention centers and I'm appalled by the neglect of basic public\r\nhealth measures to protect people's lives,\" said Congressman\r\nJoaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.\r\n\"I'm proud to partner with Senator Warren to ensure that the federal\r\ngovernment guarantees access to legal counsel, provides testing and commits to\r\nkeeping reported data transparently so ICE and Border Patrol can be held\r\naccountable. This legislation is about protecting people from the coronavirus\r\nand preventing unnecessary outbreaks from overwhelming our health system.\" \"We know that individuals in detention centers are disproportionately\r\nat risk of contracting COVID-19, but because of a lack of federal reporting\r\nstandards, we don't have the full picture needed to make critical public\r\nhealth decisions that protect the health and safety of detained individuals and\r\nnearby communities,\" said Senator Booker. \"Our bill\r\nis part of an urgent effort to address the COVID-19 crisis in detention centers\r\nand to ensure that experts have the data and information they need to make\r\npublic health recommendations to save as many lives as possible.\" The COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act provides public\r\nhealth experts, policymakers, immigration advocates, and the public with\r\ncritical information about COVID-19 in immigration detention facilities. The\r\nbill creates reporting standards for agencies and facilities responsible for\r\nthe custody and care of immigrant detainees. The bill would do the following: \r\n Require ICE, CBP, ORR, and\r\n     contract facilities to collect and submit COVID-19 data to the Centers for\r\n     Disease Control and Prevention on a weekly basis and regularly publish\r\n     this data on their websites. The data will be stored in a manner that\r\n     protects an individual's privacy and may not be used against them in any\r\n     future immigration proceedings.\r\n  \r\n Mandate that ICE, CBP, and\r\n     ORR report to Congress on the protocols and practices in place at each\r\n     detention facility under their jurisdiction, outlining the health\r\n     standards, the standards of medical care provided to detainees, and the\r\n     sanitation practices at each facility.\r\n  \r\n Require ICE, CBP, ORR, and\r\n     the head of each contract facility to report to Congress on the efforts\r\n     made to ensure detained individuals have access to legal counsel.\r\n  \r\n Ensure that detained\r\n     individuals tested for COVID-19 have confidential access to all their test\r\n     results and medical records, in their preferred language.\r\n \"We know that immigrants held in detention centers are at a\r\nsignificantly higher risk of contracting COVID-19, but we have no data about\r\nhow many people have gotten sick, if they've been treated, or what precautions\r\nhave been put in place to prevent the spread of the disease. Seeking a better\r\nlife in America shouldn't come with a death sentence - especially not at the\r\nhands of the U.S. government,\" said Senator Blumenthal. \"In the midst of this pandemic, we are reminded every day that America\r\nwould be lost without immigrants. At the same time, thousands of immigrants are\r\nlanguishing in an inhumane detention system where the virus is spreading like\r\nwildfire. Data about COVID-19 cases in DHS and HHS facilities must be\r\nadequately tracked and reported to help address this crisis,\" said\r\nSenator Durbin. \"This legislation takes a step forward in\r\nensuring that local leaders and public health experts have the data readily\r\navailable to address the needs of these facilities.\" \"ICE and CBP have repeatedly shown their willingness to prioritize\r\nhardline immigration enforcement over the well-being of immigrants and immigrant\r\ncommunities. We know detention centers are hotspots for coronavirus and are\r\nputting lives at risk every day. Congress has an obligation to hold these\r\nagencies accountable for the health and safety of every person in detention. I\r\nam proud to cosponsor the Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act, which\r\nwill bring much needed transparency to ICE and CBP practices and protocols\r\nduring the pandemic,\" said Senator Markey. \"Every human being coming to America in the hopes of building a better\r\nlife for themselves and their families deserves to be treated with respect and\r\ncare-not to be forced into a shadowy COVID hot spot,\" said Senator\r\nMerkley. \"Alarming reports of outbreaks and inadequate care in\r\nour detention facilities must be addressed immediately, and we need full\r\ntransparency and access to valuable data to make that happen. I'm urging all of\r\nmy colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join our call for that information,\r\nso we can do the right thing and save lives.\" \"The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the harm done by Trump's\r\nsenseless and cruel immigration policies,\" said Senator Sanders. \"This\r\nbill will ensure public health experts have the data they need to stop the\r\ndeadly outbreaks we are seeing in immigration detention facilities.\" \"As we see COVID-19 cases rise throughout our nation, the spread of the\r\ncoronavirus in immigration detention centers threatens the lives of thousands\r\nof detainees, staff, and nearby communities. We have a moral responsibility to\r\nprotect all of these individuals and ensure healthy and safe conditions.\r\nRequiring access to accurate and transparent data on COVID-19 in detention\r\nfacilities is crucial to this effort,\" said Senator Van Hollen. The COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act is endorsed by\r\nAmerican Immigration Lawyers Association, Amnesty International USA, American\r\nPublic Health Association, Church World Service, Freedom for Immigrants,\r\nImmigration Hub, Kino Border Initiative, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee\r\nAdvocacy Coalition, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration\r\nProject of the National Lawyers Guild, Partners in Health, and Southern Poverty\r\nLaw Center. \"The Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act is a vital step\r\ntowards ensuring the safety of people who are detained by DHS. Since the start\r\nof the pandemic, we have seen ICE refuse to take meaningful measures to protect\r\nthe thousands of individuals currently in its custody, including failure to\r\nprovide hygiene supplies, personal protective equipment, testing, and access to\r\ncritical medical care. This legislation would require ICE to report key\r\ninformation, so that the public knows what ICE is doing to prevent the\r\nunnecessary illness and possible death of individuals in detention, government\r\nemployees, and visitors.\"-Kate Voigt, Senior Associate Director of\r\nGovernment Relations, American Immigration Lawyers Association \"This bill is vital. Our immigrant detention system is immoral and\r\nunjustifiable. The unprecedented investment in punitive enforcement strategies\r\nis a failed experiment that has caused untold suffering in communities.\r\nInstead, we should be investing in community-based alternatives. Families and\r\nindividuals have traveled thousands of miles in the hopes that they could\r\nparticipate in America. It is our duty that we do not leave them susceptible to\r\nthe pandemic sweeping our world. Putting men, women, and children in detention\r\nshall remain wrong morally, but while the practice continues, these vulnerable\r\npeople should be afforded the right to care, not subjected to the risk of\r\nCOVID-19.\" -Reverend John L McCullough, President and CEO of\r\nChurch World Service \"Individuals in immigration detention face a heightened risk for\r\nCOVID-19 infection. We must take measures to address this risk, including\r\nreducing detention, but we can't execute an adequate response without\r\ncomprehensive data,\" said Eva Millona, President and CEO of the\r\nMassachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA).\r\n\"MIRA is proud to support the COVID-19 in Immigrant Detention Data\r\nTransparency Act and we are grateful to Senator Warren, Senator Booker, and\r\nRepresentative Castro for their leadership on behalf of immigrant and refugee\r\ncommunities.\" \"Medical neglect and abuse in DHS detention facilities have long been\r\nat crisis levels - with the onset of the pandemic, this past fiscal year became\r\none of the deadliest in DHS's history. The COVID-19 in Immigration\r\nDetention Data Transparency Act is a critical step forward in addressing\r\nthe human rights abuses inside the walls of these immigration jails.\" -\r\nCharanya Krishnaswami, Americas Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA \"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ICE has acted directly against the\r\nguidance of public health experts. People in detention report deterioration in\r\ndetention conditions and continued lack of access to essential supplies,\r\nincluding personal protective equipment and soap. It is clear that our current\r\nlaws are not enough to ensure a transparent government,\" said\r\nSarah Gardiner, Policy Director at Freedom for Immigrants.\r\n\"Freedom for Immigrants has consistently documented numerous inaccuracies,\r\nomissions, and errors in ICE's public reporting on COVID-19. ICE's deception,\r\nincompetency, and false statements have resulted in a rate of infection in\r\nimmigration detention that is outrageously disproportionate to national\r\naverages. This bill is a step toward more transparency, as we continue to call\r\non the next administration to drastically reduce detention levels.\" \"Every day we receive people at our migrant aid center who have been\r\ndeported, some from Eloy, an Arizona detention center that reported the most\r\nCOVID-19 cases of any ICE facility in the US this fall. Migrants arriving in\r\nNogales share that they are denied medical care and that they plead with guards\r\nto change their gloves before serving food. We have looked into the eyes\r\nof a man who self-deported for fear he would die of COVID in detention.\r\nThe COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act would provide for more\r\naccountability in immigrant detention and greater protection of migrants from\r\nthe Coronavirus. In the end, as people of faith we cannot turn a blind eye to\r\nthis injustice that is happening behind closed doors.\"-Father Sean\r\nCarroll, SJ, Executive Director, Kino Border Initiative Since the beginning of the pandemic, Senator Warren has been pushing for\r\nhealth equity in the federal pandemic response and for transparent data\r\ncollection and reporting. In August, Senators Warren and Booker-along with\r\nRepresentative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and\r\nRepresentatives Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), and Robin\r\nKelly (D-Ill.)-introduced the COVID-19\r\nin Corrections Data Transparency Act. That bill similarly improves\r\ntransparency around the pandemic's effects on incarcerated populations by\r\nrequiring the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Marshals Service,\r\nand state governments to collect and publicly report detailed data about COVID-19\r\nin federal, state, and local correctional facilities. The introduction of this bill is part of Senator Warren's ongoing efforts to\r\nprotect the rights and wellbeing of migrants and asylum seekers: \r\n Last month, Senator Warren joined\r\n     Senator Merkley in sending a letter demanding that the Trump\r\n     administration halt any and all plans to deport dozens of women who have\r\n     come forward to report unnecessary and non-consensual medical procedures\r\n     while detained at Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Georgia.\r\n     In September, the Senator joined\r\n     her colleagues in calling for a congressional hearings into a\r\n     whistleblower report of medical negligence at ICDC.\r\n  \r\n In April, Senator Warren joined\r\n     Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) in a letter to the DHS Office of Inspector\r\n     General (OIG) requesting they open an investigation into the conditions at\r\n     ICE detention facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n  \r\n Senator Warren joined\r\n     a letter to the DHS OIG requesting an investigation into the\r\n     conditions that led to the death of the first individual in immigration\r\n     detention from COVID-19 at Otay Mesa, an ICE facility in California.\r\n  \r\n Earlier this year, Senator\r\n     Warren and Representative Nydia M. Velzquez (D-N.Y.) sent a letter\r\n     to CBP, calling on it to strengthen its new Medical Directive, which\r\n     mandates the agency's requirements for medical screening and delivery of\r\n     medical care to migrants in CBP custody.\r\n  \r\n Senator Warren is a cosponsor\r\n     of Senator Booker's Federal Immigrant Release for Safety and Security\r\n     Together (FIRST) Act, which would provide for the release of vulnerable,\r\n     low-risk detained persons from immigration detention facilities during the\r\n     pandemic..\r\n  \r\n Senators Warren and Markey led\r\n     the Massachusetts congressional delegation in calling for all deportations\r\n     to be halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/after-deaths-holyoke-soldiers-home-lawmakers-introduce-new-bill-protect-veterans", "After deaths at Holyoke Soldiers Home, lawmakers introduce new bill to protect veterans", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  A federal overhaul on the safety standards for veterans' homes is being proposed by two Massachusetts congressmen.\nCongressmen Richard Neal and Joe Kennedy introduced the new bill in response to the deaths of 76 veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home. The Holyoke Veterans Act calls for higher and more appropriate qualifications for the administration of veteran homes.\nFor example, leaders would need to hold a medical license.\nThe bill also calls for more oversight of those facilities, larger governing boards, and requires all veteran homes to have infection control plans.\nBecause of what happened across the country soldiers homes and nursing home facilities that we can gain some traction. There is going to have to be more oversight from the federal government about many of these soldier' homes across the country, Congressman Neal said.\nNext, the proposed act will move to the Committee on Veterans Affairs for approval.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/following-holyoke-tragedy-reps-joe-kennedy-iii-and-richard-neal-introduce-bill-overhaul", "Following Holyoke tragedy, Reps. Joe Kennedy III and Richard Neal introduce bill to overhaul safety standards at soldiers homes", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Reps. Joe Kennedy III and Richard Neal proposed an overhaul of federal safety standards at soldiers' homes nationwide on Tuesday, building on aKennedy proposal earlier this yearafter theCOVID-19pandemic took the lives of 76 veterans at theHolyoke Soldiers' Home.\nThe Holyoke Veteran's Act calls for improved qualifications among administrative leaders and significantly broader oversight of soldiers' homes. The bill would require administrators or deputy superintendents at soldiers' homes to maintain a medical license similar to those held by skilled nursing facility administrators.\nIf the act becomes law, governing bodies at the homes must be more than a single person and, like state long-term care facilities, all soldiers' homes will have to employ an infection preventionist.\nThe proposed new rules come a month after two former administratorswere arraigned on criminal neglect chargeslinked to the deadly outbreak at the state-run facility in Holyoke. Of the roughly 210 veterans who were living at the home since the outbreak began, 76 died of COVID-19 and dozens more tested positive, prompting Kennedy to proposesweeping reforms back in May.\nWhat happened in Holyoke makes clear: We failed to keep safe heroes who dedicated their lives to protecting us, Kennedy said in a statement. No action today can undo the harm our nation caused, but in honor of those we lost  and all who loved them  we can act aggressively to fix the gaping holes in oversight, accountability and basic safety that this pandemic exposed. The Holyoke Veterans Act will help save lives today, as COVID continues to soar across the country, and will ensure a similar tragedy cannot ever again occur.\nAccording to the act, each facility will be required to submit annual emergency plans to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Government Accountability Office must produce a report on how the VA could bolster oversight and safety.\nThe tragedy at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home was personal to me, Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, said in a statement.\nNeal's uncle is a resident of the home who survived after being diagnosed with the virus, but so many others were not as fortunate, he said.\nThere must be accountability for what happened at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home and other facilities across the country where our heroes live, and this legislation is a very important step to achieve that, Neal added. We made a promise to care for our veterans after they fought for us. And that cannot ever be forgotten.\nOnetime Superintendent Bennett Walsh and his top medical adviser, Dr. David Clinton, entered not guilty pleas on 10 criminal neglect charges during a remote proceeding in Hampden Superior Court in November.\nBoston-based design firm Payette Associates recently saidrenovationsat the facility could cost up to $303 million. Past administrators in Holyoke pleaded with state officials for years to make improvements to the mid-century building and to boost funding for clinical staff.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/elizabeth-warren-and-ed-markey-urge-fellow-senate-democrats-to-demand-stimulus-checks-in-covid-19-relief-bill", "Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey urge fellow Senate Democrats to demand stimulus checks in COVID-19 relief bill", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a letter, they called the recent Manchin-Romney proposal \"unacceptable.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey believe that any new COVID-19 relief package needs to include a new round of stimulus checks and they're imploring fellow Senate Democrats to hold firm on the position in the midst of the dual public health and economic crises. The two Massachusetts senators signed ontoa letter Tuesdayurging colleagues to join us in demanding that any new COVID-relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children, similar to thefirst round of checksthat were included in the CARES Act last spring.  ...Read the full article on Boston.com here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/16-mass-elected-officials-challenge-state-agency-on-east-boston-substation", "16 Mass. Elected Officials Challenge State Agency On East Boston Substation", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 07, 2020\n\t\t\t 16 Mass. Elected Officials Challenge State Agency On East Boston Substation \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMultiple members of the Massachusetts federal delegation, along with several state and local elected officials, senta letteron Monday to Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, challenging the state's recent decision to move forward with plans to build a controversial electrical substation in East Boston. The letter, directed at the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB), asked the board to re-evaluate whetherthe electrical substationon the Chelsea Creek waterfront is actually needed to meet the area's power demands, and also to postpone an upcoming public hearing so that more members of the public can participate.The siting of any new significant energy project requires the full and informed input of the surrounding public, [especially] as this planned industrial infrastructure is in an already disproportionately overburdened Environmental Justice community, the 16 signatories wrote. Participation in the approval process must not be in name only. Officials signing the letter include U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren; U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Joseph P. Kennedy, III and Katherine Clark; State SenatorsJoseph A. Boncore,Sal N. DiDomenico andJamie B. Eldridge;State Reps. Adrian C. Madaro, Daniel J. Ryan,Liz Miranda and Michelle DuBois; as well as Boston City Councilors Lydia Edwards, Michelle Wu,Julia Mejia andAnnissa Essaibi-George.  ...Read the full article from WBUR here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\n\t\t\t\t    Miriam Wasser\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWBUR\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/with-rent-due-and-evictions-looming-warren-rips-mcconnell-for-disgraceful-obstruction", "With rent due and evictions looming, Warren rips McConnell for \"disgraceful\" obstruction", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"It is cruel for Republicans to continue blocking real relief for working people during this crisis\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWith another rent payment due Tuesday for millions of Americans, Sen. Elizabeth Warrencalled outSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his fellow Republicans for continuing to stonewall an adequate coronavirus stimulus bill that would prevent mass evictions that arejust around the cornerand provide desperately needed relief to the unemployed. \"The rent is due. . . and Majority Leader McConnell and the Senate GOP still haven't reinstated the $600 unemployment checks, extended unemployment programs, passed rental assistance, or anything else in months to help struggling families during this crisis,\" the Massachusetts DemocrattweetedMonday. \"It's disgraceful.\" \"With so many families struggling to put food on the table,\" Warren added in a separatetweet, \"it is cruel for Republicans to continue blocking real relief for working people during this crisis.\"  ...Read the full article on Salon here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/elizabeth-warren-and-ayanna-pressley-want-to-know-how-badly-the-us-pandemic-response-failed-people-of-color", "Elizabeth Warren And Ayanna Pressley Want To Know How Badly The US Pandemic Response Failed People Of Color", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, It is not clear whether that relief has successfully reached the communities that are most impacted.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe US government needs to investigate whether Black, Latino, and Native American communities most impacted by thepandemichave received adequate coronavirus relief funds, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley wrote to the Government Accountability Office. To date, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars to sustain our health system and mitigate the economic fallout during this public health emergency. However, it is not clear whether that relief has successfully reached the communities that are most impacted, the lawmakers stated in theirletter, shared first with BuzzFeed News. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on people of color.Datafrom the CDC shows that of COVID-19 cases in which the race is known, Latinx people represent about 24% of cases in the US but 19% of the population, and Black people are about 14% of cases and 13% of the population. States with large Native American populations  New Mexico, Wyoming, and South Dakota, for instance  are seeing higher rates in those communities than overall. Demographic data about the pandemic is incomprehensive, however, and the impact on minority populations may be even greater than these data reveal.  ...Read the full article on Buzzfeed News here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/op-eds/new-op-ed-why-we-elizabeth-warren-and-chuck-schumer-believe-the-biden-harris-administration-should-cancel-up-to-50k-in-student-debt-on-day-one", "New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 04, 2020\n\t\t\t New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOp-Ed\r\nin Blavity Washington, DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and\r\nSenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today published an op-ed in\r\nBlavity on why the Biden-Harris administration should cancel up to $50,000 in\r\nstudent loan debt on day one of their administration and how cancelling student\r\nloan debt will help start to close the racial wealth gap. Read the full\r\nop-ed here. Key sections below. Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris\r\nAdministration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One For the first time in history, the American people have elected a President\r\nand Vice President States who committed to cancelling billions in student loan\r\ndebt. Americans outside of Washington get\r\nit. They see their friends, family, and neighbors crushed\r\nby growing debt burdens, unable to afford their first home or start a small\r\nbusiness. They know a senior whose Social Security check has been garnished by\r\nthe federal government just to pay student loan interest. They know a mother\r\nstruggling to make ends meet who never got a degree and now watches her debt\r\nload grow faster than she can keep up with. ... Broad cancellation of student debt would give tens of millions of Americans\r\n$200 to $300 more to spend and save each month. Cancellation also means they\r\nwon't have to worry about a student debt time bomb exploding when the payments\r\nsuspension ends. With more money in their pockets and a smaller debt load, they\r\ncan consider bigger purchases like cars and homes and, for some, start their own\r\nbusinesses. That's good for the borrower and good for our economy. ... On day one, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can\r\nuse existing authority under the law to cancel up to $50,000 in federal\r\nstudent loan debt for all borrowers with federal loans and make sure it doesn't\r\nresult in any tax bill for borrowers. This is the single most effective executive action available to provide\r\nmassive stimulus to our economy. ... We have supported limiting debt cancellation for those whose education is\r\npaying off big-time - for example, those with big six-figure incomes. But for\r\ntens of millions more, student loan debt has become an impossible burden, and\r\nwe must act. Among those struggling the hardest are people who tried college, but who never\r\nmade it to a diploma whether because they didn't have the support, the\r\nchildcare, the time, life intervened, whatever. Up\r\nto 40% of student loan borrowers are in a nearly-impossible situation - no\r\ndiploma to boost their earnings and a debt load they simply cannot manage. Student loan debt falls\r\nparticularly hard on Black and Latinx students. These students are more\r\nlikely to borrow money to go to college, borrow more money while they are in\r\ncollege and have a harder time paying when they leave college. The results are\r\ndevastating. A third of Latinx borrowers default on their loans, and Black\r\nborrowers have about a 50-50\r\nchance of defaulting on their loans. In fact, a decade after they start\r\nschool, the typical Black borrower owes more on their loan than they originally\r\nborrowed. Millions of these students were cheated into debt by sham for-profit\r\ncolleges. And even after cancelling up to $50,000 of student debt, the price of\r\ncollege is still astronomical. That's why the incoming administration should\r\nalso work with Congress and higher education institutions to reign in the\r\nout-of-control college costs and crack down on predatory practices. That will\r\nhelp reduce the student debt crisis moving forward. Black and brown students across the country go to college because they\r\nbelieve it is the surest path to build a future for themselves and their\r\nfamilies. They did everything right. But for millions of Black and brown\r\ncommunities, student debt is now just another gigantic\r\nroadblock between them building real wealth. With the stroke\r\nof a pen on day one, the Biden-Harris administration can right this wrong.\r\nThey can close\r\nthe Black-white wealth gap by 25 percentage points, and close the Latinx-white\r\nwealth gap by 27 percentage points, giving Black and brown families across\r\nthe country a far better shot at building financial security. They can send\r\nthose monthly payments back into our local communities and our economy, increasing\r\nGDP by tens of billions of dollars. They can free up cash and credit to buy\r\nhomes or start new businesses and create more jobs. They can bring us a step\r\ncloser to fixing a deeply broken higher education system. After the 2008 financial crisis, young people were shoved into a weak job\r\nmarket and plunged even deeper into student debt. They have never\r\nrecovered financially. They now face the second major economic crisis of\r\ntheir young lives. And many of those borrowers, especially Black and brown\r\nborrowers, are still\r\ndrowning. We can do better this time - we must do better. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\n\t\t\t\t    Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBlavity", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/op-eds/why-we-elizabeth-warren-and-chuck-schumer-believe-the-biden-harris-administration-should-cancel-up-to-50k-in-student-debt-on-day-one", "Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Black and brown students across the country go to college because they believe it is the surest path to build a future for themselves and their families. They did everything right.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFor the first time in history, the American people have elected a President and Vice President States who committed to cancelling billions in student loan debt. Americans outside of Washingtonget it. They see their friends, family, and neighborscrushed by growing debt burdens, unable to afford their first home or start a small business. They know a senior whose Social Security check has been garnished by the federal government just to pay student loan interest. They know a mother struggling to make ends meet who never got a degree and now watches her debt load grow faster than she can keep up with. And even if they don't know one of our 43 million friends and neighbors buried under 1.5 trillion dollars in federal student loan debt, they understand the need toboost to our struggling economy. This is Econ 101: the best way to jumpstart our economy is to put more money in working families' pockets  money they can spend in their communities.  ...Read the full article on Blavity here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-op-ed-why-we-elizabeth-warren-and-chuck-schumer-believe-the-biden-harris-administration-should-cancel-up-to-50k-in-student-debt-on-day-one", "New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 04, 2020\n\t\t\t New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tOp-Ed\r\nin Blavity Washington, DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and\r\nSenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today published an op-ed in\r\nBlavity on why the Biden-Harris administration should cancel up to $50,000 in\r\nstudent loan debt on day one of their administration and how cancelling student\r\nloan debt will help start to close the racial wealth gap. Read the full\r\nop-ed here. Key sections below. Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris\r\nAdministration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One For the first time in history, the American people have elected a President\r\nand Vice President States who committed to cancelling billions in student loan\r\ndebt. Americans outside of Washington get\r\nit. They see their friends, family, and neighbors crushed\r\nby growing debt burdens, unable to afford their first home or start a small\r\nbusiness. They know a senior whose Social Security check has been garnished by\r\nthe federal government just to pay student loan interest. They know a mother\r\nstruggling to make ends meet who never got a degree and now watches her debt\r\nload grow faster than she can keep up with. ... Broad cancellation of student debt would give tens of millions of Americans\r\n$200 to $300 more to spend and save each month. Cancellation also means they\r\nwon't have to worry about a student debt time bomb exploding when the payments\r\nsuspension ends. With more money in their pockets and a smaller debt load, they\r\ncan consider bigger purchases like cars and homes and, for some, start their\r\nown businesses. That's good for the borrower and good for our economy. ... On day one, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can\r\nuse existing authority under the law to cancel up to $50,000 in federal\r\nstudent loan debt for all borrowers with federal loans and make sure it doesn't\r\nresult in any tax bill for borrowers. This is the single most effective executive action available to provide\r\nmassive stimulus to our economy. ... We have supported limiting debt cancellation for those whose education is\r\npaying off big-time - for example, those with big six-figure incomes. But for\r\ntens of millions more, student loan debt has become an impossible burden, and\r\nwe must act. Among those struggling the hardest are people who tried college, but who never\r\nmade it to a diploma whether because they didn't have the support, the\r\nchildcare, the time, life intervened, whatever. Up\r\nto 40% of student loan borrowers are in a nearly-impossible situation - no\r\ndiploma to boost their earnings and a debt load they simply cannot manage. Student loan debt falls\r\nparticularly hard on Black and Latinx students. These students are more\r\nlikely to borrow money to go to college, borrow more money while they are in\r\ncollege and have a harder time paying when they leave college. The results are\r\ndevastating. A third of Latinx borrowers default on their loans, and Black\r\nborrowers have about a 50-50\r\nchance of defaulting on their loans. In fact, a decade after they start\r\nschool, the typical Black borrower owes more on their loan than they originally\r\nborrowed. Millions of these students were cheated into debt by sham for-profit\r\ncolleges. And even after cancelling up to $50,000 of student debt, the price of\r\ncollege is still astronomical. That's why the incoming administration should\r\nalso work with Congress and higher education institutions to reign in the\r\nout-of-control college costs and crack down on predatory practices. That will\r\nhelp reduce the student debt crisis moving forward. Black and brown students across the country go to college because they\r\nbelieve it is the surest path to build a future for themselves and their families.\r\nThey did everything right. But for millions of Black and brown communities,\r\nstudent debt is now just another gigantic\r\nroadblock between them building real wealth. With the stroke\r\nof a pen on day one, the Biden-Harris administration can right this wrong.\r\nThey can close\r\nthe Black-white wealth gap by 25 percentage points, and close the Latinx-white\r\nwealth gap by 27 percentage points, giving Black and brown families across\r\nthe country a far better shot at building financial security. They can send\r\nthose monthly payments back into our local communities and our economy, increasing\r\nGDP by tens of billions of dollars. They can free up cash and credit to buy\r\nhomes or start new businesses and create more jobs. They can bring us a step\r\ncloser to fixing a deeply broken higher education system. After the 2008 financial crisis, young people were shoved into a weak job\r\nmarket and plunged even deeper into student debt. They have never\r\nrecovered financially. They now face the second major economic crisis of\r\ntheir young lives. And many of those borrowers, especially Black and brown\r\nborrowers, are still\r\ndrowning. We can do better this time - we must do better. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-pressley-ask-independent-watchdog-to-investigate-racial-inequity-in-pandemic-response", "Warren, Pressley Ask Independent Watchdog to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 04, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Pressley Ask Independent Watchdog to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t \"The health and economic effects of the pandemic have been especially severe in communities of color and Native communities, yet it is not clear whether federal relief resources have reached these communities in proportion to their need.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text\r\nof Letter Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a member of the House\r\nCommittee on Oversight and Reform, sent a letter to Gene L. Dodaro, U.S.