{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"MA\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/politico-elizabeth-warrens-next-chapter", "Politico: Elizabeth Warren's next chapter", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 31, 2020\n\t\t\t Politico: Elizabeth Warren's next chapter \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 progressive senator is already playing the inside game to shape Biden's agenda.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer replaced, lamenting that there's no one ready to step in. Elizabeth Warren has a different approach. The Massachusetts Democrat is a member of Schumer's leadership team and is working closely with the Senate minority leader on a policy priority that could fuel the first intra-party fight with President-elect Joe Biden. A few months before the election, Warren asked Schumer to join her effort to cancel $50,000 of student loan debt for millions of Americans. The president can do it without Congress, she argues. The New York Democrat, who is up for reelection in 2022, was immediately interested. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Burgess Everett \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\tPolitico\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://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1922", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Issues End of Term Report", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOWELL, MA Today,Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03)released her term in review report detailing key victories she secured for residents of Massachusetts' Third District during her first two years in Congress.\r\nWhen I took office in January 2019, it was with the promise that the concerns of hardworking families across Massachusetts' Third District would always come first,Congresswoman Trahan said. Each day, that promise drives my work in the U.S. Capitol and in our community. As this report details, we've accomplished a tremendous amount over the past two years. However, there is still much work to be done, and I look forward to continuing to deliver for Massachusetts families, workers, and small businesses as we navigate this pandemic and beyond.\r\nThe report details Congresswoman Trahan's first term by the numbers, including a breakdown of her accessibility to constituents, her team's ability to successfully assist folks in need of help with a federal agency, and her performance on key legislative scorecards. It also lists solutions Trahan prioritized in response to problems experienced by folks she represents, including addressing COVID-19, strengthening education, tackling the opioid crisis, protecting the environment, and more.\r\n \r\nThe report can be accessed by clickingHERE. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/29/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2043/", "Chairman Neal Statement on House Passage of the CASH Act", "2020-12-29", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC\n\nToday, 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:\n\n\u201cHouse 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.\n\n\u201cEven 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.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/28/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-1478/", "Chairman Neal Statement on President Trump\u2019s Signing of COVID Relief Legislation", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Springfield, MA\n\nSPRINGFIELD, MA \u2013 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:\n\n\u201cThe President\u2019s pointless delay in approving this relief legislation cost millions of Americans a week\u2019s 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.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["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://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1915", "Congresswoman Trahan Supports CASH Act to Deliver $2,000 Checks to Americans in Need", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today,Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03)returned to Washington to cast her vote in favor of theCaring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020, legislation that will deliver $2,000 economic impact payments to families and individuals in need of serious relief. Passage of the legislation comes just days after House Republicansblockedan attempt to pass the bill late last week.\r\nAfter nine months without additional relief, $600 is simply not enough for workers and their loved ones struggling to make ends meet,said Congresswoman Trahan. The Administration's about-face and sudden agreement with us that $2,000 survival checks are long overdue is a welcome change. Now that the House has passed the bill, the President should turn his sights on Mitch McConnell and demand that he do his job. The Senate should vote immediately on the CASH Act so folks can start getting their payments as soon as possible.\r\nTheCASH Actincreases the value of economic impact payments from $600 to $2,000 for an individual and $4,000 for joint filers. It also closes theCARES Actloophole that unfairly prevented a mixed-status family from receiving a payment, even if one spouse would have been eligible as an independent filer.\r\nThe same provision was included in the relief package recently signed into law, meaning mixed-status families are eligible for the original $600 economic impact payment amount and would be eligible for the increase to $2,000 for each family member with social security number if theCASH Actbecomes law.\r\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/2020/12/26/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-1477/", "Neal: Millions Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits Tomorrow if Trump Does Not Sign COVID Relief Bill", "2020-12-26", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Springfield, MA\n\nSPRINGFIELD, MA \u2013 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:\n\n\u201cIf 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\u2019t 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.\n\n\u201cThe 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 \u2013 which they helped write and voted for \u2013 to extend this crucial aid.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["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"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/masslive-sens-ed-markey-elizabeth-warren-oppose-springfield-biomass-project-by-palmer-renewable-energy", "Masslive: Sens. Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren oppose Springfield biomass project by Palmer Renewable Energy", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 24, 2020\n\t\t\t Masslive: Sens. Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren oppose Springfield biomass project by Palmer Renewable Energy \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMassachusetts' two U.S. senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, have asked the state to suspend and reassess the approval it gave 12 years ago for a still-unbuilt Springfield biomass plant that would take wood chips and burn them for electricity. Developer Palmer Renewable Energy said Wednesday it has already begun work at the site, 1000 Page Blvd. in East Springfield. The two Democratic senators want the project put on hold at least until the incoming Biden administration comes out with a green energy and climate change program, according to a letter sent to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Jim Kinney\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\tMasslive\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/2020/12/24/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-1473/", "Chairman Neal Statement on UK-EU Post-Brexit Trade Agreement", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Springfield, MA\n\nSPRINGFIELD, MA \u2013 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:\n\n\u201cI 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.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/24/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2022/", "Chairman Neal Introduces the CASH Act to Provide $2,000 Payments to Americans in Need", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC\n\nToday, 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:\n\n\u201cFor 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\u2019re 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.\u201d\n\nThe CASH Act:\n\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\nApplies 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.\n\nText of the legislation is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/24/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2035/", "Neal Decries Republicans\u2019 Heartless Obstruction of $2,000 Checks for Struggling Americans", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC\n\nToday, 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:\n\n\u201cIf 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\u2019ll put food on the table and cover next month\u2019s 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.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["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"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-pressley-tlaib-jayapal-ocasio-cortez-omar-introduce-legislation-provide", "Reps. Pressley, Tlaib, Jayapal, Ocasio-Cortez, & Omar Introduce Legislation to Provide $2,000 Survival Checks", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill Text (PDF)\nWASHINGTON Today, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) introduced legislation to provide survival payments of up to $2,000 to families suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the woefully inadequate relief provided to them so far. For months, the congresswomen have been at the forefront of pushing for substantial direct relief for families during the worst public health emergency in our lifetimes.\n \n\tFamilies in my district and all across the country are struggling under the weight of this unprecedented crisis, said Congresswoman Pressley. We've been fighting all along for robust survival checks to help people meet their most basic needs, and the broad support that has emerged is a testament to the power of the people and the urgency of this moment. $2,000 in direct cash assistance will help families weather the crisis while we continue fighting for additional relief that meets the scale and scope of the hurt so many are feeling. Let's get it done.\n \nWhile President Trump has indicated support for the $2k direct payments, it is highly doubtful he has done anything to encourage congressional Republicans to support the effort. This morning on Christmas Eve, House Republicans blocked an attempt to provide survival checks.\n \n\tThis holiday season, families are being forced to make incredibly difficult decisions, such as whether they should keep their lights on or buy groceries, said Congresswoman Tlaib. They are suffering to no fault of their own. We must protect public health and the economic well-being of those we serve. Providing $2,000 survival checks would give those struggling right now a lifeline as we continue to fight to defeat COVID-19. It's time for Trump to stop bluffing and get the members of his party in line so that the government can provide this long overdue relief to people across the country during this time of great need.\n \n \n\tIt's long overdue that Congress approves COVID-19 relief that actually meets the scale of this devastating crisis, said Congresswoman Jayapal. At the heart of any aid proposal must be putting money directly in people's pockets so they can put food on the table, keep the heat on, pay their bills and withstand this pandemic. Our legislation for $2,000 survival checks will make it happen at a moment when it matters most.\n \nThe text of the bill can be viewed here. The House is expected to convene on Monday, December 28th to take action on showing up for the constituents they serve.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-warren-urge-reconsideration-of-decade-old-air-permit-for-proposed-biomass-fired-power-plant-in-springfield-and-reassessment-of-air-quality-impacts", "Senators Markey and Warren Urge Reconsideration of Decade-Old Air Permit for Proposed Biomass-Fired Power Plant in Springfield and Reassessment of Air Quality ImpactsRead More", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wood-burning power\r\nplants have a carbon dioxide emissions rate approximately 50% higher than a\r\ncoal-fired power plant Washington\r\n(December 24, 2020) Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Elizabeth\r\nWarren (D-Mass.) today wrote to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental\r\nProtection (MassDEP) urging the agency to consider suspending and reassessing\r\nthe decade-old Conditional Approval issued to Palmer Renewable Energy LLC for a\r\nproposed biomass-fired power plant in Springfield, Massachusetts, particularly\r\nas the new Biden administration determines its climate and air quality priorities.\r\nThe Senators called on MassDEP to conduct a new review of the proposed plant's\r\nair quality impacts that accounts for the ongoing respiratory health pandemic,\r\nnew public health data, and the impacts to the accelerating climate crisis. The\r\nproposed plant is expected to burn approximately one ton of wood per minute and\r\nemit fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and other\r\nharmful pollutants, which can damage the human respiratory system and make\r\nbreathing difficult. Nearly one in five children in Springfield suffer from\r\nasthma, and 90 percent of city residents are categorized as living within an\r\nenvironmental justice population. Springfield\r\nresidents deserve an updated air quality analysis that reflects the city's\r\ncurrent health and environmental justice issues, which have become more acute\r\nin the decade since MassDEP initially issued the Conditional Approval,write the Senators\r\nin their letter to MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.In reassessing\r\nthe Palmer biomass plant proposal, MassDEP needs to account for the latest\r\nresearch into the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory health risks in the\r\nsurrounding population, and the historic burden of air pollution on the local\r\ncommunity. A\r\ncopy of the letter can be found HERE. The\r\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Massachusetts' State\r\nImplementation Plan for air quality standards, giving MassDEP the authority to\r\nreview air quality impacts and issue permits to polluting facilities. And since\r\n2013, MassDEP has had the legal authority under 301 CMR 7.02(3)(k) to revoke\r\nthe 2011 Conditional Approval for the proposed biomass-fired power plant in\r\nSpringfield based on Palmer's failure to commence construction of the plant.", 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"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398657", "McGovern Announces 2020 Congressional App Challenge Winners", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jim McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WORCESTER, MASS. Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02) announced the winners of the 2020 Congressional App Challenge from Massachusetts' Second Congressional District: Mahathi Gopinathan and Helen Liu. Both students attend Shrewsbury High School.\r\nTheir app, The Kindness Calendar, assigns users one kind thing to do on a daily basis. The coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of millions of Americans. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. Mahathi and Helen created The Kindness Calendar in hopes of increasing positivity in others' lives. \r\nI am excited to congratulate Mahathi and Helen on their exceptional app.saidCongressman McGovern. During these trying times, it is encouraging to see younger generations continue finding innovative ways to care for others. Programs like the Congressional App Challenge help today's students develop the skills they need to become the inventors and leaders our country needs now more than ever.\r\nBACKGROUND ON THE CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE:\r\nThe Congressional App Challenge highlights the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and encourages students to engage in these fields. By recognizing our nation's young programming talent, Congress hopes to shine a light on the growing importance of these skills.\r\nThe Challenge is open to all U.S. high school students in participating districts. Challenge participants are invited, either as individuals or as teams of up to four, to create and submit their own software application (app) for mobile, tablet, or other computing devices on a platform of their choice. A panel of local computer science professionals and congressional representatives will judge the apps, and the winners in each district will have the honor of being recognized by their Congressional representative.\r\nThe Challenge is coordinatedby the Congressional Internet Caucus and the non-governmental sponsor of the project, the Internet Education Foundation.Click hereto read more about the Congressional App Challenge", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1914", "Representatives Clark, Trahan, Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus Publish Spotify Playlist Commemorating 100 Years of Suffrage, Songs Fueling Continued Fight for Justice", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today,Assistant Speaker-elect Katherine Clark(MA-05),Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03),and members of theDemocratic Women's Caucus(DWC) published aWomen in the Houseplaylist on Spotify to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and honor the tremendous contributions of women across the nation who are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nThis has been a historic year for women: the celebration of 100 years of suffrage, our first woman Vice President, and the heroic role women have played as a majority of essential workers and health care providers during the pandemic. But our accomplishments are still coupled with crisis. Women across American are being pushed out of the workforce and pushed into economic turmoil because of persistent policies based on inequality,said Congresswoman Katherine Clark.This playlist is a celebration of women and our refusal to give up in our fight for equal rights and equal representation. I hope that when you listen you feel inspired, empowered, and ready to take on the world.\r\nIn a year that has been challenging for everyone, particularly working women and moms, it can be easy to overlook the tremendous achievements of strong, successful women across our nation. While I continue to advocate each day for policies that uplift women, I recognize that I wouldn't be able to do what I do if it weren't for the women who came before me, the women I serve with, and the women who sacrifice each day on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 to make sure that we are safe and healthy, said Congresswoman Lori Trahan. This playlist brought me some joy during this difficult time, and I hope it does the same for all of the strong women out there who need a reminder of just how fearless and inspiring they are.\r\nMusic has played an uplifting role in the battle for women's rights since the suffrage movement helping women to unify, rally, and assert their unbreakable spirit with songs of protest and praise to uplift and inspire us to keep going. This Women in the House playlist is in honor of our foremothers who struck critical blows for justice and equality, and for our mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers who continue the fight today as frontline COVID workers, family breadwinners, political and economic powerhouses, and the rock on which we all build unshakable foundations. So, crank up the volume and let your heart and spirit soar with these fierce artists and their #SHEROSONGS of love, power, respect, and dignity, saidDWCCo-Chairs Lois Frankel (FL-22), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Vice Chairs Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Deb Haaland (NM-01).\r\n\r\nBackground:\r\nDespite the many challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, women continue to go above and beyond to get their families and their communities through this crisis.Women account for 1 in 3 essential jobs and over seventy percent of health care professionals.Their heroism is the latest in a long history of women who have stepped up when America needed them most. Despite the sacrifices made by American women for generations, the fight for equality for women in the workplace, in housing, in public spaces, and even in their doctor's office continues. The on-going fight for equal pay, rights and representation is the cornerstone of the Democratic Women's Caucus.\r\nAs the centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment comes to an end, the DWC organized this playlist curated by Democratic women in the House. Each song on the playlist was selected by a Congresswoman because of the inspiration it provides in the fight for a more equitable nation for women.\r\nThe lawmakers hope that this playlist will provide a motivational boost to the many heroines who continue to go above and beyond for their loved ones, their communities, and their nation.\r\nTheWomen In The Houseplaylist can be foundHERE.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-secures-220-million-in-year-end-spending-bill-for-universal-flu-vaccine-research", "Senator Markey Secures $220 Million in Year-End Spending Bill for Universal Flu Vaccine ResearchRead More", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington\r\n(December 23, 2020) As 190.4 million fluvaccineshave been\r\ndistributed in the United States so far this flu season, Senator Edward J.\r\nMarkey (D-Mass.) announced he helped secure $220 million in the year-end\r\nspending package for research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine\r\nthat could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer longer\r\nlasting protection. The flu costs the nation at least $3.2 billion in direct\r\nmedical costs annually and $87 billion in total economic burden. With increased\r\nvaccination rates this flu season, paired with stay-at-home orders, incidence\r\nof flu cases are down 91 percent from November 2019. Last April, the National\r\nInstitutes of Health (NIH) began its first clinical trial of an innovative\r\nuniversal influenza vaccine candidate. With\r\nthe creation of the coronavirus vaccine, we have seen what happens when we\r\nfully empower scientists with the funding to research and innovate, said Senator Markey. Now, we have to do the same with\r\nthe creation of a universal flu vaccine and enhance our response to this global\r\nscourge. With the additional research funding in this year-end spending bill,\r\nwe will supercharge our ability to predict the right strain for the next\r\nseason, produce a more optimal vaccine, and protect all Americans against all\r\nstrains of this virus.Senator\r\nMarkey and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) previously introduced theFlu\r\nVaccine Act, legislation to conduct or\r\nsupport comprehensive research for the creation of a universal influenza\r\nvaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer\r\nlonger lasting protection. The legislation calls for a total investment of $1\r\nbillion $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 for NIH.\r\nSenator Markey and his colleagues were able to secure a dedicated $100 million,\r\n$140 million, and $200 million for fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020,\r\nrespectively, for universal flu vaccine research at the National Institute of\r\nAllergy and Infectious Diseases within NIH.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-portman-and-wyden-commend-three-year-extension-of-innovative-home-based-primary-care-medicare-program_independence-at-home", "Senators Markey, Portman, and Wyden Commend Three-Year Extension of Innovative Home-Based Primary Care Medicare Program Independence At HomeRead More", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In 2012, Independence at Home began as a\r\nthree-year demonstration program through the Affordable Care ActWashington\r\n(December 23, 2020) Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Rob Portman\r\n(R-Ohio), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), commended a three-year extension of the Independence At Home (IAH) demonstration project in the year-end budget\r\nlegislation. Independence at Home is an innovative, team-based model that is\r\nbringing measurable, high-quality care to patients suffering from multiple\r\ndebilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, ALS, congestive heart failure,\r\ndiabetes and Parkinson's, while significantly lowering costs for the Medicare\r\nprogram. In addition to the extension, the package also includes an increase in\r\nthe number of eligible beneficiaries. In April 2019, Senators Markey and\r\nPortman reintroduced legislation (S.1202) to convert the Independence at Home\r\ndemonstration into a permanent, national Medicare program. In\r\n2012, Independence\r\nat Home began as a three-year demonstration program. In 2015 and 2017, the\r\nHouse of Representatives and Senate approved two-year extensions. Senators\r\nMarkey and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are the original co-authors of the Independence\r\nat Home provision in the Affordable Care Act. When\r\nwe provide health care to our most vulnerable in their living rooms, we help\r\ncurtail their visits to emergency rooms, said Senator Markey.\r\nIndependence at Home improves the care that frail patients receive, while saving\r\ntaxpayers money by catching emerging health problems early. With the IAH\r\nprogram set to expire this year, this extension is critical. But I will\r\ncontinue to work to make this innovative program permanently accessible for all\r\nMedicare beneficiaries and their family caregivers in the future, and I thank\r\nSenators Portman and Wyden for their partnership on this innovative program. The\r\nIndependence at Home program is delivering results and saving money, said\r\nSenator Portman. It has made a difference by reducing hospital\r\nreadmissions, preventing costly hospital and nursing home admissions, and, most\r\nimportantly, keeping our seniors healthy and in their preferred care setting.\r\nI'm pleased the final FY 2021 bipartisan funding bill extends and expands this program\r\nso that it can continue to help our seniors while also making it more\r\naccessible to Medicare beneficiaries in Ohio and across the nation. Independence\r\nat Home empowers teams of doctors, care givers and other health care\r\nprofessionals to coordinate and provide primary care services in the comfort of\r\npatients' own homes, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and avoidable\r\nhospitalizations and readmissions, as well as the costs associated with them.\r\nData from the fifth year of the program showed an average Medicare savings of\r\n$2,711 per beneficiary in the demonstration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/bloomberg-tobacco-companies-tried-to-profit-off-virus-lawmaker-group-says", "Bloomberg: Tobacco Companies Tried to Profit Off Virus, Lawmaker Group Says", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Bloomberg: Tobacco Companies Tried to Profit Off Virus, Lawmaker Group Says \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tA group of U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, has sent letters to two of the world's largest tobacco companies alleging they attempted to profit off the back of a global health crisis. The letters sent to British American Tobacco Plc and Philip Morris International Inc., dated Dec. 16 and Dec. 18, respectively, cite a Stanford University study that found tobacco companies promoted their products during the pandemic on social media platforms popular with young adults by offering free gifts that had been hard to find, like hand sanitizer, toilet paper and masks. Some ads even pitched the products as good for stress relief during Covid-19, the letter said. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Tiffany Kary and Corinne Gretler\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\tBloomberg\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/cnbc-sen-warren-introduces-bill-to-provide-free-covid-testing-for-teachers-students-and-essential-workers-across-us", "CNBC: Sen. Warren introduces bill to provide free Covid testing for teachers, students and essential workers across U.S.", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t CNBC: Sen. Warren introduces bill to provide free Covid testing for teachers, students and essential workers across U.S. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSen. Elizabeth Warren is pushing legislation that would provide free Covid testing for teachers, students, essential workers and others who have high exposure to the coronavirus, expanding federally funded screening efforts throughout the U.S. The Expanding COVID-19 Testing Capacity Act of 2020 would require the Department of Health and Human Services to stabilize the testing supply chain by manufacturing tests and testing supplies, or find contractors who can do it for the agency, Warren said Tuesday. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Will Feuer\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\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/military-times-private-military-housing-companies-face-questions-about-military-families-with-disabled-members", "Military Times: Private military housing companies face questions about military families with disabled members", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Military Times: Private military housing companies face questions about military families with disabled members \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTwo senators are pressing privatized housing companies for extensive details on their treatment of military families with disabled members who need accessible housing. Some private companies that have partnered with the Defense Department do not appear to be following federal laws that protect persons with disabilities, according to letters sent Dec. 18 to top executives of six companies, signed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Citing the findings of a small online survey released in July by the nonprofit Military Housing Advocacy Network, the senators asked the executives for details about each of their military housing communities by Jan. 15. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Karen Jowers\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\tMilitary Times\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/nbc-news-senators-ask-justice-department-watchdog-to-investigate-federal-executions-under-trump", "NBC News: Senators ask Justice Department watchdog to investigate federal executions under Trump", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t NBC News: Senators ask Justice Department watchdog to investigate federal executions under Trump \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 reversal of long-standing DOJ policies and protocols for federal executions raise numerous questions about the fairness and application of these policies.\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t After a second federal inmate scheduled to be executed next month recently tested positive for the coronavirus, several senators are asking the Department of Justice's independent watchdog agency to investigate what motivated the Trump administration to resume the federal death penalty this year. Since July, the Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr has put 10 federal inmates to death, with three more executions scheduled in January just days before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. That is the most executions in a presidential lame-duck period in more than 130 years. The federal government's ramping up of executions ended a 17-year moratorium under previous administrations, and came amid a pandemic that led all states to halt executions. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Erik Ortiz\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\tNBC News\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/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://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398656", "McGovern Bill Supporting Tibetan Human Rights and Religious Freedom Set to Become Law", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jim McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. A bipartisan bill to support the human rights and religious freedom of the Tibetan people written by Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China is set to become law after being included in the omnibus spending package agreement just passed by Congress.\r\nFull Text of the Bill (PDF) \r\nThe bill updates the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to address the ongoing oppression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese government, and directs sanctions on Chinese officials who violate Tibetan human rights.\r\n\r\nOur bipartisan bill shines a light on the Chinese government's ongoing oppression in Tibet and strengthens existing U.S. tools to protect the religion, language, and culture of the Tibetan people, said Chairman McGovern. It also reaffirms America's commitment to the idea that human rights matter. It is essential that the human rights of all the people of China and Tibet are respected by their government.\r\n\r\nThe human rights situation in Tibet has gotten progressively worse in recent years. The Chinese government has refused to enter into genuine dialogue with Tibetan leaders. Restrictions on access to Tibet, for both Tibetans and foreigners, have been tightened. International journalists have stated that the isolation of Tibet is as bad as North Korea, allowing human rights abuses and environmental degradation to be concealed from the outside world. Chinese officials claim that they have sole authority to select the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, in violation of the religious freedom of the Tibetan Buddhist community. In the Tibetan Autonomous Region, new regulations on ethnic unity mandate acceptance and promotion of Chinese government ethnic and religious policy.\r\nMcGovern's bill:\r\n \r\n Establishes as U.S. policy that the succession or reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is an exclusively religious matter that should be decided solely by the Tibetan Buddhist community.\r\n \r\n \r\n Sends a clear message that Chinese officials who interfere in the succession or reincarnation process will be subject to targeted financial, economic, and visa-related sanctions, including those contained in the Global Magnitsky Act.\r\n \r\n \r\n Strengthens the role of the State Department Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues by including a mandate to work multilaterally to promote a genuine dialogue.\r\n \r\n \r\n Mandates that no new Chinese consulates should be established in the United States until a U.S. consulate is established in Tibet's historical capital of Lhasa.\r\n \r\n \r\n Directs the State Department to begin collaborative, multinational efforts to protect the environment and water resources of the Tibetan Plateau.\r\n \r\n \r\n Supports democratic governance in the Tibetan exile community.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/22/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-1932/", "Chairman Neal Statement on Green Energy Investments and Jobs", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC\n\nToday, 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:\n\n\u201cDuring 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.\n\n\u201cFor 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.\n\n\u201cWorkers in the green energy sector deserve good pay, benefits, safe workplaces, and all rights and protections afforded under our nation\u2019s 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.\n\n\u201cIn 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.\n\n\u201cWays 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.\n\n\u201cIn 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.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["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"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1912", "Reps. Trahan and Moulton, and Senators Markey and Warren Applaud Inclusion of \u201cLeonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act\u201d in Year-End Spending Bill", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 22, 2020) Representative Lori Trahan (MA-03), Representative Seth Moulton (MA-08), Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), applauded the inclusion of their Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act as part of the year-end spending package. The lawmakers introduced the legislation in response to the catastrophic gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts on September 13, 2018, which resulted in the death of 18-year-old Leonel Rondon, dozens of injuries, damage to more than 100 homes, and thousands of homes left without natural gas service for months. More than two years after the tragic and preventable Merrimack Valley gas explosions impacted thousands of families in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, our legislation to prevent another disaster like this is finally on the cusp of becoming law, said Rep. Trahan. For too long, outdated and insufficient safety regulations have failed the communities they were supposed to protect. Today's passage of the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act will apply the many lessons taken from this tragedy including those informed by NTSB's experts to ensure that no community ever has to experience this type of terrible devastation again. \r\n\r\nPassage of the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act pays honor and tribute to the life of Leonel Rondon and serves as a small justice for the Merrimack Valley community, said Senator Markey. The natural gas explosions that struck Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover more than two years ago were yet another example of corporations cutting corners to turn a profit. The passage of this legislation is a critical step in ensuring that we prioritize public safety over corporate profit and never allow a tragic disaster like this to happen again. I thank Senators Wicker, Cantwell, Fischer and Duckworth, and Chairmen Pallone and DeFazio for their leadership on this legislation. \r\nThe Merrimack Valley pipeline explosions could have been completely avoided if Columbia Gas executives had valued safety over profits, said Senator Warren. The passing of the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act honors the memory of a young man killed by the reckless gas explosion and will strengthen regulatory safety laws to help prevent disasters like this from happening again. \r\n\r\nLeonel Rondon's death was preventable, and no family in America should lose their son or daughter because of a pipeline disaster, said Rep. Moulton. The Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act will allow Congress to start holding companies like Columbia Gas responsible for the safety of their customers. It's a first step to help restore peace of mind in communities across the country who are living in fear that their home, school or business is going to explode because the people responsible for preventing pipeline accidents are asleep at the switch. \r\n\r\nSpecifically, the provisions from the legislation that are included in the year-end spending bill: \r\n \r\n Improve emergency response coordination with the public and first responders, ensuring information is shared and residents are not left in the dark\r\n Require the use of qualified employees, such as professional engineers, to approve gas engineering plans or significant changes to the system\r\n Promote best industry practices for holistic safety management\r\n Mandate on-site monitoring of gas system pressure by qualified employees during construction so that a dangerous situation can be stopped before it happens\r\n Require regulator stations which are critical to preventing over-pressurizations to be configured in such a way so that there are technological redundancies tha can keep disasters from taking place\r\n Require natural gas distribution system operators to assemble traceable, reliable, and complete maps and records of key pressure controls of the pipeline system, and to ensure that those records are accessible for anyone doing construction or engineering work on the system.\r\n \r\n \r\nWe want to thank Senator Markey and Congresswoman Trahan for putting forth this legislation, focused on creating safer living environments for all Americans, making it so that the tragedies faced in the Merrimack Valley won't ever happen anywhere else, said Mayor Daniel Rivera of Lawrence. The Merrimack Valley Gas Explosion was an example of an egregious oversight for corporate gain and showed how much work needed to be done to create equitable living standards. These provisions directed towards this work will improve accountability, emergency response, and on-site monitoring in all matters relating to pipeline safety. \r\n\r\nI want to thank the federal delegation for their landmark legislation to hold public utility companies accountable, strengthen safety standards, and prevent natural gas disasters in the future, said Senator Barry Finegold (D-Andover). The Columbia Gas explosions devastated our local community. A young man lost his life, families spent months homeless, and many lost all their belongings. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with state and federal officials to increase regulatory oversight of the natural gas industry and help the Merrimack Valley recover from the Columbia Gas tragedy. \r\n\r\nWe are deeply grateful to Sen. Markey for his leadership on this bill, which will create new safety and environmental rules for the pipeline industry, Elgie Holstein, Sr. Director for Strategic Planning at the Environmental Defense Fund. It will mean more protection for people living near natural gas pipelines and less gas leaking into the environment and contributing to climate change. \r\n\r\nThe Pipeline Safety Trust is thrilled the PIPES Bill has been passed, said Bill Caram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust. Along with providing more funding for PHMSA, we are happy to see progress being made on public transparency. We are also pleased that for the first time, operators will need to address the serious environmental effects from pipelines that, up until now, have been allowed to leak methane as a regular course of business. \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1913", "Representatives Trahan and McGovern Applaud $125,000 in CDC Drug Free Community Grant Funding for LUK, Inc", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOWELL, MA Today,Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03)andCongressman Jim McGovern (MA-02)applauded the awarding of $125,000 in federal grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention to LUK, Inc., a not-for-profit social service agency based in Fitchburg that provides critical services to communities throughout North Central Massachusetts.