\r\nComptroller General, requesting a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report\r\non how COVID-19 relief funds have been distributed to disproportionately\r\naffected communities. The request seeks to examine how much federal COVID-19\r\nrelief funding went to businesses and providers located in low-income and\r\nmedically underserved communities, as well as Tribal businesses and health care\r\nproviders, community health centers, and other organizations serving high-need\r\npopulations. \"The health and economic effects of the pandemic have been especially\r\nsevere in communities of color and Native communities, yet it is not clear\r\nwhether federal relief resources have reached these communities in proportion\r\nto their need. We, therefore, request an evaluation of supplemental\r\nappropriations provided under COVID-19 relief laws, including the Coronavirus\r\nAid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, with regard to how funds have been\r\ndistributed to disproportionately affected communities,\" wrote the\r\nlawmakers. The coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on communities of\r\ncolor and Native communities. Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American\r\nIndian/Alaska Native people are being hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher\r\nrates and are dying from COVID-19 at younger ages.\r\nPeople living on tribal reservations are more\r\nthan four times as likely to have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as the U.S.\r\npopulation as a whole. The same communities have also been hit hardest by the\r\neconomic fallout: every month since the economic crisis began in March 2020,\r\nBlack and Latino workers have had significantly\r\nhigher unemployment rates than white workers, even after adjusting for age\r\nand education status. To date, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars to sustain\r\nour health system and mitigate the economic fallout during this public health\r\nemergency. However, it is not clear whether that relief has successfully\r\nreached the communities that are most in need. A survey of Black and Latino\r\nbusiness owners found\r\nthat only 12% of those who applied for a loan from the Paycheck Protection\r\nProgram were approved for the full amount, and half expected their businesses\r\nto permanently close within six months. In health care, a study of the Provider Relief Fund found that hospitals with\r\nthe most revenue from private insurance received more\r\nthan twice as much funding per hospital bed as the hospitals with the least\r\nprivate insurance revenue - raising the question of whether funds truly reached\r\nhealth care providers serving communities that are most in need. COVID-19\r\ntesting may also be harder to obtain for people of color: one\r\nanalysis found that testing sites located in predominantly Black and\r\nHispanic neighborhoods of major cities face higher demand than those in\r\npredominantly white areas of those same cities, leading to longer wait times.\r\nIndependent analyses\r\nhave found that ZIP codes with large white populations have had more\r\ntesting sites throughout the pandemic than ZIP codes with more people of color,\r\nand 35 percent of rural Black Americans live in a \"highly vulnerable\r\ntesting desert.\" Since the beginning of the pandemic, Senator Warren has been pushing for\r\nhealth equity in the federal pandemic response and for transparent information\r\non racial equity. \r\n At\r\n     the request of Senator Warren, the Centers for Disease Control and\r\n     Prevention has included an age-adjustment in its official COVID-19 race\r\n     and ethnicity mortality risk data. This change reflects that Black,\r\n     Latino, and Native Americans are dying of COVID-19 at a higher rate compared\r\n     to white Americans than they previously reported.\r\n  \r\n In August, Senator Warren and Congresswoman Pressley\r\n     introduced bicameral legislation, the\r\n     Corrections Data Transparency Act, to require the Federal Bureau of\r\n     Prisons, the United States Marshals Service, and state governments to\r\n     collect and publicly report detailed data about COVID-19 in federal,\r\n     state, and local correctional facilities.\r\n  \r\n Senator Warren and Congresswoman Pressley introduced\r\n     the bicameral Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act to\r\n     require the federal government to collect and report coronavirus\r\n     demographic data on race and ethnicity.\r\n  \r\n In March, the lawmakers wrote\r\n     to Health & Human Services Secretary Azar urging the agency to collect\r\n     racial and ethnic demographic data on COVID-19 testing and\r\n     treatment.\r\n ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/latest-unemployment-numbers-show-need-new-covid-relief-bill-us-rep-richard-neal-says", "Latest unemployment numbers show need for new COVID relief bill, U.S. Rep Richard Neal says; economy adds fewest jobs since April", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The U.S. economy gained just 245,000 jobs in November, the smallest increase since April and the fifth consecutive month of declining gains.\nThe unemployment rate fell to 6.7%, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Department Labor. But one reason the unemployment rate fell was that fewer people are looking for work.\nU.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said the numbers show the need for another pandemic relief bill.\nAs we've seen throughout the course of the COVID crisis, the state of the economy is linked to the severity of the pandemic, said Neal, reelected this week as the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. The United States began to experience another devastating surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in November, so it's no surprise that hiring slowed that month as well. As long as people's health and safety are at risk, our economy cannot fully rebound.\nLocal and state figures are not yet available for November. But in October, the Massachusettsunemploymentrate fell 2.4 percentage points to 7.4% from a revised September rateof 9.8%.\nThe unemployment rate in Greater Springfield was 7.2% in October, down from 10% in September.\nNationally, the number of people among the unemployed who are on temporary layoff decreased by 441,000 in November to 2.8 million. The measure is down considerably from the high of 18.1 million in April but is 2 million higher than its February level. The report uses February as a reference point for the economy prior to the pandemic.\nThe number of people who lost jobs permanently, at 3.7 million, was roughly unchanged in November but is 2.5 million higher than in February.\nThe labor force participation rate edged down to 61.5 percent in November, 1.9 percentage points below its February level.\nNeal noted that while news about COVID-19 vaccines has been positive, widespread immunization is still months away.\nWith that timeframe in mind and knowing that critical pandemic-related unemployment assistance is due to cut off at the end of this month, Congress must provide further support to jobless workers as soon as possible, he said. House Democrats have twice passed extensions of this expiring aid, and twice Senate Republicans have blocked it from reaching those in need. With bipartisan calls for action growing on Capitol Hill and the stakes climbing even higher for millions of Americans, I urge Senator McConnell to come to the table and finally work constructively with us to get additional relief across the finish line.\nAccording to the New York Times, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, spoke Thursday for the first time since the election about a new aid package and bills that would avoid a government shutdown. McConnell told reporters that he and Pelosi are both interested in getting an outcome on those matters, the Times reported.\nThe Bureau of Labor Statistics report also provided jobs numbers by sector of the economy:\n Transportation and warehousingrose by 145,000 jobs in November but is 123,000 below its February level. In November, employment rose by 82,000 in couriers and messengers and by 37,000 in warehousing and storage. Since February, employment in these industries has increased by 182,000 and 97,000, respectively. Job growth also occurred over the month in truck transportation (+13,000).\n\tProfessional and business services increased by 60,000, with about half the gain occurring in temporary help services (+32,000). Job growth also occurred in services to buildings and dwellings (+14,000). Employment in professional and business services is down 1.1 million since February.\n\tHealth careadded 46,000 jobs in November, with gains occurring in offices of physicians (+21,000), home health care services (+13,000), and offices of other health practitioners (+8,000). Nursing care facilities continued to lose jobs (-12,000). Health care employment is 527,000 lower than in February.\n\tConstructiongained 27,000 jobs in November, but employment is 279,000 below its February level. In November, employment rose in residential specialty trade contractors (+14,000) and in heavy and civil engineering construction (+10,000).\n\tManufacturingemployment increased by 27,000. Job gains occurred in motor vehicles and parts (+15,000) and in plastics and rubber products (+5,000). Employment in manufacturing was 599,000 lower than in February.\n\tFinancialactivities added 15,000 jobs in November. Gains occurred in real estate (+10,000) and in nondepository credit intermediation (+8,000). Financial activities has added 164,000 jobs over the past 7 months, but employment in the industry is 115,000 lower than in February.\n\tWholesale tradecontinued to trend up in November (+10,000) but is 281,000 lower than in February.\n\tGovernmentemployment declined for the third consecutive month, decreasing by 99,000 in November. A decline of 86,000 in federal government employment reflected the loss of 93,000 temporary workers who had been hired for the 2020 Census. Employment in local government education continued to trend down (-21,000).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-november-2020-jobs-report", "Chairman Neal Statement on the November 2020 Jobs Report", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Statement on the November 2020 Jobs Report \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Statement on the November 2020 Jobs Report \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DC  Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) November 2020 jobs report:\nAs we've seen throughout the course of the COVID crisis, the state of the economy is linked to the severity of the pandemic. The United States began to experience another devastating surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in November, so it's no surprise that hiring slowed that month as well. As long as people's health and safety are at risk, our economy cannot fully rebound.\nWhile positive vaccine news is on the horizon, widespread immunization is still likely months away. With that timeframe in mind, and knowing that critical pandemic-related unemployment assistance is due to cut off at the end of this month, Congress must provide further support to jobless workers as soon as possible. House Democrats have twice passed extensions of this expiring aid, and twice Senate Republicans have blocked it from reaching those in need. With bipartisan calls for action growing on Capitol Hill and the stakes climbing even higher for millions of Americans, I urge Senator McConnell to come to the table and finally work constructively with us to get additional relief across the finish line.\nView Ways and Means Democrats' fact sheet on the year-end unemployment insurance cliff HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-house-passage-more-act", "Neal Statement on House Passage of the MORE Act", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Statement on House Passage of the MORE Act \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Statement on House Passage of the MORE Act \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    Washington, D.C.  Following the House passage of H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020, Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, released the following statement.\nToday's House consideration of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020 or the MORE Act marks an important step in mitigating the impacts of the historically racist war on drugs. This legislation will reform our federal criminal laws while also making investments in and empowering communities of color and those adversely affected by current unjust policies.\nThe MORE Act makes important changes to federal law by removing marijuana, or cannabis, from the list of federally controlled substances. This change to federal law does not undermine the ability of states to apply their criminal laws to marijuana as they see fit. Instead, it makes marijuana a federally regulated substance that is subject to the FDA's regulatory authority and federal taxation. The excise tax that is established by the bill is similar to those for alcohol and tobacco.\nBy creating a legal marijuana market that is subject to federal taxation, this legislation also creates an opportunity trust fund that will increase opportunities for individuals and communities affected by the War on Drugs. The opportunity trust fund will fund programs such as job training, reentry services, and substance use disorder services, as well as assistance to small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.\nI thank my colleague, Representative Blumenauer, for his tireless leadership on this issue. As this bill continues through the legislative process, I look forward to continuing to work with the measure's sponsors and the other committees of jurisdiction to achieve an effective tax regime that supports a vibrant legal market and provides individuals most affected by the war on drugs the opportunity to fully participate in this emerging economy.\n\n##", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/massachusetts-lawmakers-concerned-that-some-comcast-subscribers-could-lose-wcvb", "Massachusetts lawmakers concerned that some Comcast subscribers could lose WCVB", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"Consumers should not be caught in the middle.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCould some Comcast subscribers in Massachusetts soon be forced to tune into a Rhode Island TV station for ABC programming? Four members of the state's federal delegation are worried it could happen. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Bill Keating and Joe Kennedy III expressed concern Thursday that subscribers to Comcast's Xfinity TV service in Bristol County could lose access to WCVB, amid news that the cable company and the Boston-based ABC affiliate's owner, Hearst, have yet to reach a new agreement. Particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, loss of access to this station would be harmful to Bristol County viewers who rely on state-specific announcements to stay healthy and safe, the four Massachusetts Democrats wrote in a letter to the leaders of Comcast and Hearst.  ...Read the full article on Boston.comhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-markey-kennedy-release-amazon-response-to-their-inquiries-about-high-rate-of-serious-injuries-among-warehouse-workers", "Warren, Markey, Kennedy Release Amazon Response to Their Inquiries About High Rate of Serious Injuries Among Warehouse Workers", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 03, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Markey, Kennedy Release Amazon Response to Their Inquiries About High Rate of Serious Injuries Among Warehouse Workers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Lawmakers Concerned By Amazon's Unwillingness to Place Worker Safety Before Corporate Profits and Address High Injury Rates at Their Warehouses\r\n\r\nAmazon could take immediate action to address the injury rate at warehouses ... yet the company seems unwilling to address the root causes of high injury rates at their warehouses, or acknowledge a link between productivity demands and injuries.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Amazon Response (PDF)  Washington, D.C. - On October 14th, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy (D-MA-04) sent Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos a letter expressing concern that, as evidence mounts of unsafe working conditions for Amazon warehouse workers, the company did not make meaningful changes to protect workers, but instead responded by rolling out PR campaigns and appearing to misrepresent workers' injury risk to Congress and the public.  An investigation by The Center for Investigative Reporting found that Amazon's obsession with speed has turned its warehouses into injury mills. This investigation found that peak periods like Prime Days and the period from a week before Thanksgiving through Christmas are particularly dangerous for Amazon warehouse workers, including workers in Massachusetts. The lawmakers' letter had expressed concern that Amazon has seemingly refused to consider reducing the speed at which Amazon workers must work or face disciplinary action.  We are now at the beginning of another dangerous season for Amazon warehouse workers, and the company's responses to repeated Congressional inquiries have only escalated our concern about Amazon's unwillingness to value worker safety above corporate profit, the lawmakers said. Amazon could take immediate action to address the injury rate at warehouses  allowing the work to slow down and ending productivity monitoring -- yet the company seems unwilling to address the root causes of high injury rates at their warehouses, or acknowledge a link between productivity demands and injuries.  Despite these high injury rates, the company stated that Amazon's Safety Review Board had never recommended or considered decreasing target performance expectations as a party of an injury reduction plan, and stated it believes decreasing targets has not been necessary.  Amazon previously told members of Congress that Amazon does not use quotas, but in the new response the company shared specific target performance expectations. As the company explains in the letter, Amazon measures employee productivity by tracking the units per hour that employees process (e.g., units scanned per hour or units packaged per hour, depending on the assigned task). Amazon told Members of Congress, We always set targets at the 25th percentile performance (so that 75% of employees are already meeting or exceeding the target), and, adjusts targets in response to employees' performance typically at least once every quarter. This approach appears to be a set of quotas that are simply rebranded with company-specific lingo.  