\r\nCases of addiction and substance use disorder have continued to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic across all demographics, and young people have sadly not been immune,said Congresswoman Trahan. Ensuring that organizations like LUK have the resources they need to continue combating drug and substance abuse is more important than ever. This funding will go a long way toward preventing the use of alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine usage by teens and youth in Leominster.\r\nMassachusetts knows all too well the terrible toll that substance use disorder has taken on our communities. Sadly, COVID-19 has only exacerbated the many challenges we face in addressing this problem,said Congressman McGovern.I'm hopeful that this grant will be a big help as LUK continues their work to prevent substance abuse among teens and adolescents, empower families, provide care, and even save lives.\r\nWe are very excited to continue to build upon our long-standing partnership with the Leominster Community Action Team,said Cassandra Foley, LUK's Director of Community Engagement and Support.This funding will enable the coalition to implement evidence-based strategies to prevent the use of alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine among youth in Leominster.\"\r\nWe are thrilled to have received the DFC grant,added Catherine Gaudt, BSN, RN, NCSN, Nurse Manager in Leominster Public School System.This will aid in our efforts to prevent adolescent and teen substance use and abuse in our community.\r\nBackground:\r\nThroughout her time in Congress, Trahan has been a strong proponent of legislation that seeks to end the addiction crisis and bolster mental health and substance abuse services. She is proud to be an original cosponsor of the CARE Act, an ambitious piece of legislation that would provide state and local governments with $100 billion in federal funding over ten years to help combat the opioid epidemic.\r\nAdditionally, Trahan is a member of the Freshman Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan group working to better understand the far-reaching effects of addiction and to implement comprehensive policies to mitigate overdoses and deaths across the nation. In that role, Trahan introduced theNational Family Caregiver Support Program Cap Elimination Act, bipartisan legislation that removes a funding cap under the Older Americans Act (OAA) that unnecessarily limits critical aid for older relative caregivers, including grandparents, who are serving in caregiving roles for their grandchildren due to the disrupting effects of the opioid addiction epidemic.\r\nSince 1970, LUK, Inc. has been committed to providing a variety of programs that address mental and behavioral health, trauma, addiction and substance abuse prevention, and homelessness. The agency serves more than 3,700 youth, adults, and families annually, and its prevention, education, and training programs impact another 12,000 individuals. For those who would like to know more about the services offered by LUK during this pandemic, they can find out more byvisiting their websiteor calling 800-579-0000.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/22/2020/senator-markey-senator-whitehouse-and-rep-langevin-applaud-the-inclusion-of-offshore-wind-act-provision-in-year-end-spending-bill", "Senator Markey, Senator Whitehouse, and Rep. Langevin Applaud the Inclusion of Offshore WIND Act Provision in Year-End Spending BillRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Spending package includes five-year extension of critical tax incentives for offshore wind\r\n\r\nWashington (December 22, 2020) Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-02) applauded the inclusion of key components of their legislation, theOffshore Wind Incentives for New Development (WIND) Act (S. 1957), as part of the year-end spending package. The provision would extend the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind facilities at 30 percent through 2025, as called for in the Offshore WIND Act. Introduced in June 2019 by Senators Markey and Whitehouse, and Rep. Langevin, the Offshore WIND Act would spur the growth of offshore wind energy in the United States by extending tax credits for the renewable energy industry.\r\n\r\nIn addition to extending the offshore wind ITC, the omnibus budget package extends the ITC for solar and the production tax credit (PTC) for onshore wind. It makes permanent energy efficiency improvements for commercial buildings and extends a credit of up to $2,000 for the purchase of energy efficient homes, as well as extends credits for non-business energy property purchases. The package also includes a five-year extension of the tax used to fund the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.\r\n\r\nOffshore wind has the potential to change the game on climate change, and those winds of change are blowing off the shores of Massachusetts, said Senator Markey. Offshore wind projects are a crucial part of America's clean energy future, creating tens of thousands of jobs up and down the East Coast and reducing carbon pollution. In our effort to harness this potential, we will now be able to provide this burgeoning industry the long-term certainty in the tax code that it needs. Our workers and our manufacturers stand ready to meet the demands of the offshore wind industry, and our economy stands ready to reap the winds of success. My big thanks to Senator Whitehouse and Rep. Langevin for their continued partnership and dedication to this legislation.\r\n\r\nRhode Island's first-in-the-nation offshore wind farm charted a course for wind energy in American waters, said Senator Whitehouse. Now our growing offshore wind industry will have the certainty to follow Rhode Island's lead. That means huge investment in coastal communities and jobs, plus lots of clean, affordable energy for consumers. I'm proud to have worked with Sen. Markey and Rep. Langevin to get this legislation over the finish line.\r\n\r\nAs home to the United States' first offshore wind farm, my district has seen first-hand the power and benefits of renewable energy, and it's important that other communities are able to tap into it as well, said Rep. Langevin. The extension of these vital incentives will strengthen our ability to produce clean energy, create good-paying jobs, reduce harmful emissions, and make communities more resilient. I thank Senators Whitehouse and Markey for their leadership in advancing this legislation and helping to build a greener, more sustainable future.\r\n\r\nOffshore wind has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs up and down the East Coast. The extension of the ITC will play a critical role in ensuring that this nascent industry receives the support necessary to establish a new clean energy economy in the United States. Our offshore waters have the potential electricity-generating capacity of 2,000,000 megawatts (MW), and coastal states are ready to harness that new power. To date, states have set offshore wind procurement targets of more than 29,000 MW, and the Energy Department found that the United States could install a total of 86,000 MW of offshore wind projects by 2050. With ambitious state targets and the extension of the offshore wind ITC, the offshore wind industry will be able to support good jobs in manufacturing, installing, and maintenance and create clean electricity all along the US coasts.\r\n\r\nIn recent years, the ITC has been instrumental in the rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity. Due in large part to the ITC, the United States made the second-largest amount of investments in renewable energy capacity in 2019, with $55.5 billion in investmentsan increase of 28% from 2018. Additionally, despite the coronavirus crisis, domestic renewable energy capacity grew significantly in 2020, with an estimated increase of 19,000 MW of solar capacity and 15,000 MW of wind capacity.\r\n\r\nThe nation's first offshore wind project at Block Island, Rhode Island began operations in December 2016 after being initiated nearly nine years ago and is now producing enough power each year to power 17,000 homes. The Vineyard Wind 1 projectthe first project planned for federal waters off the coast of Massachusettswill generate clean, renewable, cost-competitive energy for more than 400,000 homes and businesses across the Commonwealth, while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million tons per year. Massachusetts has set a goal of procuring a total of 3,200 MW of offshore wind, following recommendations in a 2019 study from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-and-congresswoman-maloney-applaud-inclusion-of-25-million-in-gun-violence-research-funding-in-omnibus-funding-package", "Senator Markey and Congresswoman Maloney Applaud Inclusion of $25 Million in Gun Violence Research Funding in Omnibus Funding PackageRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington\r\n(December 22, 2020) With funding for federal gun violence prevention\r\nresearch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) beginning for\r\nthe first time this past fall, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and\r\nCongresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) today applauded the inclusion of $25\r\nmillion in the 2021 Fiscal Year package to continue that research. Last year,\r\nthe lawmakers were also successful in securing\r\n$25 million in the year-end spending bill to fund research on firearms\r\nsafety and gun violence prevention, the first time Congress approved federal\r\nfunding for the study of gun violence since an appropriations rider called the Dickey\r\nAmendment was put on the books in 1996. Despite\r\nthe pandemic, gun violence is up in Massachusetts and around the country. We\r\ncannot accept that gun violence is pre-ordained, when we can know it can be\r\nprevented, said Senator Markey. This research funding is a critical\r\nstep to understanding the causes of this scourge and putting an end to gun\r\nviolence in our schools and neighborhoods. Research will help us create\r\nevidence-based solutions to this ongoing public health crisis. Gun\r\nviolence is a public health crisis that continues to destroy lives all across\r\nthe country and has grown even worse during the coronavirus pandemic, said\r\nCongresswoman Carolyn Maloney. For years, I have worked to pass\r\nlegislation directing federal funding toward health research into gun violence.\r\nI am encouraged that the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations package once again\r\nincludes this much needed funding. This research can help save lives by\r\nproposing science-based solutions to end the gun violence epidemic. In\r\nJanuary 2019, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney co-authored\r\ntheGun\r\nViolence Prevention Research Act,legislation to fund research at\r\nthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on firearms safety and gun\r\nviolence prevention. The legislation has been endorsed by a number of gun\r\nsafety groups and health organizations. For\r\ntoo long the CDC has been prevented from studying the root causes of gun\r\nviolence through legislation and lack of funding, said John Rosenthal,\r\nfounder of Stop Handgun Violence. This funding is an essential next step\r\nin ending an epidemic that takes 100 lives per day and wounds over 200 others.\r\nWhile state and local governments play an important role in ending gun\r\nviolence, without the support, research and resources of the federal government\r\nfocused on the problem, we are unlikely to solve it. \"Young\r\npeople, survivors, and activists worked hard to secure this historic funding\r\nfor the CDC and NIH, said Eve Levenson, policy and government affairs\r\nmanager at March for Our Lives. \"But the fight is nowhere near over.\r\nWe look to the new Congress and a new administration to join us in support of\r\nevidence-based solutions for our future. We thank all of those who worked to\r\nsecure this funding, and hope we can continue to amplify the voices of young\r\npeople who have experienced senseless and preventable tragedy.\" This\r\nappropriations package proves that last year's historic Congressional funding\r\nfor gun violence research wasn't a flash in the pan, but a sustained commitment\r\nfrom Congress to address gun violence in America, said Everytown for Gun\r\nSafety President John Feinblatt.We applaud Senator Markey for his\r\nleadership to ensure that this crucial research continues especially during a\r\npandemic that has made the gun violence crisis worse. \"Americans\r\nhave faced dueling public health crises this year, as a record number of\r\nAmericans have died of gun violence even amidst the on-going coronavirus\r\npandemic,\" said Brady President Kris Brown. \"The inclusion of\r\nthis funding for research into gun violence to find evidence-based solutions is\r\na vital step towards stopping this epidemic and saving lives. Brady applauds\r\nSenator Markey's continued leadership for this funding for needed\r\nresearch.\" Communities\r\nhave faced overwhelming strain this year battling a novel viral pandemic and a\r\nfamiliar epidemic of gun violence, said Giffords Federal Affairs Manager\r\nKatherine Phillips. A vaccine breakthrough has brought hope for tackling\r\none of these challenges, but that will not stop gun violence. Solving this\r\ncrisis requires a commitment to science, data, and evidence, and this bill\r\nrecognizes that. The bill builds on the landmark decision last year to restart\r\nfederal research into gun violence so we can truly understand the problem we're\r\ntrying to solve. As we head into a new year led by a new president, I'm optimistic\r\nthat this dedication to saving lives will continue.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-helps-secure-300-million-increase-for-alzheimers-research-in-omnibus-spending-bill", "Senator Markey Helps Secure $300 Million Increase for Alzheimers Research in Omnibus Spending BillRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 22, 2020) Senator Edward\r\nJ. Markey (D-Mass.), Senate co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force\r\non Alzheimer's Disease, today commended the inclusion of $3.1 billion for\r\nAlzheimer's and related dementia research funding at the National Institutes of\r\nHealth (NIH) in the year-end spending bill. This funding is a $300 million\r\nincrease over last year's appropriations, and meets the funding level the NIH\r\nestimates it will need to effectively treat or prevent Alzheimer's by 2025,\r\nbased on its most recent annual Alzheimer's Disease budget conducted pursuant\r\nto Senator Markey's Alzheimer's Accountability Act. Currently, more than\r\n5.5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, and by 2060, that number\r\nis expected to triple. We\r\nneed big, bold investments in medical and clinical research in order to defeat\r\nthe devastating disease that is Alzheimer's, said Senator Markey. My\r\nmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1985, and we cared for her in our\r\nliving room until she passed in 1998. I know the pain this disease causes, and\r\nI also know the love that families and caregivers have for their loved ones\r\nliving with it. I am proud to have fought for the appropriations included in\r\nthis year's spending bill, which will be critical to our fight for a cure. \r\n\r\nIn Fiscal Year 2020, Senator Markey helped to\r\nsecure $2.8 billion for Alzheimer's and related dementia research at NIH, a\r\n370% increase since 2014. Throughout\r\nhis years in Congress, Senator Markey has been a champion for raising awareness\r\nof Alzheimer's disease and working to find a cure. He is the House author of\r\ntheNational\r\nAlzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), which became\r\nlaw in 2011. Passage of NAPA led to the creation of a National Alzheimer's Plan\r\nto effectively prevent and treat Alzheimer's by the year 2025. In 2014, Senator\r\nMarkey'sAlzheimer's\r\nAccountability Actwas signed into law,\r\nas part of the fiscal year 2015 appropriations package, which requires the NIH\r\nto report to Congress how much additional funding the agency needs annually to meet\r\nthe milestones set forth in Senator Markey'sNational Alzheimer's\r\nProject Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-senator-whitehouse-and-rep-langevin-applaud-the-inclusion-of-offshore-wind-act-provision-in-year-end-spending-bill", "Senator Markey, Senator Whitehouse, and Rep. Langevin Applaud the Inclusion of Offshore WIND Act Provision in Year-End Spending BillRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Spending\r\npackage includes five-year extension of critical tax incentives for offshore\r\nwind Washington (December 22,\r\n2020) Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.),\r\nand Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-02) applauded the inclusion of key components\r\nof their legislation, theOffshore Wind Incentives for New Development\r\n(WIND) Act (S. 1957), as part of the year-end spending package. The\r\nprovision would extend the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind\r\nfacilities at 30 percent through 2025, as called for in the Offshore WIND\r\nAct. Introduced in June 2019 by Senators Markey and Whitehouse, and Rep.\r\nLangevin, the Offshore\r\nWIND Act would spur the growth of offshore wind energy in the United\r\nStates by extending tax credits for the renewable energy industry. In addition to extending\r\nthe offshore wind ITC, the omnibus budget package extends the ITC for solar and\r\nthe production tax credit (PTC) for onshore wind. It makes permanent energy\r\nefficiency improvements for commercial buildings and extends a credit of up to\r\n$2,000 for the purchase of energy efficient homes, as well as extends credits\r\nfor non-business energy property purchases. The package also includes a\r\nfive-year extension of the tax used to fund the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Offshore wind has the\r\npotential to change the game on climate change, and those winds of change are\r\nblowing off the shores of Massachusetts, said Senator Markey. Offshore\r\nwind projects are a crucial part of America's clean energy future, creating\r\ntens of thousands of jobs up and down the East Coast and reducing carbon\r\npollution. In our effort to harness this potential, we will now be able to\r\nprovide this burgeoning industry the long-term certainty in the tax code that\r\nit needs. Our workers and our manufacturers stand ready to meet the demands of\r\nthe offshore wind industry, and our economy stands ready to reap the winds of\r\nsuccess. My big thanks to Senator Whitehouse and Rep. Langevin for their\r\ncontinued partnership and dedication to this legislation. Rhode Island's\r\nfirst-in-the-nation offshore wind farm charted a course for wind energy in\r\nAmerican waters, said Senator Whitehouse. Now our growing offshore\r\nwind industry will have the certainty to follow Rhode Island's lead. That\r\nmeans huge investment in coastal communities and jobs, plus lots of clean,\r\naffordable energy for consumers. I'm proud to have worked with Sen.\r\nMarkey and Rep. Langevin to get this legislation over the finish line. As home to the United\r\nStates' first offshore wind farm, my district has seen first-hand the power and\r\nbenefits of renewable energy, and it's important that other communities are\r\nable to tap into it as well, said Rep. Langevin. The extension of\r\nthese vital incentives will strengthen our ability to produce clean energy, create\r\ngood-paying jobs, reduce harmful emissions, and make communities more\r\nresilient. I thank Senators Whitehouse and Markey for their leadership in\r\nadvancing this legislation and helping to build a greener, more sustainable\r\nfuture. Offshore wind has the\r\npotential to create tens of thousands of jobs up and down the East Coast. The\r\nextension of the ITC will play a critical role in ensuring that this nascent\r\nindustry receives the support necessary to establish a new clean energy economy\r\nin the United States. Our offshore waters have the potential\r\nelectricity-generating capacity of 2,000,000\r\nmegawatts (MW), and coastal states are ready to harness\r\nthat new power. To date, states have set offshore wind procurement targets of\r\nmore than 29,000\r\nMW,\r\nand the Energy Department found that the United States could install a total of\r\n86,000 MW of offshore wind projects by 2050. With ambitious state targets and\r\nthe extension of the offshore wind ITC, the offshore wind industry will be able\r\nto support good jobs in manufacturing, installing, and maintenance and create\r\nclean electricity all along the US coasts.In recent years, the ITC\r\nhas been instrumental in the rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity. Due\r\nin large part to the ITC, the United States made the second-largest amount of\r\ninvestments in renewable energy capacity in 2019, with $55.5\r\nbillion in investmentsan increase of 28% from 2018.\r\nAdditionally, despite the coronavirus crisis, domestic renewable energy\r\ncapacity grew significantly in 2020, with an estimated increase of 19,000 MW of\r\nsolar capacity and 15,000 MW of wind capacity. The nation's first offshore\r\nwind project at Block Island, Rhode Island began operations in December 2016\r\nafter being initiated nearly nine years ago and is now producing enough power\r\neach year to power 17,000 homes. The Vineyard Wind 1 projectthe first project\r\nplanned for federal waters off the coast of Massachusettswill generate clean,\r\nrenewable, cost-competitive energy for more than 400,000 homes and businesses\r\nacross the Commonwealth, while reducing carbon emissions by over 1.6 million\r\ntons per year. Massachusetts has set a goal of procuring a total of 3,200 MW of\r\noffshore wind, following recommendations in a 2019 study from the Massachusetts\r\nDepartment of Energy Resources.