Amazon's response also indicated that the company tracked and monitored workers' activity in real time, and fired more than two dozen workers at the Fall River, MA facility this year based on Time off Task (ToT) metrics. In its response, the company wrote that, Amazon measures the amount of time employees spend working on their assigned tasks during their shift via the scanners that workers use to scan items, bins, and packages. ToT is only tracked once five minutes or more of unplanned time elapses between activity on the scanners, and that time is aggregated into a ToT total for the day.  The lawmakers stated: Amazon's performance expectations are setting workers up to fail  at an extraordinary human cost. Their response to our letter, and other oversight letters this year, portray an environment rich for dangerous working conditions: One-fourth of employees are perpetually behind performance targets by design; workers face consequences if they spend more than five minutes without using a scanner; workers' activity is being constantly tracked and monitored by managers in real time; and workers know termination is possible if those constantly-monitored metrics aren't met -- and all of this in an environment with industry-high levels of worker injuries.  In my experience, Amazon cares more about enforcing Rate and ToT policy than they do about curbing the spread of the virus. The executives who are safe at home force people like me to work at very high speeds, risking our health while Jeff Bezos gets closer to being a trillionaire. As we enter into what we call the turkey apocalypse', I challenge anyone who wants to take Amazon at their word to join me on my shift, to get the truth behind its PR tactics, said Courtenay Brown, United for Respect Leader and Amazon associate from New Jersey.  The company also indicated that Amazon stops safety pilot programs during peak periods  because the company view[s] this is a critical time for our customers and experimentation or operational changes of any kind are not allowed. It is not clear why Amazon does not consider this a critical time for Amazon employees given the higher injury rates.  Amazon also did not refute the Reveal findings that there have been year-over-year increases in injuries at their warehouse in Fall River, MA. The report from Reveal found that warehouse's rate of lost-time injuries was more than 50% higher in 2019 compared with 2018 and six times the industry average. In a January 6, 2020 letter to Congress, Amazon claimed warehouse injury rates were higher than industry average because of Amazon's diligence in reporting lost time injuries, but Reveal found that the company has employed strategies to evade injury recording requirements. In its November 1, 2020 letter, the company cited only two examples of adjusting performance targets to address these high injury rates at the Fall River, MA facility based on employee feedback, but in one example it seems targets were never adjusted -- workers were simply exempted from corrective action by management.  Amazon also declined to answer whether teams at Amazon responsible for performance expectations and effectiveness monitor intake with Amazon Onsite Medical Representatives. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-applauds-announcement-house-vote-als-disability-insurance-access-act", "Chairman Neal Applauds Announcement of House Vote on ALS...", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Applauds Announcement of House Vote on ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Applauds Announcement of House Vote on ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    Leader Hoyer announced the bill will be brought to the House Floor the week of December 7, 2020  \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DCHouse Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement applauding the upcoming House vote on the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019:\nI am heartened by Leader Hoyer's announcement that next week the House will vote on the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019. With no cure, people with ALS and their families face unspeakable challenges in accessing and affording care. Like many Americans, I've seen loved ones suffer the devastating effects of this disease, and I am glad that this bill led by Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton will move forward.\nThis legislation takes a vital step in providing relief from the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance so that people with ALS can access their Social Security and Medicare benefits without any harmful delays. I look forward to strong bipartisan support for finally giving people grappling with this disease quicker access to the benefits they have earned, and hope that we can extend similar relief to others in the 117th Congress.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-reelection-serve-chairman-ways-and-means-committee", "Neal Statement on Reelection to Serve as Chairman of Ways...", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Statement on Reelection to Serve as Chairman of Ways and Means Committee \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Statement on Reelection to Serve as Chairman of Ways and Means Committee \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    WASHINGTON, DCToday, Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after being reelected Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means for the 117th Congress:\nRemaining the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is the honor of my life, and I am immensely grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with this responsibility. This past Congress, Ways and Means Democrats wasted no time with our majority. We passed legislation to lower prescription drug prices, increase Americans' retirement savings, redesign the IRS, reduce the number of children requiring placement in foster homes, and provide expanded tax credits to low-wage workers and middle-class families. Our members led the way in improving and passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and conducted robust oversight of the Trump Administration at every turn.\nOf our many achievements, I am most proud of the Committee's swift and innovative leadership through the COVID-19 health and economic crises. Our significant contributions to Congress's pandemic relief packages saved both lives and livelihoods. We're not out of the woods yet, though. The American people need us now more than ever, and I look forward to the Committee working closely with the Biden Administration not only to recover from this horrific virus and accompanying recession, but to build back even better.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/warren-makes-case-to-fed-chair-for-canceling-student-loan-debt", "Warren makes case to Fed chair for canceling student loan debt", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 01, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren makes case to Fed chair for canceling student loan debt \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSen.Elizabeth Warren(D-Mass.) on Tuesday pressed for President-electJoe Bidento take executive action to cancel student loan debt during an exchange with Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell at a Senate hearing. \"All on his own, President-elect Biden will have the ability to administratively cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt using the authority that Congress has already given to the secretary of Education,\" Warren said during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. \"This is the single most effective economic stimulus that is available through executive action.\" Warren has long supported student debt cancellation, and her commentscome amid a debateover whether Biden should act unilaterally to do so.  ...Read the full article on The Hill here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\n\t\t\t\t    Naomi Jagoda\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Hill\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-senate-banking-hearing-chairman-powell-agrees-with-senator-warren-that-student-loan-debt-drags-down-our-economy", "In Senate Banking Hearing, Chairman Powell Agrees with Senator Warren that Student Loan Debt Drags Down Our Economy", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 01, 2020\n\t\t\t In Senate Banking Hearing, Chairman Powell Agrees with Senator Warren that Student Loan Debt Drags Down Our Economy \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t As Republicans continue to block relief, President-elect Biden can cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt -- the single most effective executive action available to provide a massive stimulus to our economy\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Video\r\nof Exchange (Youtube) Read\r\nthe Cancel Student Debt Resolution Here Washington, DC - In a Senate Banking Committee hearing\r\ntoday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell confirmed to United States\r\nSenator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that the high level of student debt is a\r\ndrag on our economy. Chairman Powell agreed that people \"weighed down by debt\"\r\nat a time when unemployment is very high will negatively impact economic\r\nactivity as people are forced to send money back to the federal government to\r\ncover student loan payments instead of spending that money in the economy. This\r\nacknowledgment comes at a time when policymakers should be focused on economic\r\nrecovery. Canceling billions of dollars in student loan debt is needed now more than\r\never as more people are getting sick from the coronavirus than at any other\r\ntime during the pandemic, as 12\r\nmillion workers will lose unemployment insurance after Christmas Day, and\r\nas Republicans continue to block state and local government aid, unemployment\r\nbenefits, and checks for families. Canceling\r\nstudent debt would provide a massive stimulus to the economy, and\r\nPresident-elect Biden has the ability to administratively do this on day one by\r\nusing the authority Congress has already given to the Secretary of Education. Transcript:\r\nU.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs  \r\nTuesday, December 1, 2020 Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you very much, Mr.\r\nChairman. So, today, more people are getting sick from the coronavirus than at any\r\nother time during the pandemic. And on top of that, many people-- the help that\r\nmany people have relied on is about to disappear. So, the day after Christmas,\r\n12 million workers will lose unemployment benefits. That same week, Secretary\r\nMnuchin will be shutting down the Federal Reserve programs that are designed to\r\nhelp the economy. So, Chair Powell, you've been clear about the need for more fiscal support\r\nto help families and businesses get through this crisis. So, let me ask you specifically about help to individuals that puts more\r\nmoney in their pockets during an economic crisis. This is kind of economic\r\nstimulus 101. If individuals have a bit more cash to spend every month, that\r\nhelps them, but it also helps the economy, right? Chairman Jerome Powell: Yes. Senator Warren: Okay. So, there are two ways to get more\r\nmoney into people's pockets. The first is providing payments like stimulus\r\nchecks or unemployment insurance, which I strongly support. The second is by canceling the debts that people owe, so they can spend that\r\nmoney elsewhere. The largest category of household debt other than mortgages is\r\nstudent loans. And most of that debt is owed directly to the federal\r\ngovernment. Now, right now, those debt payments are paused, but the clock is running\r\nout. On New Year's Day, the median borrower will have to restart paying more\r\nthan two hundred dollars a month to the federal government. That's at a time\r\nwhen our economy needs people to be able to spend more money, not less. So, Mr. Chairman, you've said in testimony before Congress that you think\r\nthat rising student debt is \"the main concern\" when looking at the\r\noverall household debt picture. You've also said, \"It's been rising fast\r\nand is now large. There is increasing evidence that shows that students who\r\ncan't pay that...debt have difficulty having normal economic lives and buying\r\nhomes and things like that.\" Mr. Chairman, would you agree that high levels of student debt will have a\r\nnegative impact on our economic recovery if millions of households have to\r\nreduce spending in order to make debt payments? Chairman Powell: So, others and I have\r\nbeen calling out the rising student debt for some years now, particularly-- Senator Warren: Yes, you have. Chairman Powell: We've singled it out for not being able to\r\nbe forgiven in, forgiven in solvency among all different kinds of debt. So,\r\nthat's a longer-term problem. In terms of what appropriate relief would be--\r\nwhat relief would be appropriate here in the current situation, I would--\r\nI would have to defer to those who have authority to make that decision. Senator Warren: I'm not asking you about\r\nwhat the-- the question is about what Congress should do. I'm asking you a\r\nquestion about what it does to the economy. If people who, instead of spending\r\nthat money in the economy, are spending that money by sending money back to the\r\nfederal government on their student loan payments. That is a problem for the\r\neconomy, is it not? Chairman Powell: Certainly, people\r\nwho are weighed down by debt in a situation like this, where they may\r\nbe unemployed, or unemployment is very high among, for example, low-wage\r\nworkers. That can weigh on economic activity. Yes. Senator Warren: Fair enough, but I think\r\nwe started with economic stimulus 101. Two-hundred bucks is two-hundred bucks\r\nthat could be spent in the economy. Now, Mr. Chairman, you've also noted that\r\nstudent loan debt has another impact on a struggling economy and that is that\r\nstudent loan debt makes it harder for people to qualify for mortgages, to buy\r\nhomes, to start small businesses. You've noted that those things drag our\r\neconomy down. Do you still feel that way? Chairman Powell: Yes. So, I think over -- data are showing\r\n-- over longer periods of time people who take on student debt in an effort to\r\nmake their lives better and brighter, and if it doesn't work out that way, they\r\ndrag that debt down through their economic lives, and it can get in the way of\r\ntheir credit history, of course, and their ability to own a home, and their\r\nwhole economic life for many years. Senator Warren: Right, and then that has an overall impact\r\non the economy in terms of home sales, or in terms of business startups. Is\r\nthat right? Chairman Powell: Yes. In effect, those\r\npeople are unable to participate, perhaps in the economy, to the full extent\r\nthat they might be able to, which would weigh on the economy. Senator Warren: So, thank you, Mr.\r\nChairman. You know, I know you've said that you don't know how you could be\r\nclearer on pushing Congress to act on more fiscal stimulus, and I agree\r\nentirely with you on that. But most types of economic stimulus are pretty much\r\nimpossible when Republicans in Congress refuse to take action. Aid to state and\r\nlocal governments, unemployment benefits, checks for families - right now,\r\nRepublicans are blocking help on all of these. But student loan debt is different. All on his own, President-elect Biden\r\nwill have the ability to administratively cancel billions of dollars\r\nin student loan debt using the authority that Congress has already given to the\r\nSecretary of Education. This is the single most effective economic stimulus\r\nthat is available through executive action. And as you've noted in the past, research shows that canceling student loan\r\ndebt would boost GDP, create jobs, reduce unemployment, jumpstart small\r\nbusiness formation, support the housing market, promote job and economic and\r\ngeopolitical mobility, and increase the annual incomes of borrowers by about\r\n$4,000. So, it would also help close the racial wealth gap. It is time to act. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-maloney-porter-release-findings-from-first-comprehensive-survey-of-covid-19-outbreaks-in-residential-behavioral-health-and-addiction-treatment-programs", "Warren, Maloney, Porter Release Findings from First Comprehensive Survey of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Programs", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 01, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Maloney, Porter Release Findings from First Comprehensive Survey of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Programs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tInvestigation\r\nFindings (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nand Senate Aging Committees, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), the\r\nChairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Congresswoman\r\nKatie Porter (D-Calif.), a member of Oversight and Reform Committee,\r\nreleased the findings from their investigation into the effects of the novel\r\ncoronavirus in residential behavioral health and addiction treatment\r\nfacilities, and the actions these facilities are taking to prevent and mitigate\r\noutbreaks when they do occur. The lawmakers' investigation, the first national survey of coronavirus in\r\nresidential behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities, revealed that\r\nmore than half of residential behavioral health facilities covered by the\r\nsurvey had at least one coronavirus case, while one in seven facilities had\r\nlarger outbreaks. The investigation also found that limited testing capacity\r\nhas prevented residential behavioral health programs from conducting routine\r\ntesting of their patients and staff, that facilities' paid sick leave policies\r\ndo not provide sufficient coverage for all workers, and that fewer patients\r\nhave been able to receive inpatient care during the pandemic despite an\r\nincreased need for services. These findings highlight the need for greater\r\nfederal support for residential behavioral health programs during the pandemic. \"The economic turmoil and social isolation caused by the coronavirus\r\npandemic has increased the need for substance use disorder, addiction, and\r\nmental health treatment. Our investigation confirms that, just like nursing\r\nhomes and assisted living facilities, residential behavioral health and\r\naddiction treatment facilities present significant risks for COVID-19\r\noutbreaks. The federal government needs to ensure that these facilities are\r\ngetting the test supplies, personal protective equipment and funding they need\r\nto prevent outbreaks so that patients can seek safe inpatient treatment and\r\ncare,\" said Senator Warren. \"As coronavirus cases continue to spike across the United States, we\r\nmust make every effort to protect those who are most vulnerable during this\r\npandemic-including those seeking treatment for substance use disorder,\r\naddiction, and mental illness. Our investigation has identified areas where the\r\nfederal government can support behavioral health and addiction treatment\r\nfacilities in their critical work, and our report makes commonsense\r\nrecommendations to better ensure that patients and staff in these facilities\r\nare adequately protected from the coronavirus,\" said Chairwoman\r\nMaloney. \"The pandemic is attacking both our physical and mental health.\r\nMillions of Americans are isolated, while countless others mourn the loss of\r\nloved ones to COVID-19,\" Congresswoman Porter said. \"It's\r\nessential the federal government fully address the mental health needs of our\r\ncommunities during this challenging time, which starts with providing our\r\nbehavioral health centers with the necessary tools to treat those in crisis\r\nsafely, including personal protective equipment and coronavirus testing\r\nsupplies.\" The lawmakers' investigation found: Residential behavioral health facilities' crucial role in helping\r\nindividuals in need of treatment for substance abuse disorders is particularly\r\nimportant during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time that mental\r\nhealth and substance use disorder needs have increased, providers are operating\r\nwith limited capacity and resources. Given these needs, federal, state, and\r\nlocal governments should provide all necessary assistance and ensure that these\r\nfacilities have adequate testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and\r\nother resources needed to prevent and control the disease. More than half of residential behavioral health facilities covered\r\nby the survey had at least one case of COVID-19, and one in seven facilities\r\nhad wider outbreaks. More than 50% of the behavioral health facilities\r\nin the survey had at least one case of COVID-19, and 14% had larger outbreaks\r\nof ten or more cases. The surveyed providers indicated that, as of August 2020,\r\n1,785 patients and 2,200 staff members had been diagnosed with COVID-19. This\r\nrepresents an infection rate of 1.8% for patients and 3.3% for staff. While the\r\ninfection rate for patients is in line with the incidence rate of COVID-19 the\r\ngeneral public, staff at the surveyed facilities were 83% more likely than the\r\ngeneral public to be diagnosed with COVID-19 as of late August. These cases\r\ncovered in the survey resulted in 21 total fatalities. Limited testing capacity has led to a lack of testing and passive\r\ntesting protocols in residential behavioral health facilities, which places\r\nworkers and patients at risk. Limited testing capacity is hampering\r\nthe ability of providers' to screen patients and workers for COVID-19. None of\r\nthe behavioral health facility operators reported that they conduct routine\r\ndaily or weekly testing of staff or patients at all their facilities. When\r\ntests are conducted, most facilities report experiencing turnaround times of a\r\nweek or more for test results. Residential behavioral health facilities are not reporting cases and\r\nfatalities to the federal government. Most of the large behavioral\r\nhealth providers indicated that they do not systematically report any COVID-19\r\ncase information to the federal government, explaining, \"Our facilities\r\nare not required to report COVID-19 cases to any federal agency.\" As a\r\nresult, federal government officials, prospective patients, and the public do\r\nnot have a full picture of COVID-19 occurrence and fatality rates in\r\nresidential behavioral health facilities. Paid sick leave policies do not provide sufficient coverage for many\r\nworkers at residential behavioral health facilities. While most of the\r\nsurveyed providers have adapted their paid sick leave policies to accommodate\r\nworkers diagnosed with COVID-19, only one makes paid sick leave accessible to\r\n100% of employees. Two providers offer only six days of paid sick leave per\r\nyear, far short of the recommended two-week quarantine period. Several do not\r\noffer coverage to part-time workers, leaving 10-30% of workers with no paid\r\nsick leave at all. Every not-for-profit provider surveyed reported providing\r\ntwo weeks of paid leave to employees diagnosed with COVID-19, whereas some\r\nfor-profit providers failed to offer their employees this comprehensive paid\r\nleave protection. Fewer patients have been able to receive inpatient care, despite an\r\nincreased need for services. Several providers reported that\r\noperational changes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have limited admissions\r\nto their inpatient programs, despite increases in inquiries and other evidence\r\nthat the pandemic has intensified the need for mental and behavioral health\r\ncare. Providers have shifted to telehealth to meet patients' needs. This\r\ndecline in the number of patients receiving inpatient treatment may represent a\r\npotential public health problem on top of the ongoing COVID-19\r\npandemic-underscoring the need to provide inpatient facilities with the\r\ntesting, equipment, and resources needed to respond to the pandemic. The investigation makes clear that residential behavioral health facilities\r\nand their patients and workers are facing significant challenges during the\r\nCOVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges the lawmakers recommend: \r\n Enhanced federal data\r\n     collection requirements for residential behavioral health providers that\r\n     receive federal funding, including regular reporting of data on COVID-19\r\n     testing and cases for both patients and staff, which is shared\r\n     transparently with the public.\r\n  \r\n Federal funding and use of\r\n     the Defense Production Act to increase availability of PPE, testing\r\n     supplies, and test processing capacity, in order to support safe operation\r\n     of behavioral health programs.\r\n  \r\n Additional federal funding\r\n     for behavioral health providers, including inpatient programs, to address\r\n     the increased costs of providing essential care.\r\n  \r\n Universal paid sick leave of\r\n     at least two weeks for all behavioral health staff, including part time\r\n     workers.\r\n Senator Warren, Chairwoman Maloney, and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass)\r\npreviously released\r\nfindings from a survey showing dangerously high rates of coronavirus infections\r\nat assisted living facilities, which similarly are not required to report case\r\nor fatality data to the federal government. Senator Warren has repeatedly called for more detailed national COVID-19\r\ndata reporting in order to treat and contain the virus and address how the\r\nvirus is disproportionately impacting communities of color. She has advocated\r\nfor better reporting standards and protections in congregate settings like schools,\r\nnursing\r\nhomes, assisted\r\nliving facilities, prisons,\r\nand workplaces such as meatpacking\r\nplants. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has consistently highlighted the\r\nimportance of supporting those on the frontlines of America's addiction\r\ncrisis. In 2019, the Committee held three hearings to examine the federal\r\nresponse to the opioid crisis and the need for robust, sustained funding to\r\nprovide treatment and wraparound services to those recovering from\r\naddiction. In January 2020, Chairwoman Maloney assumed the lead\r\nsponsorship of the late Chairman Elijah Cummings' CARE Act-landmark legislation\r\nintroduced with Senator Warren to provide critically-needed, sustained funding\r\nto states, cities, counties, and community-based organizations directly\r\nresponding to the nation's opioid epidemic. The CARE Act has been\r\nco-sponsored by more than 100 Members of Congress and has been endorsed by more\r\nthan 200 organizations. Congresswoman Porter has been a staunch advocate for improving mental health\r\ncare throughout her time in Congress, and she's redoubled her efforts during\r\nthe COVID-19 pandemic. In June, she introduced the Stopping\r\nthe Mental Health Pandemic Act to strengthen the ability of\r\nmental health providers to deliver care to our community during the pandemic.\r\nShe has also introduced bipartisan legislation\r\nto better enforce laws that insurance companies treat mental health care the\r\nsame as other types of medical care. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-warner-wyden-and-colleagues-in-requesting-extension-of-pandemic-unemployment-programs", "Warren Joins Warner, Wyden & Colleagues in Requesting Extension of Pandemic Unemployment Programs", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 01, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Joins Warner, Wyden & Colleagues in Requesting Extension of Pandemic Unemployment Programs \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tText of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC  Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with 29 of their colleagues in urging Senate leaders to include in the next COVID-19 relief package an extension of two critical financial lifelines for Americans affected by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program  which provides unemployment assistance to domestic workers, freelance workers, contractors, and other workers in alternative work arrangements  and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program  which temporarily provides a 13-week extension of benefits for those whose regular unemployment benefits have expired but are still struggling to find employment during the pandemic  are set to expire on December 26th. Unfortunately, these programs are as vital as ever right now, with the nation facing more than five times the number of COVID-19 cases as in the spring, and with more than twice the number of Americans participating in these programs as in the regular state unemployment system. As the virus surges going into the winter months, the loss of benefits at this time is particularly cruel. A recent report from The Century Foundation suggests that nearly 12 million workers could lose coverage once these programs expire over the holiday. In other words, roughly 12 million American workers will lose benefits this season for a job they lost through no fault of their own, wrote the senators in a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. What's more, the loss of emergency benefits compounds the hardships many families are already facing in this economy. Since May, researchers have found that roughly 8 million Americans have slipped into poverty. That is the equivalent of the entire population of Virginia or Washington (as well as the combined populations of Kentucky and Oregon) falling into poverty over the span of a few months, they continued. Right now, one in six adults with children report that their household did not have enough to eat in the last seven days. For Black and Latino households, that figure is roughly one in five. Still worse, nearly 30% of households with children are not caught up with their rent payments. In other words, going into this holiday season, millions of additional American families are living below the poverty line, unable to provide sufficient food for their households and likely facing evictions from their home. In the letter, the senators urged for these programs to be extended with additional weeks of eligibility for workers, noting that approximately 4.4 million workers will have already run out of benefits by the end of the year, with millions more exhausting their benefits next year. This includes workers in the service and arts sectors, among other industries who continue to struggle nearly nine months into the pandemic. They also stressed the importance of significantly reforming the nation's unemployment system in the near future so that every American can count on a social safety net during times of need. Senators Warren, Warner and Wyden were joined by Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill., Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Angus King (I-Maine). Senator Warren has been working to ensure individuals out of work have access to unemployment benefits during this pandemic: In July 2020, Senator Warren cosponsored Senator Wyden's bill, the Worker First Act, to authorize $10 billion in grant funding to authorize states to make worker-friendly changes to their state unemployment laws.On April 13, 2020, Senator Warren, along with her colleagues, pressed the Department of Labor to ensure workers Congress intended to be covered by the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program receive the benefits they are owed.On April 7, 2020, Senator Warren and a group of Democrats outlined a number of actions the administration should take to help states disburse the new unemployment insurance as quickly as possible.On May 21, 2020, Senators Warren, Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Paycheck Security Act to cover the wages and benefits of employees of affected businesses and non-profits until the economic and public health crisis is resolved.In March 2020, Senator Warren cosponsored the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act, which provided the framework for the unemployment provisions of the CARES Act.  ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/east-west-passenger-rail-boosters-see-converging-opportunities-springfield-doubts-remain", "East-west passenger rail boosters see converging opportunities for Springfield, but doubts remain about states commitments", "2020-11-27", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SPRINGFIELD  Train tracks stretching into the distance appear to converge just out of view.\nBackers of faster passenger rail service from Western Massachusetts to Boston see several factors converging now  the newBidenadministration, the need to boost the economy through a national infrastructure plan, the changing nature of the workplace even after thecoronavirus pandemic, and Boston's housing crunch.\nThis is a moment of opportunity, says state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow. You really see a lot of needs coming together.\nThe two most important issues, Lesser said, are a lack of jobs in Western Massachusetts and a lack of housing in eastern Massachusetts. Make it easier to commute, he said, and more folks will live here and work in Boston, boosting both economies. It's simple logic that has earned support from Boston'sCity Counciland chamber of commerce, as well as MassMutualCEO Roger Crandall.\nCommuter trains could link Boston and Springfield in as little as 90 minutes and as often as 10 or 12 times a day, according to one early concept state transportation experts explored.\nIt remains to be seen whether the convergence is real  or, like those steel rails that never really meet, an illusion.\nLesser proposed the legislation that led to an 18-month study of the feasibility of east-west passenger rail. The state is due to issue its final report by the end of the year.\nInOctober,state Department of Transportation researchers released a preliminary report saying enhanced passenger rail service could attract 278,000 to 469,000 riders per year. But the cost for extensive track upgrades would range from $2.4 billion and $4.6 billion. At that ridership and cost, the project doesn't meet guidelines for federal funding.\nThe preliminary report cast doubt the project's feasibility. It also made Lesser doubt whether Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is committed.\nI have my questions, he said. It seems like at every opportunity, MassDOT emphasizes the hurdles.\nLesser and others have said for years that Baker is at best lukewarm to the idea of east-west rail. They've pointed to thepolitical influenceof Peter Pan Bus Lines Chairman and CEOPeter A. Picknelly.\nPicknelly declined this week to speak on the subject. But in January he told reporters that his company already competes with rail options in most markets where it operates. And they beat the trains on price, he said.\nMassDOT replied to questions only by confirming that the final report will come out by the end of 2020 and will contain information on next steps now that the Advisory Committee has completed its work and provided input on the alternatives which were studied.\nLast winter, speaking at an event at Springfield's Union Station unveiling an $11 million reconstructed train platform, Baker sounded cautious and skeptical.\nMy deal on this is that you have to do the work associated with the options analysis first, Baker said. I'm one of these guys who thinks most things are one step at a time. I try not to get too far ahead of myself on that.\nU.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, has said Baker is on board. Neal said he continually reminds the governor about the traffic jams on the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84 in Sturbridge  snarls that east-west rail could help tame by taking cars off the road.\nThat's an anecdote that we have to address, Neal said this week.\nNeal said he feels the project now has support even higher up.\nI think that given Joe Biden's history with Amtrak and rail, I think we are going to have a substantial advocate in the Oval Office, he said.\nThat's in contrast, Neal said, to outgoing President Donald Trump, whose support for an infrastructure plan never went beyond a press release.\nThe president-elect, famously known as Amtrak Joe, commuted via train for years as a young widower so he could get home from the Capitol to his family every night. He supported Amtrak as a U.S. senator. Later, as vice president, Biden led the Obama administration's efforts to loan the railroad money for equipment upgrades.\nBiden's support is for trains generally. It hasn't been decided if Amtrak would run east-west rail through Springfield or not.