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-on-passage-of-coronavirus-relief-package", "Senator Markey Statement on Passage of Coronavirus Relief PackageRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 21, 2020) \r\nSenator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement upon\r\npassage of a $900 billion bipartisan coronavirus relief package. Workers, small businesses, and\r\nfamilies may be getting an ounce of relief in this coronavirus package, but\r\nthey need a ton more.With millions literally lining up in bread lines,\r\nthis relief package isn't even half a loaf. It is a terrible day in Congress\r\nthat we see the tragedy of hunger, unemployment, illness, and death, but Republican\r\ncruelty and partisanship overrule compassion and commonsense. This\r\npackagemust be only the beginning of our work to secure trillions more in\r\naid for the American people. They deserve so much more than this. A one-time direct cash payment,\r\nas well as extensions of vital nutrition funding and a national eviction\r\nmoratorium will provide desperately-needed help during these darkest and\r\ncoldest winter months. Massachusetts small businesses will receive another\r\nround of payroll assistance. And the extension of enhanced unemployment\r\nbenefits for our gig workers and independent contractors a program I fought\r\nto create at the beginning of the pandemic will provide some temporary\r\nrelief. But expanding Pell Grants is\r\nnot the kind of relief that cancellation of student debt would provide. A\r\nbusiness tax credit is not the full paid sick time that all Americans deserve.\r\nAs utility bills pile up, legislation that does not prevent the cruel shut-off\r\nof gas, electric, or water will lead to massive, unabated energy\r\ndebt.Broadband funding that ignores the successful E-rate a proven\r\nprogram that is ready to connect vulnerable students now to the internet will\r\ndo little to close the homework gap'. Meanwhile,states and cities\r\ncontinue to be punished by Senate Republicans who refuse to provide them aid as\r\nthey are left to bear the economic burden resulting from the Trump\r\nadministration's abdication of leadership during the pandemic. This deal is better than the\r\nRepublican alternative of nothing, but it must only be the beginning a down\r\npayment on what is to come. This cannot be the last time that Congress speaks\r\non this issue. This January will mark the end\r\nof the Trump-McConnell era. With the Biden-Harris era set to begin, we must\r\nmakecomprehensive economic relief a Day One priority for the new Biden\r\nadministration. I pledge my commitment to working with President Biden to\r\npass the largest and most just relief package in our country's history.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-schumer-and-rep-engel-celebrate-inclusion-of-legislation-to-preserve-first-responders-access-to-emergency-spectrum-in-year-end-spending-bill", "Senators Markey and Schumer, and Rep. Engel Celebrate Inclusion of Legislation to Preserve First Responders Access to Emergency Spectrum in Year-End Spending BillRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 21, 2020) \r\nToday, Congress released its final end-of-year spending legislation, which\r\nincludes Senator Edward J. Markey's (D-Mass.) bill to preserve first\r\nresponders' access to T-band spectrum (470512 MHz). Congress is now poised to\r\npass theDon't\r\nBreak Up the T-Band Act, legislation that allows firefighters,\r\nemergency medical service providers, police officers and other emergency\r\npersonnel in eleven metropolitan areas across the county to continue to\r\ncommunicate with each other using T-Band spectrum.Thelegislationrepeals a provision of the 2012Middle Class\r\nTax Relief and Job Creation Act, which directed the Federal Communications\r\nCommission (FCC) to auction off this band of spectrum by February 2021. First\r\nresponders in highly-populated metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, New York,\r\nPennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere use critical T-Band spectrum for\r\nemergency public safety communication. Agencies across the country have\r\ninvested millions of dollars in the T-Band networks, which offer the reliable\r\ncoverage and regional interoperability that first responders require for\r\nmission critical voice communications. A recent study by the United States Government Accountability Office noted that\r\nhad Congress failed to act, the cost of relocating T-Band users to other bands\r\nof spectrum would cost between $5 and $6 billion, and for many T-Band users,\r\nalternative bands of spectrum are limited or nonexistent.For years, I have been working to ensure that first\r\nresponders in Massachusetts and across the country have the resources they need\r\nto do their jobs, said Senator Markey. Every day, brave women and men\r\non the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic rely on T-Band spectrum to\r\ncommunicate with each other. By passing this bill into law, Congress will say\r\nloud and clear to our public safety heroes, We have your back.' I thank Leader\r\nSchumer and all of my partners on this legislation for their commitment to\r\npassing this bill into law. This is the type of action the American people\r\ndeserve amidst the ongoing public health crisis we face. New Yorkers know from 9/11 that first responders need a\r\ncommunication system that works when seconds count, said Leader Schumer. With\r\nan increased reliance on this technology during the pandemic, I have continued\r\nto fight to make sure our firefighters and first responders have reliable\r\ncommunications to be able to talk to each other and better respond to\r\nemergencies. This T-Band spectrum is priceless to Americans all across the\r\ncountry because it helps saves lives, and I am thrilled to keep this critical\r\ncommunication frequency intact. The inclusion of our T-Band legislation in today's\r\nspending bill marks an important step that we've been working towards for a\r\nlong time, said Representative Engel. Emergency personnel in major metropolitan\r\nareas across the United States use the T-band spectrum for public safety\r\ncommunication. Agencies across the country have invested millions of local,\r\nstate, and federal dollars in the T-Band networks, and relocating T-Band users\r\nto other bands of spectrum would have been difficult and cost prohibitive. Now,\r\nwe won't have to do that. I thank my colleagues in both chambers and on both\r\nsides of the aisle for making the preservation of the T-Band spectrum a\r\npriority for our first-responders. This is an important win for New York. The IAFC thanks Senator Markey for leading the effort in\r\nthe Senate to pass this critical legislation. Passage of the Don't Break Up the\r\nT-Band Act is a big victory for first responders. By preserving communications\r\nfor first responders across the country, this legislation saves taxpayers\r\nbillions and ensures the well-being of millions of Americans, said Chief\r\nRichard R. Carrizzo, CFO, President and Chairman of the Board of the\r\nInternational Association of Fire Chiefs. \r\nOther Senators co-sponsoring the Don't Break Up the T-Band Act include\r\nElizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bob Casey, Jr.\r\n(D-Penn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell\r\n(D-Wash.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Bob Menendez\r\n(D-N.J), and Corey Booker (D-N.J). Representatives Eliot Engel (NY-16), Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Al\r\nGreen (TX-09) and Peter King (NY-02) introduced the companion legislation in\r\nthe House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-warren-and-reps-trahan-and-moulton-applaud-inclusion-of-leonel-rondon-pipeline-safety-act-in-year-end-spending-bill", "Senators Markey and Warren and Reps. Trahan and Moulton Applaud Inclusion of Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act in Year-End Spending BillRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Massachusetts\r\nlawmakers introduced legislation in the wake of Merrimack Valley gas explosion Washington\r\n(December 22, 2020) Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the\r\nCommerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren\r\n(D-Mass.), and Representatives Lori Trahan (MA-03) and Seth Moulton (MA-08)\r\napplauded the inclusion of their Leonel Rondon\r\nPipeline Safety Act as part of the year-end spending\r\npackage. The lawmakers introduced the legislation in response to the\r\ncatastrophic gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts on September\r\n13, 2018, which resulted in the death of 18-year-old Leonel Rondon, dozens of\r\ninjuries, damage to more than 100 homes, and thousands of homes left without\r\nnatural gas service for months. Passage\r\nof the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act pays honor and tribute to the life of\r\nLeonel Rondon and serves as a small justice for the Merrimack Valley community,\r\nsaid Senator Markey. The natural gas explosions that struck Lawrence,\r\nAndover, and North Andover more than two years ago were yet another example of\r\ncorporations cutting corners to turn a profit. The passage of this legislation\r\nis a critical step in ensuring that we prioritize public safety over corporate\r\nprofit and never allow a tragic disaster like this to happen again. I thank\r\nSenators Wicker, Cantwell, Fischer and Duckworth, and Chairmen Pallone and\r\nDeFazio for their leadership on this legislation. The\r\nMerrimack Valley pipeline explosions could have been completely avoided if\r\nColumbia Gas executives had valued safety over profits, said Senator\r\nWarren. The passing of the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act honors the\r\nmemory of a young man killed by the reckless gas explosion and will strengthen\r\nregulatory safety laws to help prevent disasters like this from happening\r\nagain. More\r\nthan two years after the tragic and preventable Merrimack Valley gas explosions\r\nimpacted thousands of families in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, our\r\nlegislation to prevent another disaster like this is finally on the cusp of\r\nbecoming law, said Rep. Trahan. For too long, outdated and\r\ninsufficient safety regulations have failed the communities they were supposed\r\nto protect. Today's passage of the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act will apply\r\nthe many lessons taken from this tragedy including those informed by NTSB's\r\nexperts to ensure that no community ever has to experience this type of\r\nterrible devastation again. Leonel\r\nRondon's death was preventable, and no family in America should lose their son\r\nor daughter because of a pipeline disaster, said Rep. Moulton. The\r\nLeonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act will allow Congress to start holding\r\ncompanies like Columbia Gas responsible for the safety of their customers. It's\r\na first step to help restore peace of mind in communities across the country\r\nwho are living in fear that their home, school or business is going to explode\r\nbecause the people responsible for preventing pipeline accidents are asleep at\r\nthe switch. Specifically,\r\nthe provisions from the legislation that are included in the year-end spending\r\nbill: \r\n Improve\r\nemergency response coordination with the public and first responders,\r\nensuring information is shared and residents are not left in the dark\r\n Require\r\nthe use of qualified employees, such as professional engineers, to approve\r\ngas engineering plans or significant changes to the system\r\n Promote\r\nbest industry practices for holistic safety management\r\n Mandate\r\non-site monitoring of gas system pressure by qualified employees during\r\nconstruction so that a dangerous situation can be stopped before it\r\nhappens\r\n Require\r\nregulator stations which are critical to preventing over-pressurizations\r\n to be configured in such a way so that there are technological\r\nredundancies tha can keep disasters from taking place\r\n Require\r\nnatural gas distribution system operators to assemble traceable, reliable,\r\nand complete maps and records of key pressure controls of the pipeline\r\nsystem, and to ensure that those records are accessible for anyone doing\r\nconstruction or engineering work on the system.\r\n We\r\nwant to thank Senator Markey and Congresswoman Trahan for putting forth this\r\nlegislation, focused on creating safer living environments for all Americans,\r\nmaking it so that the tragedies faced in the Merrimack Valley won't ever happen\r\nanywhere else, said Mayor Daniel Rivera of Lawrence. The Merrimack\r\nValley Gas Explosion was an example of an egregious oversight for corporate\r\ngain and showed how much work needed to be done to create equitable living\r\nstandards. These provisions directed towards this work will improve\r\naccountability, emergency response, and on-site monitoring in all matters\r\nrelating to pipeline safety. I\r\nwant to thank the federal delegation for their landmark legislation to hold\r\npublic utility companies accountable, strengthen safety standards, and prevent\r\nnatural gas disasters in the future, said Senator Barry Finegold\r\n(D-Andover). The Columbia Gas explosions devastated our local community. A\r\nyoung man lost his life, families spent months homeless, and many lost all\r\ntheir belongings. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with state and\r\nfederal officials to increase regulatory oversight of the natural gas industry\r\nand help the Merrimack Valley recover from the Columbia Gas tragedy. We\r\nare deeply grateful to Sen. Markey for his leadership on this bill, which will\r\ncreate new safety and environmental rules for the pipeline industry, Elgie\r\nHolstein, Sr. Director for Strategic Planning at the Environmental Defense\r\nFund. It will mean more protection for people living near natural gas\r\npipelines and less gas leaking into the environment and contributing to climate\r\nchange. The\r\nPipeline Safety Trust is thrilled the PIPES Bill has been passed, said Bill\r\nCaram, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust. Along with\r\nproviding more funding for PHMSA, we are happy to see progress being made on\r\npublic transparency. We are also pleased that for the first time,\r\noperators will need to address the serious environmental effects from pipelines\r\nthat, up until now, have been allowed to leak methane as a regular course of\r\nbusiness. On\r\nNovember 26, 2018, Senator Markey hosted a Senate Commerce Committee field\r\nhearing gin Lawrence with Senator Warren, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.),\r\nCongresswoman Trahan, then Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Congressman\r\nMoulton.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-warren-applaud-passage-of-water-infrastructure-bill-benefiting-critical-massachusetts-projects", "Senators Markey and Warren Applaud Passage of Water Infrastructure Bill Benefiting Critical Massachusetts ProjectsRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan legislation includes provisions\r\nto expedite the replacement of Cape Cod Canal Bridges, improve climate\r\nresilience, mitigate flood risks, and control coastal erosion Washington\r\n(December 22, 2020) Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren commended\r\nCongress's passage of theWater Resources Development Act of 2020,\r\na water resourcesand infrastructure bill that includes several key\r\nprovisions benefiting Massachusetts. Senator Markey is a member of the\r\nEnvironment and Public Works Committee, which has jurisdiction over the\r\nlegislation. During\r\nthe coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever that we provide relief\r\nand support to communities throughout Massachusetts,said Senator\r\nMarkey.I am proud that the water infrastructure legislation passed\r\ntoday includes many of our key provisions, which will provide new and more\r\nrobust resources to help localities recover and grow their economies, while\r\nalso bracing for the impacts of climate change. I look forward to building on\r\nthis progress with comprehensive investments in sustainable and resilient\r\ninfrastructure in the next Congress. I\r\nam glad to see this water resources and infrastructure legislation support\r\ncritically important infrastructure projects across the Commonwealth, said\r\nSenator Warren. I will continue to fight to ensure our communities have\r\nthe resources they need to protect against future impacts of climate change and\r\nallow for continued economic growth. I\r\nam grateful to Senator Markey and Senator Warren for their leadership and\r\nsupport in preserving open space and investing in sustainable green\r\ninfrastructure, two critical strategies to combating the effects of climate\r\nchange and building a thriving, healthy, and innovative Boston, said Boston\r\nMayor Marty Walsh. My administration has invested over $60 million in\r\ncritical stormwater management projects along the Muddy River and the Emerald\r\nNecklace park system, an integral part of our resilience strategies led by\r\nClimate Ready Boston. These investments and efforts are vital to the improved\r\nhealth of our rivers, our long-term environmental and economic resilience, and\r\nquality of life for all of Boston's residents and visitors. The\r\nSenators' provisions incorporated into the Water Resources Development Act\r\ninclude: Cape Cod Canal Bridges-\r\nDirecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to expedite the replacement\r\nof the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges, which connect the nearly 250,000 residents\r\nof the Cape and Islands to the rest of Massachusetts, but are over eighty years\r\nold and structurally deficient.Boston Climate Resiliency\r\nDirecting the USACE to study climate resiliency in the Boston metro area, which\r\nis a necessary first step toward developing the coastal storm protection and\r\nstorm risk management measures that Boston will need to address the effects of\r\nclimate change moving forward.Coastal Erosion\r\nIncreasing the annual funding cap for the USACE's Storm and Hurricane\r\nRestoration and Impact Minimization Program to $38 million, which will allow\r\ncoastal communities across Massachusetts to implement more robust shoreline\r\nerosion and beach nourishment projects.Towns of Newbury and Newburyport\r\nAuthorizing a feasibility study for a comprehensive erosion control project in\r\nNewbury and Newburyport, which is a necessary first step toward developing a\r\nregional approach to managing sediment, controlling coastal erosion,\r\nencouraging maritime development, and protecting human life and property from\r\nthe seasonal storms that have degraded this vital coastline.Muddy River\r\nReauthorizing the Muddy River Environmental Restoration\r\nProjectinthe City of Boston and Town of Brookline, which was\r\nunilaterally deauthorized by the USACE in 2016 but is needed to enhance the\r\nhistoric landscapes and ecosystem surrounding the river.Hoosic River\r\nDirecting the USACE to work with the City of North Adams and the Hoosic River\r\nRevival Organization to develop a plan for authorizing a flood risk management\r\nproject along the Hoosic River.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/stabenow-collins-markey-capito-menendez-announce-senate-passage-of-bipartisan-improving-hope-for-alzheimers-act", "Stabenow, Collins, Markey, Capito, Menendez Announce Senate Passage of Bipartisan Improving HOPE for Alzheimers ActRead More", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act passes Senate WASHINGTON,\r\nD.C. U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow\r\n(D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Shelley MooreCapito(R-WV)and Bob Menendez (D-NJ)today announced Senate passage of the\r\nbipartisan Improving HOPE (Health, Outcomes, Planning, and Education) for\r\nAlzheimer's Act. Thanks to theirsuccessful bipartisan push in 2015, the Centers for Medicare and\r\nMedicaid Services announced in November 2016 that Medicare would begin covering\r\nnew care plans in 2017, effectively implementing the HOPE for Alzheimer's Act.\r\nThe Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act requires the Department of Health and\r\nHuman Services to conduct outreach to make more health care providers aware of\r\nthis important benefit and to report back on rates of utilization and barriers\r\nto access. Care plans are an important tool to ensure that\r\nthose living with Alzheimer's disease and their loved ones who help care for\r\nthem every day have the support they need to cope with this devastating\r\ndisease,said Senator\r\nStabenow.The Improving HOPE\r\nfor Alzheimer's Act will help make sure patients, their families, and their\r\nhealth care providers know about and can take advantage of the available\r\nresources. \"It is imperative that those living with\r\nAlzheimer's disease and their families receive the resources they need,\r\nincluding information about treatment options and what medical and community\r\nservices are available, said Senator Collins. Fortunately, following\r\nour advocacy, CMS implemented a new rule in 2018 that allows Medicare\r\nbeneficiaries to receive a care planning session. Our legislation will expand\r\naccess to this service by increasing awareness of this policy change among\r\nphysicians. As the Co-Chair of the Senate Alzheimer's Task Force, I will\r\ncontinue to support those living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. While we work towards the goal of finding a cure\r\nfor Alzheimer's by 2025, we must also ensure seniors with Alzheimer's get the best\r\ncare possible. Developing care plans that assist families, caregivers, and\r\nseniors understand diagnosis and available treatments helps make that happen.