\nNeal, chairman of the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means, controls any legislation that involves raising federal money. As the longest-serving member of the New England delegation, he also has a say in committee assignments. It's important, he said, that U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-Boston, remains on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.\nNeal spearheaded the $103 million renovation of Springfield's Union Station. It's where he hosted a victory celebration after winning the 2020 Democratic primary, giving a speech where he reiterated the need for east-west rail.\nIn June he paid a visit to Union Station to tout a$1.5 trillion infrastructure planhe and his fellow Democrats introduced. The plan would have included $19 billion for rail expansion, but was dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate.\nI think we can do better than the $19 billion, Neal said this week.\nControl of the Senate now hinges on two January runoff elections in Georgia. Regardless of the outcome, Neal said, I think we can pick up Republicans on infrastructure, stressing the need for job creation everywhere in the face of COVID-19.\nBoth he and Lesser, in separate interviews, pointed out the Biden administration's commitment to fighting climate change. Biden has picked former Massachusetts senator and U.S. Secretary of StateJohn Kerryas special envoy seeking international solutions to the crisis.\nBut those low ridership projections for east-west rail are still a problem.\nLesser takes issue with MassDOT's methodology. For one thing, it doesn't account for induced demand, or extra ridership created as people change their habits  and where they live  because the rail option exists.\nWe're not doing this to have the same set of circumstances we have now, Lesser said. You do a transformative project because you want to transform.\nThe other issue, Lesser said, is that MassDOT's estimates are based on the CTrail Hartford Line, a passenger train route connecting New Haven and Springfield.\nHartford is nice, but it's not Boston, Lesser said.\nWith its red-hot jobs market and high salaries, Boston can drive travel in a way Hartford just can't, he said.\nMassDOT did add a projection incorporating data from a commuter line linking Boston to Portland, Maine. It helped, Lesser said. But it's not enough.\nA better comparison, he said, would be service in California linking Stockton with Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The Altamont Corridor Express getsa million riders a year.\nThe CTrail Hartford Line, operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Amtrak, has been successful in its own right. It reported a 26.5% passenger increase from fiscal 2018 to the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2019. In terms of raw numbers, that was an increase from 286,477 passengers to 362,442.\nFor calendar year 2019, the Hartford Line accounted for 750,000 passenger trips  outpacing the 666,960 originally forecast.\nCTrail averages about 1,000 passengers a month now, thanks to the pandemic.\nLesser said COVID-19 and changes it's making to workplaces might increase demand. More employees will be working from home more of the time, but will need to head into a main office maybe once or twice a week. That makes traveling by train attractive, especially if people can log onto Wi-Fi and work while they ride.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/elizabeth-warren-calls-on-ice-to-end-deportations-during-pandemic-stop-terrorizing-our-communities", "Elizabeth Warren Calls On ICE To End Deportations During Pandemic: 'Stop Terrorizing Our Communities'", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 25, 2020\n\t\t\t Elizabeth Warren Calls On ICE To End Deportations During Pandemic: 'Stop Terrorizing Our Communities' \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenatorElizabeth Warrencalled on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to end deportations of undocumented immigrants who pose no national security threat on Wednesday, citing concerns that the deportations could lead to an unnecessary spread of COVID-19. The Massachusetts senator joined forces with the state's additional 11 members of Congress towrite a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security(DHS) stating that \"detention and deportation of immigrants only serves to increase the spread of COVID-19 among detainees and to foreign countries.\" \"ICE should listen to the medical and public health experts who want the agency to stop terrorizing our communities and deporting harmless people during this pandemic. It's needless, cruel, and undermines the COVID-19 containment efforts,\" Warren tweeted on Wednesday.  ...Read the full article in Newsweek here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\n\t\t\t\t    Natalie Colarossi\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\tSource:\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNewsweek\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/awesome-have-here-harper-s-haven-honors-holyoke-toddler-adds-attractions-community-field", "Awesome to have this here: Harpers Haven honors Holyoke toddler, adds to attractions at Community Field", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HOLYOKE  A bright, rainbow sign greets visitors at the entrance to Harper's Haven, a new playscape at Community Field that honors Harper Violet Brewer, who passed away at 15 months old in March.\nHarper's grandmother, Laura Ferriter, presided over a ribbon-cutting Wednesday that welcomed families as well as U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, state Sen. John Velis, state Representative-elect Patricia Duffy and city officials.\nThe joyful sounds of children at play echoed throughout the ceremony. The playground provides a safe and welcoming escape for toddlers, and a treehouse loaded with sensory games anchors the space.\nFerriter secured $38,000 in donations for the playscape that adjoins a swingset Harper often frolicked on. We wanted to have a nice memorial for her. We thought it would complement the great facilities here already, something for toddlers, Ferriter said after the ceremony.\nFerriter thanked Parks and Recreation Director Terry Shepard and City Engineer Bob Peirent for supporting the project and offering guidance. We worked as a team to get this in place. I sent out letters, and we were able to secure private donations for almost all of it, she said.\nMajor donors included Health New England and The Positive Regard Network/Center School, where Ferriter works. The Center School matched employees' contributions. It's in memory of Harper but also the children of Holyoke and surrounding areas, she said.\nThe Holyoke Community Preservation Act Committee awarded a $3,000 grant for fencing. The Hampshire Fence Company installed the fence free of charge.\nHarper was the most joyful little girl you ever met. We were so honored to have her as our grandchild. She loved to come to play here on the swings, Ferriter said. The rainbow signs reflect Harper's spirit and legacy.\nNeal said the ribbon-cutting reflected a Holyoke moment involving people he's known his entire life, the Ferriters and the Brewers.\nAs we're bonded by Harper's memory, we're also bonded by the consciousness of the laughter of those children in the background, Neal said. We know the memory of Harper will live on through those thousands of children over the years who will visit Harper's Haven.\nIn 2012, Community Field underwent a $3.1 million renovation. Neal recalled touring the park with then Ward 6 Councilor Todd McGee, who now represents Ward 7.\nI was inspired by what the people of Holyoke meant by the term community. We all pulled the wagon together, Neal said. There will be countless days for parents and grandparents when they come by this small piece of property. They will have fond remembrances of what this young life meant to them.\nThe park remains a popular spot for local families, especially the playscapes, splash pad and dog park.\nMcGee said, This is a beautiful project for Community Field because it ties everything into it. When I was the ward councilor, Community Field was pretty much shut down. It had Jersey barriers, and it was a mess.\nHarper's Haven adds to Community Field's ongoing transformation, McGee said. Adding this portion to the park for the little kids, this makes it a true community park, he said. It's awesome to have this here.\nVelis, elected to a full state Senate term in November, said, I am constantly reminded by how much love and compassion there is for people in this community.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/harpers-haven-playground-dedicated-holyoke", "'Harper's Haven' playground dedicated in Holyoke", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- A ribbon-cutting was held in Holyoke Friday to dedicate a new toddler playground at Community Field.\nThe playground is named 'Harper's Haven' in memory of Harper Violet Brewer.\nHarper died this past March at just 15 months old.\nToday, Harper's family spoke of their daughter's love of Community Field.\n\"She loved the swings. The photograph of her on the swings here and really thought what would compliment the great facilities that are here already was something for toddlers,\" said Laura Ferriter, Harper's grandmother.\nCongressman Richard Neal was on-hand for the ribbon-cutting.\nHarper's family said the new toddler playground was made possible by donations from many area businesses and individuals.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/new-playground-holyoke-dedicated-toddler-who-passed-away", "New playground in Holyoke dedicated to toddler who passed away", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)  There was a ribbon-cutting at Holyoke's Community Field Wednesday morning to dedicate a new playground.\nAccording to a news release sent to 22News, the new playground, Harper's Haven, is in remembrance of Harper Violet Brewer who passed away in March at 15 months old.\nHarper frequently visited Community Field and this donation to the City of Holyoke was made possible by the contributions of many businesses and individuals.\nCongressman Richard Neal participated in the ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m.\nDue to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was limited to a small number of attendees who wore masks and maintained a distance of at least six feet from one another.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/sarno-neal-help-distribute-meals-oasis-food-pantry", "Sarno, Neal help distribute meals at Oasis Food Pantry", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(WGGB/WSHM) -- Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Congressman Richard Neal joined with the Oasis Food Pantry and volunteers to help hand out the much needed food to western Massachusetts families.\nAfter recent community feedback, the Oasis Food Pantry decided to hold their meals distribution program today instead of Friday.\nThe mayor wished everyone a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday at Friday morning's event, which took place at Springfield Central High School.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/mayor-sarno-and-congressman-neal-joined-oasis-food-pantry-help-hand-out-food-and-wish", "Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal Joined the Oasis Food Pantry to Help Hand Out Food and Wish Everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal Joined the Oasis Food Pantry to Help Hand Out Food and Wish Everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal Joined the Oasis Food Pantry to Help Hand Out Food and Wish Everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Congressman Richard E. Neal joined with the Oasis Food Pantry and volunteers to help distribute much needed food and wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving Holiday.\nThe Oasis Food Pantry held their meals distribution program on Wednesday, November 25thinstead of Friday, November, 27thdue to the Thanksgiving holiday.\nMayor Sarno states, I am so appreciative of John Foley and his team at the Oasis Food Pantry, which continues to assist thousands of families in need. By offering the meals this Wednesday, those families will have their proper food needs for their Thanksgiving holiday meal. Again, I cannot thank Mr. Foley and his team enough for their compassion and giving. This meals distribution program is like a finely tuned machine with heart and touches the lives of so many.\nWhile this Thanksgiving may be different than years past, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for, especially the tremendous endeavor that the Oasis Food Pantry has undertaken throughout this pandemic, said Congressman Richard E. Neal. Week after week, they have been providing for individuals and families who have suffered from food insecurity during this challenging time. I am grateful for their dedication to our residents and am so appreciative of the volunteers who have stepped up to meet this challenge.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-slams-secretary-mnuchin-s-sabotage-incoming-biden-administration-s-covid", "Neal Slams Secretary Mnuchins Sabotage of Incoming Biden...", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal Slams Secretary Mnuchin's Sabotage of Incoming Biden Administration's COVID Response \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal Slams Secretary Mnuchin's Sabotage of Incoming Biden Administration's COVID Response \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding reports that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is placing $455 billion of COVID response money in the Treasury Department's General Fund:\nThe President and his team have politicized the pandemic from the start, which has resulted in unfathomable sickness, death, and economic hardship. Now, on their way out the door, they're continuing to put petty politics ahead of Americans' safety. Despite the stock market's rebound due to the news that President-elect Biden can formally begin his transition process, the COVID-19 economic crisis is not over. Millions of families are struggling, wondering how they'll make ends meet in the coming weeks. The next administration needs access to all available resources to continue fighting the virus and getting Americans back to work.\nThe Trump Administration still doesn't understand that the stock market is not the same thing as the economy. Their inability to grasp the American people's hardship has real consequences. Secretary Mnuchin's clawing back of this COVID response funding will only worsen the pain and suffering that has stemmed from the President's inept mismanagement of the crisis.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/sen-elizabeth-warren-to-introduce-8-billion-relief-bill-to-help-underserved-americans-during-pandemic", "Sen. Elizabeth Warren to introduce $8 billion relief bill to help underserved Americans during pandemic", "2020-11-24", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "If passed, the COVID Community Care Act would funnel emergency funding to Black, Latinx and Native American communities that have been especially hard hit by the pandemic.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tArguing that the federal response to the pandemic has largely overlooked millions of Americans, Sen. Elizabeth Warren plans to introduce the COVID Community Care Act  a move first shared with The 19th. The $8 billion relief bill would provide grants for community-based organizations and nonprofits to conduct testing, tracing and outreach activities in communities with higher virus rates or that have historically lacked access to medical care. Women account for75 percentof full-time health care workers and about73 percentof the nonprofit workforce. COVID-19 has laid bare the systemic racism embedded in the U.S. health care system  that our country's legacy of discrimination has prevented communities of color from accessing the health care services they need, the Massachusetts senator said in a statement.  ...Read the full article on The 19thhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-slotkin-daines-and-kelly-request-answers-on-promotion-delays-of-national-guard-service-members", "Warren, Slotkin, Daines and Kelly, Request Answers on Promotion Delays of National Guard Service Members", "2020-11-24", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 24, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Slotkin, Daines and Kelly, Request Answers on Promotion Delays of National Guard Service Members \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tA 2017 survey conducted by the\r\nNational Guard Association of the United States found that nearly half of\r\nrespondents reported delays in promotions - the COVID-19 pandemic has only\r\nexacerbated these delays. A modified version of Warren's\r\nand Daines' bill in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act seeks to\r\naddress these delays. Text\r\nof Letter Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC),\r\nRepresentatives Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), both\r\nmembers of the House Armed Services Committee and Senator Steve Daines\r\n(R-Mont.), sent a letter to Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy, and\r\nSecretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, requesting information on\r\nNational Guard promotion delays and an update on the federal recognition\r\nprocess. Senators Warren and Daines introduced\r\nlegislation to address promotion delays, a modified version of that bill\r\nwas included in the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). \"We write today out of concern for the men and women of the National\r\nGuard who have experienced unacceptable delays to their well-earned promotions\r\nand request information regarding how these delays are being addressed and how\r\nthe Army is implementing new authority granted to it,\" wrote the\r\nlawmakers. Soldiers and airmen and women in the National Guard are unique in that their\r\npromotion or appointment to a higher rank must be recognized by both the state\r\nand the federal government. This requirement can cause significant delays as\r\nnewly-promoted officers await federal recognition. The Guard is also unique\r\nbecause it conducts \"unit vacancy promotions,\" in which an officer is\r\npromoted into a specific open position at a higher rank. While a thorough review is important, the scrolling process has become\r\nredundant and overly bureaucratic. Current Army policy is to publish scrolls\r\nwithin 195 days of receipt, while the Air Force policy is 180 days. But when\r\nthe National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) conducted an\r\ninformal survey of its membership in 2017, it found that nearly half of\r\nrespondents reported that the time elapsed between when their state promotion\r\norder was published and the date of federal recognition was greater than 195\r\ndays, with many waiting over a year to receive recognition. As a result, delays in federal recognition can have significantly negative\r\nconsequences for service members, including: not receiving commensurate pay and\r\nbenefits for acting in more senior roles, delays impact time in grade, officers\r\nbeing evaluated in lesser positions than they are qualified to perform, or\r\nbeing passed up for additional responsibility, such as command when working\r\nhand-in-hand with active-duty counterparts on a federal mission. The men and women of the National Guard have played an instrumental role in\r\nCOVID-19 response and recovery - supporting testing and contracting tracing,\r\ndistributing personal protective equipment, operating food banks, and more.\r\nHowever, this pandemic has only exacerbated the promotion delays that have\r\nimpacted officers of the National Guard. Junior officers are spending longer\r\nmobilizations and deployment under federal orders. When under federal orders,\r\nit takes additional time for the National Guard to provide the home state the\r\nfederal service time required to fulfill a time in rank promotion. With no end\r\nin sight to the use of the National Guard in a federal capacity, these\r\npromotion delays will only continue to worsen. Senators Warren and Daines introduced\r\nthe National Guard Promotion Accountability Act to address these delays. A\r\nmodified version of that bill was included in the Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA)\r\ngranting the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force the authority to allow a\r\nGuard officer's date of rank to be back-dated, after federal recognition is\r\ngranted, to the date at which his or her promotion was published by the state. The lawmakers requested answers to their questions by no later than December\r\n2, 2020. ### \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-to-introduce-senate-version-of-covid-community-care-act-to-provide-8-billion-in-emergency-funding-for-medically-underserved-communities", "Warren to Introduce Senate Version of COVID Community Care Act to Provide $8 Billion in Emergency Funding for Medically Underserved Communities", "2020-11-24", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 24, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren to Introduce Senate Version of COVID Community Care Act to Provide $8 Billion in Emergency Funding for Medically Underserved Communities \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe COVID Community Care Act\r\nwould empower trusted organizations in medically underserved communities to\r\naddress mistrust, communicate timely information, and provide services to\r\ncombat COVID-19. Bill\r\nText | One-Pager Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions\r\nCommittee (HELP), will be introducing a Senate version of Congresswoman Barbara\r\nLee's (D-Calif.) bill\r\nto provide emergency funding for community organizations in medically\r\nunderserved communities to take action as part of the larger public health\r\neffort to contain COVID-19. The COVID Community Care Act would empower trusted\r\norganizations in underserved communities to address mistrust of public health\r\ninformation and provide timely services to combat COVID-19. This legislation\r\nprovides grants for community-based organizations and nonprofits to conduct\r\ntesting, tracing, and outreach activities in communities with higher rates of\r\nthe virus or who have historically lacked access to the health care system. The\r\nbill also requires that persons hired to conduct engagement have experience and\r\nrelationships with the people living in the communities they serve. \"COVID-19 has laid bare the systemic racism embedded in the U.S. health\r\ncare system -- that our country's legacy of discrimination has prevented\r\ncommunities of color from accessing the health care services they need. I'm\r\nglad to be introducing Congresswoman Lee's legislation in the Senate to address\r\nthe government's failed response to containing and mitigating COVID-19 and\r\nprovide much-needed financial support to communities disproportionately\r\nimpacted by this pandemic,\" said Senator Warren. \"COVID is devastating Black and Brown communities. Black, Latinx, Asian\r\nand Indigenous people are all dying at disproportionate rates,\"\r\nsaid Congresswoman Barbara Lee. \"The long history of\r\ndiscrimination and racism in our health care system means we must empower\r\npeople and organizations at the local level to build trust and get lifesaving\r\npublic health information and resources to those who need it most. I'm\r\nappreciative of Senator Warren's leadership in the Senate to move this crucial\r\nlegislation forward. The COVID Community Care Act will ensure that testing,\r\ncontact tracing, and resources get to the communities of color who have been\r\nhit the hardest by this pandemic.\" The coronavirus pandemic has had an especially severe effect on low-income\r\ncommunities,communities of color, and Native communities. Black and Latinx\r\npeople are\r\nbeing hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher rates and are dying\r\nfrom COVID-19 at younger ages. American Indians and Alaska Natives have\r\nbeen especially\r\nhard hit by the pandemic and its economic effects. At the same time,\r\nfederal pandemic relief resources have not prioritized under-served\r\ncommunities. For example, a study\r\nof the Provider Relief Fund found that hospitals with the most revenue from\r\nprivate insurance received more than twice as much funding per hospital bed as\r\nthe hospitals with the least private insurance revenue. However, success in any public health crisis also depends on people's\r\nwillingness to trust the health information they are getting. This is\r\nparticularly true of communities that are medically underserved or suffer from\r\nhealth disparities. Contact tracing, testing, and public communication are some\r\nof the most effective tools we have for slowing the spread of COVID-19, but\r\nthey require trust between health care workers and communities. A legacy of\r\ndiscrimination in our health care has created mistrust among Black and Brown\r\npeople and in Native communities-mistrust so prevalent that it has been\r\ndocumented by the National Institutes of Health. To address the shortcomings of containing and mitigating COVID-19 in\r\nunderserved communities, the COVID Community Care Act specifically: \r\n Creates an $8 billion grant\r\n     program for community organizations and nonprofits to conduct testing,\r\n     contact tracing, and outreach in medically under-served communities.\r\n  \r\n Complements the\r\n     \"CONTACT\" initiative in the HEROES Act, which supports a\r\n     nationwide test-and-trace initiative run through public health agencies,\r\n     by engaging trusted community partners to reach communities that public\r\n     health agencies have difficulty engaging.\r\n  \r\n Requires individuals hired\r\n     for contact tracing to have experience and relationships in medically\r\n     under-served communities.\r\n  \r\n Requires HHS to develop a\r\n     comprehensive strategy for addressing health disparities.\r\n  \r\n Provides $400 million to the\r\n     Indian Health Service (IHS) to implement a comprehensive program to\r\n     prevent and respond to COVID-19, in partnership with tribal nations,\r\n     tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations.\r\n The COVID Community Act has been endorsed by the National Minority Quality\r\nForum, National Hispanic Medical Association, Asian & Pacific Islander\r\nAmerican Health Forum, National Indian Health Board, Partners in Health, SEIU,\r\nNational Women's Law Center, Justice in Aging, National Immigration Law Center,\r\nand UnidosUS. The House bill (H.R. 8192) was introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and is\r\nco-sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Black\r\nCaucus; Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health\r\nBraintrust; Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic\r\nCaucus; Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American\r\nCaucus; Reps. Debra Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS), Co-Chair and Vice\r\nChair, respectively, of the Congressional Native American Caucus; and more than\r\n50 of their colleagues. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-brown-colleagues-to-press-fhfa-to-ensure-access-for-low-income-borrowers-and-borrowers-of-color", "Warren Joins Brown, Colleagues to Press FHFA to Ensure Access For Low-income Borrowers and Borrowers of Color", "2020-11-24", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 24, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Joins Brown, Colleagues to Press FHFA to Ensure Access For Low-income Borrowers and Borrowers of Color \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tText of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC -- United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Mark Warner (D-Va.), today in sending a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mark Calabria, urging the Enterprises to renew their focus on facilitating safe, affordable refinance loans to all, including low-income borrowers. The lawmakers stressed that it is more important now than ever that the Enterprises are dedicated to serving the entire housing market, including low-income homeowners and homeowners of color. The Enterprises play a vital role in facilitating access to affordable mortgage loans. At a time when families are facing economic uncertainty, we must ensure that those affordable loans benefit the low-income borrowers who need them, wrote the lawmakers. Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Senator Warren has pressed the Trump Administration to respond effectively to deliver the robust set of resources needed to address this public health emergency, including mortgage, foreclosure, and eviction relief for homeowners and renters.  She cosponsored a bill in March 2020 with Senator Brown that would fill the gaps in the CARES Act relief by instituting a more comprehensive suspension of mortgage and other debt collection.In April 2020, Senator Warren published a Medium post with Senator Brown pushing for consumer debt protections, including expanded and extended forbearance and foreclosure moratorium for homeowners.In April 2020, she also wrote to the credit reporting agencies with Senator Schatz to gain more information on how COVID-19-related defaults were harming consumer credit.She also cosponsored legislation in May 2020 to provide $100 billion for an emergency rental assistance fund to help renters remain safely in their homes.In July 2020, Senators Warren and Schatz wrote to Wells Fargo following reports about the bank placing borrowers who are not delinquent on their loans in mortgage forbearance programs without their consent and putting consumers at risk of greater financial hardship in the midst of one of the worst economic collapses in history. In late October 2020, Senator Warren obtained and released new details and documents on Wells Fargo's dangerous practice of entering borrowers into forbearance without their consent.In September 2020, Senator Warren sent a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger regarding the agency's failure to use its authority to ensure that borrowers are aware of the mortgage relief options they are legally entitled to during the COVID-19 pandemic.  ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-massachusetts-congressional-delegation-in-calling-for-halt-to-needless-and-cruel-deportations", "Warren Joins Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in Calling for Halt to Needless and Cruel Deportations", "2020-11-24", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 24, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Joins Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in Calling for Halt to Needless and Cruel Deportations \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States surges past 12 million, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), William Keating (MA-09), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), James P. McGovern (MA-02), and Richard E. Neal (MA-01) today to call on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to listen to public health and medical professionals and immediately halt needless deportations of individuals who pose no public safety threat.  Deportations during the pandemic pose a unique risk for the spread of the disease, given that time in detention and grueling travel may weaken immune defenses and exacerbate the risk and spread of infection. Deportation flights to any country during this time endanger passengers and crewmembers and increase the likelihood that the United States is exporting COVID-19 to countries with weak public health infrastructure.  The lawmakers' letter comes after a recent report by a watchdog group, Witness at the Border, found there were approximately twelve deportation flights to Haiti in October and recent media reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement activities in East Boston, as well as increased targeting and deportation of Cape Verdean nationals.  ICE enforcement activities terrorize immigrant communities and stop immigrants from seeking critical medical care, write the Massachusetts lawmakers in their letter to the Trump administration. As a result, public health officials and medical professionals are unable to provide needed treatment that helps control the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. We urge you to listen to medical experts who have called for a stop to deportations as a matter of public health.  In their letter, the lawmakers request responses to questions that include: Why would ICE continue deportations against the recommendations of medical and public health professionals?Does ICE conduct pre-departure COVID-19 tests on all individuals scheduled for deportation?What is the current protocol for dealing with individuals scheduled for deportation who test positive?How many individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 has ICE deported, and to which countries?Does current ICE policy prohibit the deportation of individuals known to have tested positive for COVID-19? If not, why not?What steps is ICE taking to ensure the safety of the passengers and crewmembers on flights with detainees?  In March, near the start of the pandemic, Senator Warren called on DHS to halt immigration enforcement at hospitals and medical facilities. In May, Senator Warren pressed the Trump Administration to immediately end deportations of individuals who have tested positive for, or exhibited symptoms of, COVID-19. Senator Warren is a co-sponsor of the Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act, legislation that would halt the Trump administration's harmful immigration enforcement activities, including deportations, during the coronavirus pandemic to protect public health. Earlier this month, she joined colleagues in seeking an investigation of allegations of abuse by ICE against Cameroonian nationals. Last year, Senator Warren cosponsored the End Mass Deportation Act (S. 1591), to rein in the Trump Administration's aggressive and indiscriminate deportation push.  ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/senators-demand-investigation-into-rehab-centers-that-use-patients-for-free-labor", "Senators Demand Investigation Into Rehab Centers That Use Patients for Free Labor", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin have formally asked for an investigation into unpaid labor practices at vocational centers across the country.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin have requested a formal look into a shadow workforce at federally funded substance rehabilitation centers. According to arecent Reveal investigation, 300 vocational centers have been using unpaid workers, many in hazardous settings, as well as waiving all worker benefits for patientsin one case, using patients to clean up dead animals in a zoo. We had to clean up blood and stuff, which I didn't feel comfortable doing, because you're supposed to have a hazmat team supposed to be doing that stuff, said Breden Earl, who served one year at the Synergy Foundation rehabilitation center in Tennessee, according to The Center for Investigative Reporting. It was literally one of them situations where I was never able to say no.  ...Read the full article on Vicehere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/senators-warren-and-baldwin-seek-gao-investigation-of-mandatory-work-requirements-at-drug-and-alcohol-rehabilitation-facilities-receiving-federal-funding", "Senators Warren and Baldwin Seek GAO Investigation of Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 23, 2020\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Baldwin Seek GAO Investigation of Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t A recent investigation found that individuals at these facilities are being required to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a \"huge, unpaid shadow workforce\"; \"Individuals struggling with substance use disorder who attend rehabilitation programs should never be subjected to predatory conditions that threaten their recovery and violate their rights under the law\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)\r\nCommittee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the\r\nSubcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, sent a letter requesting that\r\nthe Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate mandatory vocational\r\nrequirements at drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities that receive federal\r\nfunding. Their request follows arecent\r\ninvestigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting which found that\r\nindividuals at some drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities are being\r\nrequired to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a\r\n\"huge, unpaid shadow workforce.