\r\nEnacting the Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act will mean more seniors will\r\nbenefit for these plans. This is an important step forward for those suffering\r\nfrom Alzheimer's, said Senator Markey. Delivering accessible care to those struggling\r\nwith Alzheimer's is crucial to the foundation of our families and gives hope to\r\nour loved ones. Now that certain care plans are offered, we must make sure this\r\ninformation is properly relayed to eligible families. The HOPE for Alzheimer's\r\nAct successfully strengthens our outreach strategy and makes resources\r\navailable to those who need it most. I'm proud to have been part of this\r\nmovement since 2015 and that our legislation was included in the year-end\r\npackage, said Senator Capito. I know how devastating it can be, not only for\r\nour loved ones struggling with Alzheimer's like my mother did -- but for\r\nfamilies trying to understand how to provide the best care possible.\r\nAlthough we fought to provide patients and their caregivers important services\r\n like help in understanding a diagnosis, available treatments, and ways to\r\nmanage the challenges ahead -- far too many seniors and their doctors have no\r\nidea the benefit is available. I'm thrilled to see our bill enacted so we can\r\nchange that and ensure patients get the resources they need, said Senator\r\nMenendez. Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading\r\ncause of death in the United States, and more than 16 million Americans provide\r\nunpaid care for people with Alzheimer's. The HOPE for Alzheimer's Act requires\r\nMedicare to pay for an individual care plan for newly diagnosed Alzheimer's\r\npatients. This benefit encourages doctors to give a clear diagnosis to patients\r\nwith Alzheimer's disease, including information about treatment options and\r\nwhat medical and community services are available. In 2017, less than one percent of seniors living\r\nwith Alzheimer's disease received the care planning benefit created by the HOPE\r\nfor Alzheimer's Act. The Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's Act requires HHS to\r\nconduct outreach to health care practitioners about comprehensive Alzheimer's\r\ndisease care planning services, including education initiatives, and materials\r\non appropriate diagnostic evaluations and explanations of the requirements for\r\neligibility.", 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://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=EBE38695-1118-4137-AC3E-EA2D282F8C73", "Clark, House Approve Emergency COVID Relief, Government Funding Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", null, 0, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/21/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-1630/", "Chairman Neal Floor Statement on he COVID-19 Relief and Omnibus Spending Agreement", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC\n\n(As Prepared for Delivery)\n\nAfter long, intense negotiations, we are finally here today with relief in sight for the American people.\n\nThis agreement isn\u2019t perfect, but it will offer struggling workers, families, and business with some immediate support.\n\nAmericans are suffering, wondering how they\u2019ll afford to put food on the table and stay in their homes.\n\nDemocrats understand that folks are in extraordinary crisis, so we fought to make sure this package includes urgently-needed relief provisions.\n\nAs with previous COVID legislation, the Ways and Means Committee contributed several of the most crucial measures in today\u2019s bill.\n\nWe included 11 weeks of $300 per-week emergency unemployment benefits, as well as an extension of pandemic-related unemployment assistance that\u2019s otherwise set to cut off in the coming days.\n\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.\n\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.\n\nI\u2019m 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.\n\nWhat\u2019s 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.\n\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.\n\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.\n\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.\n\nAs I\u2019ve said all along, until we effectively address the virus and people are safe, our economy cannot fully recover.\n\nAnd I am extremely pleased that the package contains our bipartisan, bicameral agreement to protect patients from surprise medical bills \u2013 this is particularly crucial as the pandemic continues to spread and thrust Americans into unexpected health and financial peril.\n\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.\n\nI\u2019m relieved that after so many months of refusing to negotiate with us, Senate Republicans finally came to the table and we\u2019ve reached this deal. They wouldn\u2019t 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.\n\nWhile today\u2019s 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.\n\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.\n\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.\n\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, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2020/12/21/news-documentsingle-aspx-documentid-2044/", "Chairman Neal Statement on the COVID-19 Relief and Omnibus Spending Agreement", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Washington, DC\n\nToday, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the introduction of bipartisan, bicameral end-of-year legislation:\n\n\u201cThis agreement isn\u2019t perfect, but it will offer struggling workers, families, and businesses desperately needed support. Americans are suffering, wondering how they\u2019ll 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.\n\n\u201cThere 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.\n\n\u201cWe 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\u2019m extremely pleased that the package contains our bipartisan, bicameral agreement to protect patients from surprise medical bills \u2013 this is particularly crucial as the pandemic continues to spread and thrust Americans into unexpected health and financial peril.\n\n\u201cThis 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.\u201d\n\nWays and Means Committee contributions to the package include:\n\nAdditional unemployment assistance:\n\nProvides 11 weeks of $300 per-week emergency unemployment benefits.\n\nExtends 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\nProtects individuals who received pandemic-related unemployment benefit overpayments through no fault of their own and are now unable to repay the funds.\n\nA second round of economic impact payments, with improvements:\n\nDelivers a new round of direct cash assistance to provide relief to Americans who are struggling, with family members each receiving $600.\n\nExpands 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\nRelief for families and workers:\n\nAllows 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\nReduces the income threshold for medical expense deductions from 10 percent to 7.5 percent, ensuring that more medical expenses are properly deductible.\n\nProvides 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\nExtends for three months credits reimbursing employers for paid sick and family leave paid to employees due to COVID-19.\n\nHelps more students take advantage of the Lifetime Learning Credit by increasing the income threshold at which the credit phases out.\n\nProvides more time for employees and employers to pay back deferred employee payroll tax amounts from the President\u2019s August memorandum.\n\nIncentives for hiring and retaining workers:\n\nExtends, 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\nImproves 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\nClarifies that expenses paid with the proceeds of a forgiven PPP loan are deductible.\n\nExtends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years, helping employers continue to hire disadvantaged individuals.\n\nNew patient protections and meaningful improvements to Medicare and the broader health care system:\n\nProtects 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\nExpands 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\nProvides 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\nMakes important, overdue investments to simplify the Medicare enrollment process, lower beneficiary costs, and improve beneficiaries\u2019 access to affordable, comprehensive health care, including mental health telehealth treatment.\n\nChanges to Medicare specifically designed to support rural communities and ensure patients in those areas have access to health care services they need.\n\nIncreases and extends for three years funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs, which provide free insurance counseling and assistance for Medicare for beneficiaries.\n\nCrucial investments in green energy and energy efficiency:\n\nProvides a lifeline to green energy investments by extending the investment tax credit for two years and the production tax credit for one year.\n\nExpands tax incentives for offshore wind, waste heat to power property, and efficient biomass stoves.\n\nIncentivizes energy efficient commercial buildings by making permanent the deduction for certain energy efficient property.\n\nExtends 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\nSupport for older Americans:\n\nMakes 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\nImproves quality and safety in skilled nursing facilities and hospices to better protect Medicare beneficiaries and other vulnerable populations.\n\nHelp for vulnerable young people:\n\nIncludes 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\nSupport for affordable housing and community development:\n\nJumpstarts and guarantees a pipeline of affordable housing projects by establishing a four percent minimum credit rate for the low-income housing tax credit.\n\nDrives investment to economically disadvantaged areas by providing a five-year extension of the New Markets Tax Credit at $5 billion per year.\n\nDisaster relief:\n\nProvides a broad suite of disaster relief supports to individuals and employers affected by natural disasters.\n\nHelps counties rebuild by providing additional allocations of the low-income housing tax credit to states hit by natural disasters.\n\nTax certainty at a time when certainty is crucial:\n\nMakes the Craft Beverage Modernization Act permanent, supporting hard-hit beer, wine, and distilled spirits producers across the country.\n\nResponsibly extends various tax provisions before they expire.\n\nUSMCA fixes:\n\nMakes 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.\n\nText of the legislation can be found HERE.\n\nSection-by-section summaries of the package are available here:\n\nAppropriations\n\nCoronavirus relief\n\nAuthorizing matters\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["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"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-rep-pressley-house-passage-covid-19-relief-package", "Statement from Rep. Pressley on House Passage of COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on the House passage of compromise legislation to address the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\tFor nearly nine months now, workers and families in my district and across the country have been left to fend for themselves in the midst of an unprecedented public health and economic crisis that has robbed us of over 300,000 lives and shoved thousands of families into poverty. As a result of Republican stonewalling and negligence, our communities are experiencing record levels of food and housing insecurity, thousands have lost their jobs and our immigrant neighbors have been locked out of federal relief altogether.\n\tI 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. I have heard from evicted seniors, immigrant families going hungry and essential workers deprived of PPE 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.\n\tI have fought every step of the way to strengthen this legislation and center those most impacted. Our fight continues. I want to recognize the grassroots organizing efforts and the partnership of my fellow progressives and Democrats in improving the legislation from where it stood only days ago. There is no doubt that these negotiations have been difficult given the callous disregard of the other side. It is because of our collective advocacy and organizing that direct cash payments are a part of this package, the Federal Reserve's authority to address future crises has not been severely limited, and that for the first time, mixed-status immigrant families will be able to access these critical resources. As a result of the efforts of Democrats, this package will include billions in rental assistance, resources to support the safe reopening of our schools, our public transportation systems and resources to combat hunger and food insecurity.\n\tWhile I believe the legislation announced today by Congressional leadership failed to provide the comprehensive relief necessary to meet the scale of the crisis in the communities I represent, I voted yes on the package because it will provide a much needed and long overdue stopgap to help workers and families weather the crisis as we continue fighting for additional relief.\n\tSince the onset of this pandemic, I have fought tirelessly for relief that would truly support our communities. Today's vote marks a long-overdue step toward delivering relief for the people, but our work is far from over. I will continue to push for bold, comprehensive legislation that meets the moment and sets us on a path to a just and equitable recovery.\n\tThese negotiations have underscored just how clear it is that Mitch McConnell does not care about the health and livelihoods of the American people. He has delayed comprehensive relief for months, strangled the Senate's ability to serve the people, and must be removed from power.\n\tI will continue fighting for the people who sent me to Washington to do just that.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1911", "Trahan Supports Relief Package, Calls for Work to Begin on Additional Aid", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Trahan Supports Relief Package, Calls for Work to Begin on Additional Aid\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n WASHINGTON, DC Today,Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03)supported passage of a funding package to keep the federal government open and deliver another round of COVID-19 relief. Following the vote, Trahan called for negotiators to begin work on another assistance package that can be signed into law early next year.\r\nWorking families in Massachusetts and across our nation have been in dire need of help for months. I voted for this package not because it meets their needs, but because a lack of partnership and compassion from Mitch McConnell combined with the inattention of a President focused exclusively on undermining a lawful election has forced us to choose between the bare minimum or no relief at all,said Congresswoman Trahan. Congress must immediately begin work crafting a package similar to the CARES Act that actually delivers the level of relief that Americans and their families need.\r\nThe COVID-19 relief contained in the package includes:\r\n\r\n Direct Payments:$166 billion in direct payments of up to $600 per individual plus another $600 per child. The phase out will be the same as the first round of CARES Act payments: $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers. This provision of the package also ensures that mixed-status families receive payments.\r\n Enhanced Unemployment Benefit:Extends the Unemployment Insurance benefits available to workers laid off because the pandemic through March 14thand adds a $300 per week enhancement.\r\n Vaccine Distribution and COVID-19 Testing:$20 billion to support the purchasing of COVID-19 vaccines, $9 billion for vaccine distribution, and $22 billion to support states with COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and efforts to slow the spread of the virus. The package also includes requirements that portions of the funds be used specifically for combating the disparities facing communities of color.\r\n Food Assistance for Hungry Families:$13 billion in funding for SNAP to support a 15 percent increase for food stamp benefits. This provision and strengthened child nutrition benefits will help relieve the historic hunger crisis that has left up to 17 million children food insecure.\r\n Rental Assistance:$25 billion in critically needed rental assistance for families struggling to stay in their homes and extends the federal eviction moratorium.\r\n Small Business Assistance:$284 billion for first and second forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans, $20 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loan program grants, $20 billion to directly assist minority owned small businesses and businesses in low-income communities, and $15 billion through theSave Our Stages Actfor live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions.\r\n Keeping Workers Paid:Provides a tax credit to support employers offering paid sick leave to workers and improves the Employee Retention Tax Credit to help keep workers on payroll during COVID-19 induced closures or reduced revenue.\r\n Education and child care:$54 billion to support public K-12 schools, including support for HVAC repair and replacement to mitigate virus transmission and reopen classrooms. The package also includes $23 billion for a higher education fund and $10 billion for child care assistance to help get parents back to work and keep child care facilities open.\r\n Broadband Access:The agreement invests $7 billion to increase access to broadband, including a new Emergency Broadband Benefit to help millions of students, families and unemployed workers afford the broadband they need during the pandemic. This funding also includes $300 million to boost rural broadband and $250 million to boost people's access to telehealth services.\r\n Ends Surprise Billing:The package includes bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will end surprise billing for emergency and scheduled care.\r\n Transit Aid:$14 billion for public transportation agencies, $10 billion in assistance for state highway authorities, $2 billion for airports, and $15 billion to keep airline workers on payroll.\r\n\r\nThe government funding package, which will fund government operations through Fiscal Year 2021, included a number of key provisions, including theLeonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act,legislation authored by Trahan and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) to prevent another tragedy like the 2018 Merrimack Valley gas pipeline explosions by strengthening pipeline safety by closing regulatory loopholes and increasing safety standards.\r\nThe funding portion also included:\r\n\r\n Investments in Workforce Training:Recognizing the need to invest in workers because of the pandemic, the package provides $185 million for lucrative Registered Apprenticeships while also allocating funding to assist state unemployment agencies.\r\n Servicemember Pay Raise:A much needed 3 percent boost in pay for servicemembers.\r\n Strong Support for Veterans:Provides $90 billion for VA medical care, including homelessness assistance and suicide prevention and outreach.\r\n Climate Action:Sweeping clean energy reforms, R&D enhancements, efficiency incentives, and extensions of clean energy tax credits to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the clean economy. The package also phases out superpollutant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), positioning the U.S. to lead the world in avoiding up to 0.5 degree Celsius of global warming.\r\n Protecting the Environment:Allocates $9.24 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, an increase of $180 million, to ensure clean air and water, as well as to hold polluters accountable.\r\n Expanded Access to Housing:For the first time, provides $43.4 million in new targeted vouchers to reduce homelessness among families with children, individuals, the unsheltered, veterans, and survivors of domestic violence.\r\n Investments in Stopping Combined Sewer Overflows:For communities along the Merrimack River struggling with the cost of upgrading sewage and wastewater systems, the funding package allocates $40 million, an increase of $12 million from last year, for CSO grants.\r\n Funding for Economic Development:Increases funding for the Economic Development Administration by $13 million, meaning communities in the Third District will be eligible for federal grants to revitalize their economies, create jobs, and get people back to work.\r\n Support for Legal Aid:Rejects the President's request to eliminate funding for the Legal Services Corporation and instead increases funding by $25 million to $465 million for the independent nonprofit to continue providing financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans.\r\n Cleaner Rivers:Provides $3.925 million for the National Park Service's Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers, a cooperative agreement between NPS and local governments, councils, watershed groups and non-governmental organizations that has benefited the Nashua River and Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers.\r\n Community Action Partnership Agency Support:Contains $775 million for the Community Services Block Grant, an increase of $5 million, which allocates funding for community action partnership agencies in communities across the Third District.\r\n Expanded Pell Grants:Makes it easier for students to predict their eligibility, which will make hundreds of thousands of students newly eligible for Pell and increase award amounts for millions of current Pell recipients.