\" Some rehabilitation facilities have mandatory work requirements, described\r\nas vocational therapy, in which facilities send participants to work for\r\ncontractors of or directly at private companies, with these individuals\r\nreceiving little to no pay for their labor. This practice appears to be a\r\nviolation of federal labor law, but has escaped federal enforcement. \"Requiring individuals to work without compensation is a violation of\r\nthe Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes standards for labor\r\nprotections including minimum wage and overtime pay,\" the senators\r\nwrote. Additionally, the senators noted there appears to be little evidence that\r\nuncompensated work therapy programs have treatment benefits. Substance Abuse\r\nand Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)guidance\r\naffirms that \"few studies have addressed the effectiveness of vocational\r\nservices in substance abuse treatment settings,\" and that programs\r\ninvestigated through those existing studies \"did not demonstrate much\r\nlong-term effect and did not decrease substance use.\" \"Individuals struggling with substance use disorder who attend\r\nrehabilitation programs should never be subjected to predatory conditions that\r\nthreaten their recovery and violate their rights under the law. Federal funding\r\ndedicated to supporting individuals and communities navigating substance use\r\ndisorder must be used in service of evidence-based prevention, treatment, and\r\nrecovery,\" the senators wrote. The senators asked the GAO to investigate (1) the extent to which federal\r\nfunding was provided to rehabilitation facilities with mandatory work\r\nrequirements; (2) whether the evidence shows that mandatory work requirements\r\nsupport addiction treatment and recovery; and (3) what oversight exists to\r\nensure individuals in rehabilitation programs are fairly compensated, and that\r\nprograms follow relevant labor and employment law. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-gsa-administrator-s-letter-allowing-transition-process", "Chairman Neal Statement on GSA Administrators Letter Allowing Transition Process to Proceed", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chairman Neal Statement on GSA Administrator's Letter Allowing Transition Process to Proceed \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Chairman Neal Statement on GSA Administrator's Letter Allowing Transition Process to Proceed \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy informed President-elect Joe Biden that the Trump Administration will now cooperate with the formal transition process:\nI'm glad the Administrator did her job and that the Biden-Harris Transition Team can now fully begin their preparations for the incoming administration, including taking critical steps to fight COVID-19 and save lives.\nRead Chairman Neal's letter calling on Administrator Murphy to immediately ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President HERE.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-congress-must-act-expiring-unemployment-provisions", "Neal: Congress Must Act on Expiring Unemployment Provisions", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal: Congress Must Act on Expiring Unemployment Provisions \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal: Congress Must Act on Expiring Unemployment Provisions \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    The Chairman weighed in on the upcoming benefits cliff as Committee Democrats released a new fact sheet on expiring aid  \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  As the December 31 cutoff date for a number of COVID-related unemployment supports approaches, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) today emphasized the importance of Congress extending the assistance beyond the end of the year.\nAs case numbers rise and hospitals across the country fill, it's clear that the end of 2020 does not mark the end of the COVID-19 crisis. We should extend pandemic-related unemployment assistance accordingly, said the Chairman. Millions of jobs that have been lost this year have not yet returned due to public health considerations, and workers are counting on the government to help them make ends meet as the economy slowly climbs out of the ongoing recession. The July 31 cutoff of the $600 per week emergency supplement to unemployment benefits was a huge blow to struggling families and resulted in a considerable hit to consumer demand. Now, workers and the economy are due to endure yet another setback when other COVID-related aid expires next month. The House has already passed extensions of these critical relief provisions, but Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have refused to do the same. There is no time to delay  action is urgently needed to prevent millions of workers from abruptly losing vital assistance while we continue our efforts to crush the virus and right the economy. \nThe Chairman's comments come as Ways and Means Committee Democrats today released a fact sheet that outlines the benefits that will expire on December 31 without congressional action. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and full federal funding for Extended Benefits are all scheduled to end at the end of the year, as are several provisions intended to reduce the risk of higher state tax rates on employers as they are trying to survive and bring back their workforce.\nI've consistently said that we will not be able to solve the COVID-19 economic crisis until we defeat the virus, added Chairman Neal. Unless we end the public health emergency, it won't be safe for workers to return to their jobs, and the federal government will need to keep providing additional unemployment assistance. Allowing the remaining pandemic unemployment supports to cut off in a few weeks would be a disastrous misstep, and I will continue to push for these provisions' extension.\nView Ways and Means Democrats' fact sheet on the year-end unemployment insurance cliff HERE.\nFind more resources on the Committee's actions to support workers and families through the COVID-19 crisis HERE.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-gsa-administrator-you-are-endangering-lives-and-livelihoods-people-across-nation", "Neal to GSA Administrator: You are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Richard Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Neal to GSA Administrator: You are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation \n      \n    \n  \n      \n          \n        \n        \n  \n    \n                 Neal to GSA Administrator: You are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation \n                        \n  \n                \n    \n      \n  \n    \n  \n      \n  \n  \n      \n  \n  \n\n  \n      \n  \n  \n    SPRINGFIELD, MA  Today, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) called on General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy to immediately ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President. Although major news organizations declared President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris the winners of the election on November 7, 2020, GSA Administrator Murphy continues to hold up the transition process and prevent critical COVID-19 response preparations from taking place.\nYour continued refusal to grant the Biden-Harris Transition Team access to critical services and facilities specified in the Presidential Transition Act of 1963impairs the incoming administration's ability to address the coronavirus pandemic, threatening catastrophic consequences for the American people, wrote Chairman Neal. It is unclear on what basis you continue to deny that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the apparent successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President.\nChairman Neal underscored that each day lost in the transition process puts more Americans at risk of contracting or dying from the coronavirus.\nNearly three weeks have passed since the American people chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as their next President and Vice President, Neal reminded Administrator Murphy. In that time, the public health crisis has worsened and millions of Americans have continued to struggle financially due to the COVID-19 recession. This is a critical time for the incoming administration to access essential information and resources to prepare for an efficient and peaceful transfer of power.\nThe Chairman concluded his letter by emphasizing: With your refusal to abide by the procedures established by the Presidential Transition Act, you are complicit in an unprecedented challenge to our Democratic norms and are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation. I call on you to put your fellow Americans before political expediency and immediately ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President.\nRead Neal's full letter HERE.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-markey-lead-colleagues-in-questioning-dojs-about-its-settlement-with-purdue-pharma-and-the-sackler-family", "Warren, Markey Lead Colleagues in Questioning DOJ's about its Settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 20, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren, Markey Lead Colleagues in Questioning DOJ's about its Settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAgreement allows Purdue to\r\nrestructure and continue to sell opioids under an unusual business partnership\r\nwith State and local governments \"Purdue and the Sackler\r\nfamily must be held fully accountable for their role in accelerating the\r\nnation's deadly opioid crisis\" Text\r\nof Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Ed Markey\r\n(D-Mass.) led their colleagues in sending a letter requesting information from\r\nthe Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding its settlement agreement with Purdue\r\nPharma (Purdue) and the Sackler Family, including a proposal for Purdue's\r\nreorganization into a \"public benefit company\" (PBC). The letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van\r\nHollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Last month, DOJ announced a resolution of its civil and criminal\r\ninvestigations into Purdue and its role in contributing and accelerating the\r\nopioid epidemic that has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives and generated $35\r\nbillion in revenue for Purdue. The settlement agreement includes a provision\r\nthat would allow Purdue to emerge\r\nfrom bankruptcy as a PBC, owned by a trust or similar entity, with proceeds\r\ndirected toward State and local governments. Purdue's reorganization as a PBC could create a significant conflict of\r\ninterest by giving the same states and local governments that are responsible\r\nfor regulating the opioid industry a financial interest in the sale of opioids.\r\nTwenty-five state attorneys general have publicly opposed the PBC provision in\r\nDOJ's settlement agreement with Purdue and urged DOJ to rescind it. \"DOJ failed to do its job. The Sacklers' OxyContin business doesn't\r\ndeserve special treatment, and we'll fight to stop it,\" said\r\nAttorney General Maura Healey. \"This is the same business that\r\nravaged our communities for far too long. I'm proud of and grateful to our\r\nMassachusetts senators and their colleagues who are sounding the alarm and\r\nseeking the answers that families and survivors deserve.\" \"This unusual arrangement would result in the company shedding almost\r\nits entire liability while allowing it to remain an active opioid seller, in a\r\nbusiness partnership with the state and local governments that have sued\r\nPurdue,\" the senators wrote. Despite the questions and concerns raised by this proposal, and the\r\nsignificant ramifications on, and opposition of, state and local governments,\r\nvictims and survivors, and other stakeholders, DOJ appears to have rushed to\r\nfinalize and announce the agreement without providing the opportunity for\r\nimpacted parties to provide appropriate input. \"Purdue and the Sackler family must be held fully accountable for their\r\nrole in accelerating the nation's deadly opioid crisis,\" the\r\nsenators wrote. \"The proposed restructuring of the company,\r\nhowever, seems to hamstring the ability of state and local governments, victims\r\nand survivors, and other stakeholders to do so, reducing the company's\r\nliability, and allowing it to continue, under an unusual business partnership, to\r\nsell opioids.\" The senators ask DOJ to provide information related to its decision to enter\r\ninto the settlement, including information about DOJ's process for deciding to\r\ninclude Purdue's reorganization as part of the settlement agreement, what\r\nalternatives it considered, the precedent for such a decision, and how DOJ\r\nassessed the value of the public benefit company. Last week, Senator Warren called\r\non DOJ to stop plans to allow the transformation of Purdue as a public trust or\r\ninto a public benefit company. ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-tester-colleagues-to-slam-va-privatization-of-compensation-and-pension-exams-for-disabled-veterans", "Warren Joins Tester, Colleagues to Slam VA Privatization of Compensation and Pension Exams for Disabled Veterans", "2020-11-20", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 20, 2020\n\t\t\t Warren Joins Tester, Colleagues to Slam VA Privatization of Compensation and Pension Exams for Disabled Veterans \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Lawmakers outline concerns over outsourcing of exams critical to providing disabled veterans with earned compensation and pension\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC  United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee today, along with nine colleagues, in expressing grave concerns over the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) recent decision to increase the privatization of Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams, negatively impacting services and benefits provided to disabled veterans. We were alarmed to learn that VA's vision for the future of the C&P program is to fully utilize private contractors to take over the VA personnel's workload, which we believe has the potential for serious long-term negative impacts on the services and benefits provided to our nation's veterans, the senators wrote. As you know, when Congress established the pilot program to contract C&P exams with non-VA medical professionals, it was done in order to supplement VA's internal capacity to perform exams to help veterans, not supplant it. C&P examinations are a key component of ensuring veterans receive their earned disability benefits from VA. Eliminating associated VA personnel conducting these examsin addition to outsourcing examinations to private contractors at a potentially enormous cost to American taxpayerswould severely impact veterans and VA employees across the country, especially those in rural America. The senators continued, Given's VA's admission that there is a 350,000 backlog of C&P exams throughout the nation, and more than 480,000 claims are awaiting decisions, we fail to see the logic for continuing to reduce VA's internal capacity to perform these exams as VA already has experienced, qualified, and well-trained personnel ready to perform these duties. Veterans with unique health issues and conditions including Military Sexual Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and health impacts as a result of toxic exposures, benefit greatly from being seen by a VA medical professional compared to someone with less experience with veterans' unique medical and mental health conditions. We have concerns that these external contracted medical examiners, with less experience evaluating veterans' unique health conditions, could contribute to a growth in appeals when non-VA examiners misdiagnose these veterans. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Senator Warren has been working to ensure veterans are protected from this highly contagious and deadly virus: On October 2, 2020, she joined Senator Tester in calling on the VA to step up its monitoring and support of these long-term care facilities, to better protect the health and lives of veteransespecially during the COVID-19 pandemic.On April 3, 2020, she led a letter with other members of the MA Congressional delegation to the VA New England Healthcare System seeking additional VA resources to help State Veterans Homes (SVHs) stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent similar outbreaks at VA-operated long-term care facilities across the Commonwealth.On May 5, 2020, Senators Warren, Tester, Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) also requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) review oversight by the VA of quality of care at State Veterans Homes. On May 14, the GAO agreed to conduct this investigation.On June 24, 2020, Senator Warren released a statement on the completion of the independent investigation in the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home.On June 26, 2020, Senator Warren led a letter with Senator Markey and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) to Governor Charlie Baker requesting an independent investigation into the COVID-19 outbreak at Chelsea Soldiers' Home (CSH). ###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 271, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "MA", "p2": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 271, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA&year=2020&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 271, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MA&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "MA", "label": "MA", "count": 271, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 271, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2020-11-20,http~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewarren~2Esenate~2Egov~2Foversight~2Fletters~2Fwarren-joins-tester-colleagues-to-slam-va-privatization-of-compensation-and-pension-exams-for-disabled-veterans", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=MA&year=2020&_next=2020-11-20%2Chttp~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewarren~2Esenate~2Egov~2Foversight~2Fletters~2Fwarren-joins-tester-colleagues-to-slam-va-privatization-of-compensation-and-pension-exams-for-disabled-veterans&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 217.07596210762858, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}