\r\n Simplified FAFSA:Streamlines the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and makes it easier for students to apply and qualify for federal student aid. Also expands outreach and awareness activities to encourage FAFSA completion, with a focus on low-income students and families.\r\n\r\nA section-by-section summary of the COVID-19 relief provisions can be accessedhere. A section-by-section summary of the government funding provisions can be accessedhere.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-and-rep-huffman-to-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-protect-the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-in-the-new-congress", "Senator Markey and Rep. Huffman to Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the New CongressRead More", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Blast lame-duck oil and gas lease sale and seismic exploration in Arctic Refuge as lease sale bidding begins today Washington (December 21, 2020) Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began the process of accepting bids for an oil and gas lease sale for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge currently scheduled to take place on January 6, 2021. Oil and gas exploration and seismic testing would threaten endangered polar bears in dens on the Coastal Plain and likely result in significant and long-lasting harm to the unique Arctic Refuge habitat, which is why Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) will be introducing legislation in the new year to restore protections to the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain and ensure that oil activities are never allowed to commence in this iconic wilderness. We have been fighting the Trump administration every step of the way in their rushed and malicious attacks on the Arctic Refuge. And we will be just as committed to protecting this treasured place in the new Congress, when we will thankfully have strong leaders like President-Elect Biden and soon-to-be Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to partner with,said Rep. Huffman and Senator Markey.The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the last true wild places left in America, the source of the Gwich'in people's way of life for generations, and home to rare and threatened wildlife. This last-ditch effort to auction off this pristine land for destruction by whoever is willing to bid on it is not only immoral, but fiscally irresponsible and legally shaky. This past week, Senator Markey and Congressman Huffman werejoinedby 29 Senate and 79 House members in transmitting letters to DOI and BLM asking the agencies to halt efforts to proceed with the current lease sale and to also reject an application for seismic exploration that, if approved, would allow seismic testing to occur in the Arctic Refuge this winter. Multiples legal challenges have been filed alleging that the Arctic Refuge oil and gas leasing program has been adopted in violation of numerous bedrock environmental laws. What's more, every major bank in the U.S. and Canada have now joined the more than two dozen banks from around the world that have announced they will not fund any new oil and gas development in the Arctic Refuge. As more banks make clear that they want nothing to do with Arctic drilling including some of the largest funders of fossil fuels in the world it should send a strong message to oil companies that Arctic drilling is bad business and they should think twice before pursuing it. Any company willing to place bids during this lease sale will face the prospect of seeing those bids nullified in the courts, through legislation, or by a President Biden, who has made permanent protection for the Arctic Refuge a top priority. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge is wildly unpopular among the American public and would only be more so in the all too likely event of a disastrous spill. Any company that supports drilling will face enormous risk to its reputation. The Arctic Refuge is one of our nation's most majestic public lands, and its coastal plain contains the calving grounds for the Porcupine caribou herd and is home to denning polar bears, musk oxen, wolves, and more than 150 species of migratory birds. The Gwich'in Nation, living in Alaska and Canada and 9,000 strong, make their home on or near the migratory route of the Porcupine caribou herd, and have depended on this herd for their subsistence and culture for thousands of years.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases?ID=42BB005D-D788-4B6F-9254-9A616ECAAC48", "Congresswoman Clark Receives First Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine", "2020-12-19", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", null, 0, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pressley-receives-covid-19-vaccine", "Congresswoman Pressley Receives COVID-19 Vaccine", "2020-12-19", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTONToday, at the direction of the Office of Attending PhysicianCongresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)received the COVID-19 vaccine. The Congresswoman released the following statement:\n\tToday, I received my first dose of the Pfizer COVID 19 vaccine. I am feeling well and encourage everyone in our community to take the first opportunity available to receive the vaccine in the weeks and months to come. I am grateful to the scientists, researchers, and frontline healthcare workers who have worked tirelessly over the last several months to develop a vaccine that is safe and effective.\n\tCandidly, I did not expect I would be able to receive the vaccine this soon. I planned to receive the vaccine at a Community Health Center in my district later in 2021. Members of Congress received notice at the end of this week from the Attending Physician that doses would be made available to us as part of a continuity of government plan,' a measure put in place during national crises. After consulting with my family and my doctor, I decided that I would move forward with this opportunity to receive the vaccine.\n\tAs someone who has experienced how broken our healthcare system is firsthand, throughout this crisis I have been deeply concerned about equity issues in access to care, treatment and prevention. Healthcare justice is not a reality in America. The inequities we see in our healthcare system are stark, and the research and medical community have deeply violated the trust of Black and brown people in America throughout our nation's history. It is up to our research and medical institutions, our elected officials, and our collective public health response to make amends and earn the trust of communities of color as we distribute this vaccine and rebuild.\n\tI will continue to fight in Washington and in Massachusetts to ensure that our frontline healthcare workers, those behind the wall, our essential workers, and the marginalized communities who have been hit hardest by this pandemic are able to access the vaccine rapidly and free of cost.\n\tFamilies in my district are hurting. This pandemic has robbed them of loved ones and changed their lives forever. I remain in Washington fighting for a COVID relief package and I won't stop fighting until we secure real relief and a just recovery for our communities.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/sens-markey-blumenthal-heinrich-merkley-and-gillibrand-outline-recommendations-for-biden-administrations-government-wide-response-to-the-climate-and-environmental-justice-crisis", "Sens. Markey, Blumenthal, Heinrich, Merkley, and Gillibrand Outline Recommendations for Biden Administrations Government-Wide Response to the Climate and Environmental Justice CrisisRead More", "2020-12-19", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 19, 2020) Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, led Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in outlining a set of recommendations for the incoming Biden administration to ensure that new officials are provided with the staff, budget, and coordinating power necessary to supercharge the federal fight against the existential threat of climate change. In the letter, the lawmakers applauded the Biden-Harris transition team's work to prioritize climate-focused personnel in the transition announcements made this week, while also encouraging the Administration to uphold its campaign promise to build a government-wide response to address the climate crisis.\r\n\r\nWe must fight boldly for intersectional climate solutions that move the nation toward clean, renewable energy and incorporate ambitious climate, health, labor, and equity standards at a scale commensurate with the crisis, write the Senators in the letter to President-elect Biden. We encourage your transition team to continue its work toward developing an empowered, organized, diverse, and unified team to achieve the President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. campaign's strong climate goalsbuilding an Administration that recognizes the gravity of the crisis and possesses the passion and energy needed to address it.\r\n\r\nA copy of the letter can be found HERE.\r\n\r\nThe letter recommends that President-elect Biden empower the recently announced climate officials by establishing and restoring offices and entities focused on climate, environmental justice, and economic transition, including the creation of an overarching entity that reports directly to the president and is endowed with all the powers necessary to coordinate a national climate strategy across all federal departments and agencies. It also asks that the incoming Administration put climate justice at the forefront of the administration's strategy by appointing personnel who reflect the values and experiences of those active in combating the climate crisis, who are independent of fossil fuel and polluter interests, and who are committed to tackling the crisis at the scale and speed demanded by both science and justice. This includes members of underrepresented and environmental justice communities and climate scientists and experts. The Senators also urge President-elect Biden to ensure climate-focused personnel are given authority within key economic agencies and offices to address the costs of the climate crisis to the U.S. economy and to ensure that climate action supports communities and workers through the creation and family-sustaining jobs.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/politico-warren-re-ups-bill-to-ban-stock-trading-by-lawmakers", "Politico: Warren re-ups bill to ban stock trading by lawmakers", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2020\n\t\t\t Politico: Warren re-ups bill to ban stock trading by lawmakers \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 Massachusetts Democrat is making her push while two of her colleagues, Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, are under fire for their stock trades.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t While Georgia's two Republican senators fend off campaign attacks on their stock trading, their Democratic colleague Elizabeth Warren is re-launching her bill to prevent lawmakers from making individual stock trades. Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both came under recent fire for buying and selling stocks at moments when they were privy to sensitive information about the companies they invested in. Each is now a candidate in Georgia's high-stakes January 5 runoff election, the outcome of which could change control of the Senate next year. Warren's proposed ban is part of a broader anti-corruption plan she promoted on the presidential campaign trail and is reintroducing with hopes that it can gain traction now that she has returned to the Senate. Warren, who said she would make such reform her first priority as president, proposes many changes to federal ethics law, including creating lifetime bans on lobbying for former members of Congress, expanding federal conflict-of-interest rules and barring lobbyists from fundraising for political candidates. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) introduced a companion bill in the House. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Maggie Severns\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\tPolitico\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/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"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/oversight-hearing-pressley-blasts-sacklers-purdue-pharma-execs-blaming-opioid", "In Oversight Hearing, Pressley Blasts Sacklers, Purdue Pharma Execs for Blaming Opioid Crisis on People With Substance Use Disorder", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Video (YouTube)\nWASHINGTON Yesterday, in a House Oversight Committee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) blasted Purdue Pharma executives and members of the Sackler family for their role in fueling the opioid crisis and for consistently placing the blame on people who suffer from addiction.\nA full transcript of her exchange with witnesses is available below and a full video is available here.\nTranscript: Pressley Blasts Purdue Pharma Execs for Blaming Opioid Crisis on People With Substance Use Disorder\n\tHouse Committee on Oversight and Reform\n\tDecember 17, 2020\nREP. PRESSLEY: The crisis of opioid addiction has destabilized families and communities throughout the country, including in the Massachusetts 7th, which I have the honor of representing. \nNow, while the Commonwealth in 2014, was the first state to declare opioids a public health emergency, my constituents are still to this day fighting addiction and trying to heal from the pain and trauma created by the Sackler family. Despite the havoc wrecked by Purdue Pharma, community-based recovery centers have served as critical resources, like the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery and STEPRox, who have cared for my constituents with compassion.\nAs the daughter of a parent who struggled with opioid substance use disorder, I know firsthand that we need to invest in these support systems and end the stigma and the criminalization of addiction.\nPeople who are battling addiction are not criminals. They are not misbehaving. They are managing a harrowing disease that afflicts them every single day.\nMr. Sackler, yes or no, do you agree that addiction is a disease?\nMR. SACKLER: I do, yes. \nREP. PRESSLEY: Dr. Sackler, yes or no, do you agree that addiction is a disease?\nDR. SACKLER: Yes. \nREP. PRESSLEY: Based on documents obtained by the Massachusetts Attorney General, this was not always your family's viewparticularly when the opioid crisis was first unfolding and generating bad press for OxyContin.\nAccording to an internal email, marked as Document 3 on page 4, Dr. Richard Sackler wrote, and I quote:\nThe abusers are misbehaving in a way that they know is a serious crime. They are doing it in complete disregard of their duties to society, their family and themselves. The notion that this is genetically programmed is nonsense. \nHe went on to write the fact is that many other people have the same tendencies and are not drug abusers. They are criminals.\nREP. PRESSLEY: Mr. Sackler, do you agree with your father's words that people struggling with addiction are criminals, yes or no?\nDR. SACKLER: No, I don't and in the 20, almost 20 years since this was written, I know my father has both apologized for these words, and--I'm sorry, please go ahead.\nREP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, reclaiming my time. In one email, marked as Document 2 on page 2, he wrote we have to hammer on the abusers in every way possible. They are the culprits and the problem. They are reckless criminals.\nMr. Sackler, who do you believe is the criminal: the person struggling with addiction or the corrupt pharmaceutical executive that has monetized the addiction?\nMR. SACKLER: Well, I, I, I, I don't believe that people struggling with addiction are criminals, though.\nREP. PRESSLEY: Are you\nMR. SACKLER: I don't believe\nREP. PRESSLEY: Are you and your family?\nMR. SACKLER: No.\nREP. PRESSLEY: I certainly, vehemently, disagree. I'm going to reclaim my time. And I also want to take a moment to just acknowledge the equitable outrage, which I appreciate, from both sides of the aisle, about this unjust, predatory practices which have decimated communities and destabilized families. I wish that there had been those same sentiments during the crack cocaine epidemic, which decimated urban communities and Black families still today.\nBlaming people with substance use disorder is shameful. Your family's rhetoric fuels the stigma and harmful policies that have denied people in need the resources they require to overcome their addiction.\nWe do not need another failed war on drugs. What we need is a reckoning and accountability for drug companies who put profits over people and rob us of the lives and freedom of our loved ones. You have created a nationwide epidemic. 450,000 people have died.\nLet me be clear: people struggling with addiction are not criminals.\nYour family and Purdue Pharma, you are the criminals. You are the ones who disregard your duties to society. And you should be ashamed of yourselves.\nI yield back.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1901", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Secures Appointment to Powerful Energy and Commerce Committee", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) was nominated for an appointment to the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, making her the only Massachusetts member on the Committee in the 117th Congress. Considered one of the most important committees in the House because of its broad jurisdiction, a seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee will enable Trahan to further deliver on a wide range of priorities important to workers and families in the Third District and across the Commonwealth. \r\n\r\nThe issues before the Energy and Commerce Committee impact the everyday lives of people across Massachusetts, including continuing our response to COVID-19 and the development and distribution of vaccines. As someone who grew up in a family that lived paycheck to paycheck, I understand the importance of access to quality, affordable health care and being able to afford lifesaving prescription medicine. Rooted in my lived experiences, these issues, along with our urgent need to clean up our environment and rein in the dominance of big tech, are top priorities for me on the Committee. Working in close coordination with the Biden administration, I will use this appointment to deliver for working families like the one I grew up in, for our health care heroes on the front lines, for scientists and researchers working to prevent the next pandemic, and for activists fighting for action on climate change, said Congresswoman Trahan. \r\n\r\nThe Energy and Commerce Committee has the broadest jurisdiction of any committee in the House of Representatives. Members of the Committee are tasked with oversight and legislation of health care, insurance, biomedical research, environmental policy, climate change, electronic and telecommunications, the internet and digital marketplace, privacy, cybersecurity, data security, motor vehicle safety, and interstate and foreign commerce. \r\n\r\nAt a moment when representation on the Committee will prove especially critical in the fight against COVID-19, Trahan garnered unanimous support from the New England delegation to continue a long history of Massachusetts members on Energy and Commerce. Over the past 140 years, Massachusetts has had at least one representative seated on the Committee for all but 14 years, including most recently Congressman Joe Kennedy III for the past six years and then-Congressman Edward J. Markey for 35 years during his time in the House. \r\n\r\nTrahan's representation on the Committee will be key to Massachusetts workers. Over the past two decades, health care and scientific and business services have emerged as the leading industries for employment in the Commonwealth, employing more than 1.25 million workers before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. With direct jurisdiction over these industries and other key areas of importance to the Commonwealth, Trahan's appointment was strongly supported by local, state, and regional leaders who know the importance of Massachusetts having a seat and a voice on the Committee. \r\n\r\nSince the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congresswoman Trahan has shown a deep understanding of the challenges frontline medical workers like those at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center are facing each day. Her appointment to the Energy and Commerce Committee means that nurses, doctors, and health professionals in Lawrence and throughout our region will have an advocate who knows what it takes to get the medical resources and tools necessary to continue educating clinicians in our Lawrence Family Medicine Residency program and saving the lives of our region's most vulnerable patients, said John M. Silva, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. \r\n\r\nIt is extremely important for Massachusetts to continue to have a voice on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Essentially all major public health legislation passes through that committee. Given the role of public health in our state and nation's effort to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the MNA and the frontline nurses we represent are gratified to have Congresswoman Trahan, a fierce advocate on these issues, as a member of this important body, said Katie Murphy, RN, President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. \r\n\r\nCongresswoman Trahan will do whatever she can to help American families. She listened to the painful story of how I lost my young son to addiction and tenderly asked How can I help other families? How can I make a difference?' She then introduced key legislation in Congress, and continues to work tirelessly with a caring heart and the courage to confront addiction and save lives. She will always be a hero to me, said Dr. James L. Baker, M.D., M.P.H., founder of the Maxwell F. Baker Foundation for Addiction Recovery. \r\n\r\nThe new Congress and Administration must work together on day one to address the existential threat of climate change. Any legislation that protects our environment and makes bold investments in clean energy will go through the Energy and Commerce Committee. It's good to know that we'll have a champion like Lori on the Committee fighting for us every step of the way, said Elizabeth Turnbull Henry, President of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. \r\n\r\nClimate change is among the greatest challenges we face, and there is no more important committee in Congress responsible for tackling it than Energy and Commerce. Massachusetts has long been a global leader in clean energy technology and innovation, and has a history of powerful voices on the committee pushing for clean energy solutions. As a mission driven company focused on combating climate change with fusion energy technology, we know Lori will continue the tradition to advance ambitious legislation that leverages American competitiveness and unleashes bold solutions in our fight against climate change,\" said Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. \r\n\r\nThe ACLU believes that every member of Congress must understand the importance of protecting every person's right to privacy. Congresswoman Trahan's appointment to the Energy and Commerce Committee means that privacy and civil liberties advocates will have someone who will prioritize these human rights when considering a wide array of issues under their jurisdiction. We plan to work closely with Congresswoman Trahan to protect and strengthen Americans' individual freedoms, said Carol Rose, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. \r\n\r\nU.S. Rep. Trahan has been a champion for UMass Lowell, Lowell and the Merrimack Valley in Washington in many ways. Her advocacy for the university, its students and its faculty has provided new and important avenues for the pursuit of research to benefit our Commonwealth and our nation. The Congresswoman's new role will provide an even greater opportunity to improve health outcomes, address climate change through renewable energy and energy efficiency, and increase access to information while protecting consumers. All of these areas hold great potential for further positive impact on research, as well as preparing UMass Lowell students and graduates for important roles in these key industries, said UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. \r\n\r\nAs this pandemic has shown, Massachusetts' medical device manufacturers will always step up to the plate to ensure the best possible care for patients. Lori stuck with us as we worked to rapidly develop our two COVID-19 tests and massively scale up production. And we're excited that she will now be on the committee that has oversight of public health, said Kevin Thornal, President of Hologic's Diagnostic Solutions Division. \r\n\r\nOnce approved by the full Democratic Caucus, Trahan will assume her seat on the Energy and Commerce after she is sworn into the 117th Congress on January 3rd. Subcommittee memberships will be announced at a later date. Since the Energy and Commerce is an exclusive committee, Trahan will give up her seats on the House Education and Labor and Armed Services Committees. \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-statement-on-gina-mccarthy-appointment-as-domestic-climate-czar", "Senator Markey Statement on Gina McCarthy Appointment as Domestic Climate CzarRead More", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 17, 2020) \r\nSenator Edward J. Markey, member of the Environment and Public Works Committee\r\nand co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, released the following\r\nstatement after media reported that former Environmental Protection Agency\r\n(EPA) Administrator and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) President Gina\r\nMcCarthy will be named the Biden administration's domestic climate czar. There's no one better to be at\r\nthe tip of the spear in the fight against climate change than Gina McCarthy, said Senator Markey. Gina is one of the most skilled\r\nand tenacious climate warriors with whom I've had the honor to work. She has\r\nleadership ability and universal respect to coordinate all aspects of this\r\nexistential threat, and will be ready on Day 1 to make progress on clean energy\r\nand climate solutions. If there is anyone who can enact a bold vision,\r\ncoordinate a whole-of-government response, and hit the ground running, it's\r\nGina McCarthy. For climate action to be a\r\nday-one priority, our work cannot wait until January 20, 2021it must begin now\r\nas the Biden team determines personnel appointments and agency agendas. We need\r\na government-wide approach that includes a strong domestic climate office, with\r\nthe new climate czar reporting directly to the President and endowed with all\r\nthe powers necessary to direct a national climate strategy across all federal\r\ndepartments and agencies, with environmental and climate justice at the\r\nforefront of this strategy. I am confident that under a\r\nBiden-Harris administration, we will pursue the most comprehensive climate\r\nagenda our country has ever known. We will not stop fighting until we take the\r\nbold, aggressive action that the science tells us is necessary and make the\r\nGreen New Deal a reality.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/pressley-omar-waters-adams-introduce-bold-resolution-calling-president-elect", "Pressley, Omar, Waters, Adams Introduce Bold Resolution Calling on President-Elect Biden to Cancel $50,000 in Federal Student Loan Debt", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Cancellation Would Reduce Racial Wealth Gap, Stimulate Economy, and Provide Much-Needed Economic Relief Amid Pandemic\nResolution (PDF) | One Pager (PDF)\nWASHINGTON Today, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Alma Adams (NC-12) introduced a resolution outlining a bold plan for President-elect Joe Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt for student loan borrowers using existing legal authority under the Higher Education Act.\nThe resolution, which outlines a pathway for the President-elect to use executive authority to cancel student loan debt while ensuring cancellation does not result in any tax liability for Federal student loan borrowers, is the House companion to Senate Resolution 711, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) earlier this year. Original co-sponsors of the House resolution include Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Jahana Hayes (CT-05). \n \n\tThe student debt crisis is a racial and economic justice issue and we must finally begin to address it as such. Broad-based student debt cancellation is precisely the kind of bold, high-impact policy that the broad and diverse coalition that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris expect them to deliver, said Congresswoman Pressley. As we work to fight for meaningful economic relief for workers and families that meets the scale and scope of the crisis we face, canceling student debt is one of the most effective ways to provide direct relief to millions, help reduce the racial wealth gap, stimulate our economy, and begin to deliver an equitable and just recovery. On day one of his Administration, President-elect Biden will have the executive authority to cancel billions in student debt with the stroke of a pen. This resolution lays out a plan for him to do exactly that.\n\tOver 90 percent of student debt is held by the federal government, which President-elect Joe Biden can cancel with the stroke of a pen, said Congresswoman Omar. Young people have been devastated by this economic crisis, withmore than halfliving with their parents. Student debt cancellation would be a massive economic stimulus at a time when people desperately need it. It's also a racial equity issue.Students of colorare more likely to take out federal student loans, and face higher rates of default.That's why Iintroducedthe Student Debt Cancellation Act last year, and havecalled onleaders to make student debt relief a centerpiece of a coronavirus response package. It's why a majority of the countrysupportsstudent debt relief. And it's why leaders from both Houses of Congressfor substantial relief. Student debt cancellation isn't just an economic priority, it is a moral necessity.\n\tAs the student debt crisis continues to grow more urgent and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis continues to impact our communities and economy, the need to provide relief to student loan borrowers buried under mountains of debt is critical, said Chairwoman Maxine Waters. As a leader on this issue, I held a Financial Services Committee hearing last year on the student debt crisis and its adverse impact on individuals, families, and the economy. I helped to secure critical protections for student borrowers, including a pause on student loans during the pandemic, and advocated for legislation to help borrowers affected by the student debt crisis. Most recently, I wrote to President-elect Biden to recommend that he issue an executive order to promptly forgive up to $50,000 of debt for each student borrower and I am so pleased to join with Congresswomen Pressley, Adams, and Omar, who have all been critical voices in this fight, to address this crisis. I cannot overstate the importance of this resolution and the need for the Biden Administration to take bold action and deliver on this mandate from the people on day one.\n\tThe incoming Biden-Harris Administration has the opportunity to change lives and jumpstart our economy on day one by cancelling $50,000 in student loan debt, said Congresswoman Adams. These loans are holding American families back from buying houses, cars, and opening small businesses. Student loan debt prevents young families from building and creating wealth that they can pass down to their children and grandchildren a freedom that historically has been denied to Black Americans in this country. Starting on January 20, it's up to us to rebuild the bridge to the middle class for millions of Americans. Let's start by cancelling the debt.\n \nLong before the COVID-19 crisis, 45 million Americans were being crushed under the weight of an unprecedented $1.6 trillion student loan debt crisis. The unequal burden of the student debt crisis has disproportionately fallen on Black and Latinx borrowers who, as a result of generations of systemic racism and predatory policies, have been locked out of wealth building and have been forced to take on more debt, more often, just for a chance at the same degree as their white peers. The student debt crisis is both a racial and economic justice crisis, and student debt cancellation is bold, responsive policy that will help ensure the economic recovery strategy will prioritize workers and families and reduce the longstanding racial wealth gap.\nSpecifically, the resolution:\n Recognizes the Secretary of Education's broad administrative authority to cancel Federal student loan debt.\n\tUrges the President to take executive action on day one of his Administration to cancel $50,000 in Federal student loan debt per borrower using the current legal authorities already granted by Congress.\n\tCalls on the President to use existing authorities to prevent debt cancellation from resulting in a tax bill for borrowers.\n\tEncourages the President to ensure that administrative debt cancellation helps to close racial wealth gaps.\n\tUrges the President to extend the current payment relief on all Federal student loan payments and interest for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.\n \n\tMillions of borrowers had faced crushing burdens because of student loan debt now made worse by the economic devastation of COVID-19, said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. As a result too many are choosing between loan payments, and housing, food, and medication. Four years of mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the ongoing nightmare of corporate servicers who have made huge profits off federal student loan debt has turned higher education financing into a business venture for the United States. Administrative student debt cancellation would be a game-changer for borrowers across the country, and an important first step in President-Elect Biden's effort to help families recover.\n\tStudent Debt cancellation is a racial justice issue since Black and Brown borrowers face the greatest hurdles when it comes to access, affordability, and retention in higher education, said Tiffany Loftin, National Director, Youth and College Division, NAACP. In order to make education a right, we need radical policy that addresses the needs of 44.7 million people who are shackled by debt, that starts with cancellation now.\n\tWe applaud Representative Ayanna Pressley and allies in Congress for urging President-elect Joe Biden to use existing authority to cancel student debt. A nationwide, grassroots movement has called for debt cancellation for years and we are closer to permanent relief than ever before. The leadership and support of champions in Congress couldn't come at a more important time, said Natalia Abrams, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy organization Student Debt Crisis. \"As the COVID-19 pandemic grows, far too many people are choosing between student loan payments and making rent, putting food on the table, and keeping the lights on. President-elect Joe Biden can change that. Canceling student debt will provide much-needed financial relief for individuals and boost the economy for years to come. It will also help close the racial wealth gap that is widening due to the disparate impact of the pandemic. And, as Representative Pressley reminds us, the president-elect can do all of this on Day One using executive action.\n\tCanceling student debt not only would be a lifeline to 45 million people, some of whom are struggling under the weight of their debt, it would help build a more robust economy, said Remington A. Gregg, Counsel for Civil Justice and Consumer Rights at Public Citizen. It's supported by a majority of Americans. And it makes good on the commitment so many leaders have made over the past year to focus on racial equity by working to close the racial wealth gap and giving Black and Brown borrowers a real chance to succeed.\n\tWe need to acknowledge that our student loan system is fundamentally broken and the first step to repair it is through across-the-board debt cancellation, said Ashley Harrington, Federal Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. We applaud Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswomen Omar, Adams, and Chairwoman Maxine Waters for introducing this important legislation and supporting the urgent need for administrative debt cancellation. The time has come for a new Administration to prevent further financial devastation for those who are disproportionately struggling the most under the weight of their student debt burden, Black borrowers and communities of color.\n\tWe applaud Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Alma Adams and House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters for their leadership fighting for the economic needs of millions of families, said Alexis Goldstein, senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform. No type of consumer debt is more widely held by the government than federal student loans. Cancelling federal student debt is a critical tool the government has to provide more funds for basic household needs when so many are on the precipice of financial ruin.\n\t\"From big cities to small towns, one constant is the crushing weight of student debt,\" said Student Borrower Protection Center Executive Director Seth Frotman. With the stroke of a pen, President-elect Biden has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to cancel student debt and improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans.\n\tWe applaud Congresswomen Pressley, Omar, Adams and Chairwoman Maxine Waters in calling on cancellation of up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt which is caused by a system that has been inequitable and broken for decades. Student loan debt disproportionately burdens Black and Brown Americans and exacerbates the racial wealth gap. Abusive debt collection practices take funds like the Earned Income Tax Credit from borrowers' safety nets and garnish borrowers' wages, making it even harder for those who need every penny to put food on their families' tables and contribute to their local economies. Student debt cancellation is urgently needed on Day 1, said Persis Yu, director of the National Consumer Law Center's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project.\n\tWe can empower a generation, stimulate the economy, and begin to close the racial wealth gap on day one by enacting broad student debt cancellation, said Dr. Kyle Southern, Policy and Advocacy Director, Higher Education and Workforce. Taking this action is critical to advancing an equitable economic recovery. The compounding impact of systemic racism and gender discrimination on student borrowers who are Black, Latinx, and women means they incur more debt out of necessity and take longer to repay that debt. Currently, women borrowers hold two-thirds of all student debt. Broad student debt cancellation would substantially boost Black, Latinx, and women-led households, help close the racial wealth gap, and avert default.\n \nCongresswoman Pressley has been leading the legislative fight for broad student debt cancellation. Reps. Pressley, Adams, and Omar have repeatedly led their colleagues in calling on House leadership to include student debt cancellation in any COVID relief package. In March, Pressley and Omar introduced the Student Debt Emergency Relief Act, legislation to cancel student loan debt and shield borrowers from any involuntary payments and garnishment during the COVID-19 crisis.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/video-rep-pressley-calls-robust-direct-cash-payments-people", "VIDEO: Rep. Pressley Calls for Robust Direct Cash Payments for the People", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Video (YouTube)\nWASHINGTON Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) delivered remarks on the House floor in which she called for robust direct cash payments for the American people to be included as part of any COVID relief package.\nA full transcript of her remarks, as delivered, is available below.\nTranscript: Rep. Pressley Calls for Robust Direct Cash Payments for the People\n\tU.S. House of Representatives\n\tDecember 17, 2020\nMadam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people.\nThe people who are struggling and feel abandoned by their government during this crisis.\nI rise in solidarity with every parent who has struggled to buy diapers and formula. Every family behind on rent or crushed by the grief of an empty chair at the kitchen table.\nOur people are crying out sick, tired, hungry and broken.\nThe people we have taken an oath to serve and protect need direct cash to survive the winter. We must send them survival checks immediately.\nSome of my colleagues are patting themselves on the back for sending corporations payoutscorporations, by the way, who have profited off of people during this pandemicand shaming families on the edge. Shame on them, their theatrics and their callousness.\n450 pennies a day for the last nine months. That's what our government has sent the American people to weather this crisis. And nothing for the immigrant families who drive our essential workforce.\nIt didn't have to be this way.\nOur families deserve direct cash, real survival checks.\n$600 is hardly sufficientit is an insult. We must act to save lives now.\nThe pandemic has not discriminated in its hardship, but it would seem compassion and empathy have.\nThank you, I yield.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1902", "Congresswoman Trahan Applauds $1.8 Million in Head Start Funding for Community Action, Inc in Haverhill", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOWELL, MA -Today,Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03),a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, announced $1,803,213 in federal Head Start funding for Community Action, Inc., a non-profit organization in Haverhill. This grant was awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families' Office of Head Start.\r\nThe outstanding staff at Community Action, Inc. have spent nearly every day for the past eight months working to deliver critical resources to families in need throughout Haverhill and surrounding communities,said Congresswoman Trahan. Their emergency programming has allowed students and families to access top tier developmental resources and opportunities, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. This federal funding will help them expand their footprint in our community and set up even more students and their families for success.\r\nCommunity Action, Inc. is grateful for the Head Start grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,saidKerri Sheeran Perry, CEO of Community Action, Inc.This critical funding will allow us to continue providing high quality early learning programming to hundreds of eligible children in the Greater Haverhill area. CAI's early learning program includes a strong, curriculum-based education with nutritional support, and family resources. \r\n\r\nBackground:\r\nCongresswoman Lori Trahan has used her position as a member of the House Education and Labor Committee to advocate for increased funding for Head Start. In negotiations over Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations, Trahan successfully requested increased funding for Head Start. The program received $11.6 billion in funding for the year, an increase of $1.5 billion over the total allocated for FY2019. Trahan continues to advocate for additional funding for this important program, having supported a similar request for increased Head Start funding in FY2021 appropriations negotiations.\r\n###", 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"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398652", "House Hunger Caucus Co-Chair Jim McGovern Urges President-elect Biden to Appoint Hunger Czar to Fight Food Insecurity in America", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jim McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Calls for a Rollback of Trump-Era SNAP Cuts Following Alarming Increase of Hunger During COVID-19 Pandemic \r\n share:\r\n f \r\n t \r\n \r\n \r\n WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the House Hunger Caucus, is urging President-elect Joseph R. Biden to appoint a hunger czar to develop, coordinate, and implement a national strategy to reduce food insecurity in America. McGovern also called for a rollback of Trump-era regulatory changes that make it harder to qualify for nutrition assistance programs.The proposals are part of a list of recommendations McGovern has made to the incoming administration to address alarming levels of hunger caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nAs you prepare to lead the country in our efforts to end the pandemic and rebuild our economy, I urge you to prioritize our national response to hunger,wrote McGovern in his letter to President-elect Biden.With an unprecedentedfifteen percent of Americans 50 million people in total struggling with food insecurity, there has never been a more pressing time to strengthen our country's social safety nets.\r\nMcGovern has been a harsh critic of the Trump administration's failure to address hunger. As lines for food banks stretch down the block and around the corner, President Trump is missing in action, hewrote in a July op-ed,whilefighting to block the administrationfrom cutting nutrition benefits during the ongoing pandemic. The need is real and people are desperate, McGovernsaid during a recent appearanceon CSPAN's Washington Journal. Full text of the letter is available here (PDF)and copied below.\r\nDear President-elect Biden,\r\nAs you prepare to lead the country in our efforts to end the pandemic and rebuild our economy, I urge you to prioritize our national response to hunger. With an unprecedented fifteen percent of Americans 50 million people in total struggling with food insecurity, there has never been a more pressing time to strengthen our country's social safety net.\r\nI have long maintained that hunger is a political condition, and the choices our leaders make have a profound and direct impact on whether or not Americans families will live in fear of not knowing where their next meal will come from. Ending hunger is not only a moral obligation; there is also a tremendous cost to our country for our indifference. Students who are hungry do not learn. Workers who are hungry are less productive. Senior citizens who are hungry have poorer outcomes and frequently require costly emergency room visits. As you make your Cabinet picks, I believe it is critically important that our next Secretary of Agriculture be someone who has a demonstrated understanding of our anti-hunger programs and who is committed to thinking holistically about ending hunger.\r\nPrograms such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are proven and effective tools for addressing food insecurity, and your new Administration will have significant authority to address this crisis head-on by expanding its reach. As a member of the House Agriculture Nutrition Oversight and Department Operations Subcommittee and as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, I urge you to prioritize the following actions:\r\nHalt the implementation of harmful rules proposed by the Trump Administration that would drastically curtail SNAP eligibility.The current Administration has sought to make changes to SNAP that will: (1) severely limit broad-based categorical eligibility and effectively throw hundreds of thousands of children off of school meal participation; (2) strip states of their much-needed flexibility to set their own Standard Utility Allowance using state-based and current energy cost information; (3) deny Green Cards to immigrants who utilize SNAP or other safety-net programs; and (4) eliminate state flexibility to waive certain work requirements and exemptions for SNAP participants who are able-bodied adults without dependents. These rules are in various stages of finalization and litigation, and I urge the incoming Administration to immediately rescind or reverse each of them.\r\nStrengthen nutrition assistance by increasing the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent and increasing the monthly minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30.The average SNAP benefit is approximately $1.40 per person per meal, and almost half of all SNAP families use up their entire benefit at the beginning of the month. At the height of the Great Recession in 2009, the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped prevent large increases in poverty by increasing the maximum SNAP benefit by 13.6 percent, totaling to $1.74 per person per meal. We must now make a similar, cost-effective investment. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that a 15 percent increase could help upwards of 16 million people, including 7 million children. To that same effect, increasing the monthly minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30 will go a long way in helping individuals and families keep food on the table.\r\nEnhance access to nutrition assistance during the public health emergency. As more families across the nation continue to feel the pain of the pandemic and the economic hardship it has wrought, we must expand the reach of nutrition assistance. The incoming Administration should continue to afford states critical flexibilities that have allowed them to establish Pandemic-EBT while also expanding the eligible uses of SNAP benefits. This should include expanding eligibility to include hot and prepared foods, as well as making online SNAP available to a wide range of smaller vendors. The incoming Administration should also partner with restaurants and nonprofits to provide food for vulnerable populations.\r\nAppoint a hunger czar to implement a national strategy to end hunger.As you know, hunger is a complex issue that touches upon issues of nutrition, education, racial and economic inequality, healthcare, and agriculture. While we have enough food to feed every American, hunger persists in large part because we lack a coherent national strategy to break down the silos that too often lead to food insecurity. Appointing a high-level official in your Administration to oversee and coordinate a national anti-hunger strategy for the first time in our nation's history, no less would be a turning point in the fight against hunger and signal your Administration's firm commitment to an issue that millions of American families deal with every single day.\r\nConvene a Conference on Food, Nutrition and Hunger.The first and only White House Conference on Food and Nutrition was held in December 1969 by President Nixon. It's past time that the White House convened a holistic discussion of ending hunger once and for all. Food insecurity and health are directly correlated, and even long after the pandemic ends, the country will continue to face structural issues that link hunger to the rising costs of food and health care, increased diet-related illness rates and poor nutrition. With the participation of the President, a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Hunger would focus on both hunger emphasizing food accessibility, and nutrition the nutritional quality of food with the ultimate goal of ending hunger in America while improving the availability of nutritious food for all Americans. The conference would bring together experts in food, health, nutrition, and economic security to develop a plan to end hunger once and for all in the United States while integrating health outcomes. It should include representatives from every federal department, representatives from states and localities, non-profits and anti-hunger organizations, and for-profit businesses. Most importantly, it should also include current and past SNAP participants. During the Obama Administration, I introduced legislation to convene such a conference and I plan to do the same next year.\r\nI look forward to working with you as a partner in the fight against hunger, and as you craft your action plan for ending food insecurity once and for all, I eagerly offer you my assistance. I wish you success during this critical moment in our history. The thoughts of so many Americans are with you as prepare for the long road ahead.\r\nSincerely, James P. McGovern \r\nMember of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1897", "Congresswoman Lori Trahan Announces Third District Winners for the 2020 Congressional App Challenge", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LOWELL, MA - Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced Westford eighth graders, Arav Jain and Som Lunavat, the winners of the Third Congressional District's annual Congressional App Challenge (CAC). The two students' application, Work for Cause, was selected by a panel of local judges from a pool of submissions from middle and high school students who participated in this year's competition. \r\n\r\n\"The Congressional App Challenge is a great way to recognize the incredible innovation and coding ability of students across the nation and here, in Massachusetts' Third District,\" said Congresswoman Trahan. I am grateful to all of the students who put countless hours of hard work into their submissions and made this decision difficult for our judges. I am thrilled to award this year's winners, Arav Jain and Som Lunavat. As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we have relied heavily on community resources to continually support those struggling the most, and this new app will allow these vital organizations to stay even more connected to their volunteers. \r\n\r\nThe Work for Cause application helps nonprofit organizations connect with volunteers from the technology community. In order to improve engagement with their community, nonprofit organizations need to develop videos and produce web applications and mobile content. Many nonprofits find themselves unable to afford these necessities, putting them at a disadvantage in their community. This new app connects nonprofit organizations to the technological assistance they need to ensure their resources are as accessible as possible to employees, volunteers, and those they serve. \r\n\r\nI would like to thank Congresswoman Lori Trahan for recognizing WorkForCause.org app as the winner of our district. With this app, I hope to help non profit organizations get the volunteers they need and help our community, said Arav Jain. \r\n\r\nThe Congressional App Challenge motivated me to develop this app and try to make a difference in our lives using technology. I learned new programming skills, applied them on the project and also had fun working under a timeline, said Som Lunavat. \r\n\r\nBackground: \r\nCongresswoman Trahan's office invited several STEM experts from local communities to judge the challenge: Lisa deBettencourt, Founder and Principal at Forge Harmonic, Dana Chisnell, Lead instructor for Tech Executive Leadership Initiative, Thad Kerosky, Co-Founder of Code for Boston, and Abigail Cossette, Computer Science Major at Northeastern University. The Congressional App Challenge began in 2013, and since then, the CAC has inspired over 14,000 students across 48 states to program an app. \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-and-rep-huffman-lead-letters-opposing-lame-duck-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-and-seismic-exploration-in-arctic-refuge", "Senator Markey and Rep. Huffman Lead Letters Opposing Lame Duck Oil and Gas Lease Sale and Seismic Exploration in Arctic RefugeRead More", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 16, 2020) Senator Edward J. Markey\r\n(D-Mass.) and Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Chair of the House Natural\r\nResources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, were joined today by 29\r\nSenate and 79 House members in expressing strong opposition to the\r\nArctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas lease sale scheduled for January 6,\r\n2021. In companion letters sent to the Department of Interior, the group of\r\nlawmakers ask the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to halt efforts to proceed with\r\nthe lease sale and reject an application for seismic exploration that, if\r\napproved, would allow seismic testing to occur in the Arctic Refuge this\r\nwinter. Oil and gas exploration and seismic testing would threaten endangered\r\npolar bears in dens on the Coastal Plain, and would likely result in\r\nsignificant and long-lasting harm to the unique Refuge habitat. The Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge is a national\r\ntreasure that is no place for oil and gas exploration and development\r\nactivities, and none should occur there, write the Senators in their letter\r\nto Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt. It is also wholly\r\nunacceptable that the Trump administration seeks to hold a lease sale as one of\r\nits final actions. Given the result of the 2020 presidential election, any\r\nlease-sale decision should be left to the incoming Biden administration.\r\n The oil and gas leasing program was adopted in violation\r\nof numerous laws that protect the Coastal Plain and ensure the integrity of the\r\ndecision-making process, write the House members in their letter. As a\r\nresult of these violations, BLM's actions to date are currently the subject of\r\nfour separate lawsuits. Before moving forward with these proposals, the BLM\r\nmust remedy these legal deficiencies and ensure full compliance with numerous\r\nfederal laws including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act,\r\nthe National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act,\r\nthe Wilderness Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Tax Act, and the National\r\nWildlife Refuge System Administration Act not run roughshod over them.\r\n A copy of the letter signed by the Senators can be found HERE.\r\nA copy of the letter signed by the House members can be found HERE. The Arctic Refuge is one of our nation's most majestic\r\npublic lands, and its coastal plain contains the calving grounds for the\r\nPorcupine caribou herd and is home to denning polar bears, musk oxen, wolves,\r\nand more than 150 species of migratory birds. The Gwich'in Nation, living in\r\nAlaska and Canada and 9,000 strong, make their home on or near the migratory\r\nroute of the Porcupine caribou herd, and have depended on this herd for their\r\nsubsistence and culture for thousands of years.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-rubio-applaud-senate-passage-of-legislation-to-award-congressional-gold-medal-to-american-heroes-killed-in-2012-benghazi-consulate-attack", "Senators Markey and Rubio Applaud Senate Passage of Legislation to Award Congressional Gold Medal To American Heroes Killed in 2012 Benghazi Consulate AttackRead More", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill honors selfless sacrifice of Ambassador\r\nChristopher Stevens, Glen A. Doherty, Tyrone Woods, and Sean Smith Washington (December 16, 2020) \r\nSenators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with\r\nSenators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.),\r\nDianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Shelley Moore Capito (D-W.V.) applauded U.S.\r\nSenate passage of their bipartisan legislation (S.2054) to posthumously award\r\nthe Congressional Gold Medal to J. Christopher Stevens, Glen A. Doherty, Tyrone\r\nWoods and Sean Smith in recognition of their service to and defense of the\r\nUnited States of America. Stevens, Doherty, Woods and Smith were killed in the\r\nattack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012. Christopher Stevens, a member of\r\nthe Career Foreign Service, was serving as United States Ambassador to Libya\r\nduring the attack. Doherty, a former combat-decorated Navy SEAL, was a native\r\nof Winchester, Massachusetts. Woods, a native of Portland, Oregon was also a\r\nformer combat-decorated Navy SEAL. Smith, a native of San Diego, had served in\r\nthe Air Force where he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal. The bravery of Glen Doherty,\r\nTyrone Woods, Sean Smith and Ambassador Stevens must be remembered and honored.\r\nOur diplomats, armed forces, and all who proudly serve our country overseas\r\ndeserve our utmost respect, recognition, and gratitude. I am honored to have\r\nled the effort that will honor them as the American heroes we know them to be,\r\nsaid Senator Markey. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor\r\nthe legislative branch can bestow upon any individual, and I look forward to\r\nawarding them and their families with this rare distinction that will honor\r\ntheir legacy for generations to come. I urge the House of Representatives to\r\nprioritize the bill's swift passage. Honoring our fallen fellow\r\nAmericans, who were murdered during a terrorist attack in our nation's\r\nconsulate in Benghazi, commemorates not only their legacy but also their\r\nsacrifice, said Senator Rubio. We owe Ambassador Stevens, Navy SEALS\r\nDoherty and Woods as well as Airman Smith a great debt of gratitude. I am proud\r\nto have joined Senator Markey in introducing this bipartisan bill and urge the\r\nmembers of the House to quickly pass it and send it to the President's desk for\r\nsignature. A copy of the legislation can be\r\nfound HERE.\r\n Passage in the U.S. Senate of\r\nlegislation to honor the four brave Americans who lost their lives in the\r\nBenghazi terrorist attack with a Congressional Gold Medal is a tremendous honor\r\nfor our family, said the Doherty family. We will remember these men\r\nalways as patriots and true heroes who gave their lives for the safety and\r\nprotection of other Americans. We thank Senator Markey, Senator Rubio, Senator\r\nDuckworth and so many other leaders in the U.S. Senate who supported this\r\neffort. The passage of S.2054 brings overwhelming\r\njoy and gratitude to my heart. But it only happened through the efforts of so\r\nmany others, said Cheryl Croft Bennett, mother of Tyrone Woods. The\r\nfamily of Navy SEAL Tyrone S. Woods is forever grateful to Senator Ed Markey,\r\nthe initial sponsor of this resolution in 2015 that was created to honor these\r\nfour courageous Americans who devotedly served and willingly sacrificed their\r\nlives for their country. We owe our special gratitude to the persistence\r\nof Sen. Markey's office and the bi-partisan support of 67 other senators,\r\nincluding Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, from Tyrone's home state of\r\nOregon, for the passage of this bill. These four patriots embody the best of\r\nthe American spirit and deserve this recognition by Congress as a testament to\r\ntheir noble sacrifices and outstanding legacies of service to our Nation. My\r\nson would be honored and humbled by this esteemed recognition, but I also know\r\nhis reaction would be, I was just doing my job and protecting others.' Like\r\nTyrone that night in Benghazi, we were never going to give up our pursuit of\r\nachieving passage of this resolution. To each senator who co-sponsored this\r\nresolution, you have my heartfelt and sincere appreciation. Also, I\r\nextend my special appreciation to K&L Gates law firm for their unflagging\r\nefforts and to my dear friends, Kate Doherty Quigley and Glen's mother,\r\nBarbara, for their continued friendship and love. To each and every person who\r\ncontributed to supporting S.2054, you can rest assured that you have done your\r\nduty to ensure that the legacies of these four beloved Americans will never be\r\nforgotten.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/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 MassachusettsRead More", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, 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.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/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 JailRead More", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, 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.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/forbes-the-bankruptcy-code-is-stacked-against-black-families-elizabeth-warrens-new-bill-would-change-that", "Forbes: The Bankruptcy Code Is Stacked Against Black Families. Elizabeth Warren\u2019s New Bill Would Change That", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 15, 2020\n\t\t\t Forbes: The Bankruptcy Code Is Stacked Against Black Families. Elizabeth Warren's New Bill Would Change That \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBankruptcy offers an exit route for families and businesses trapped by debt. In 2019, Forever 21, Barneys New York and Payless ShoeSource declared bankruptcy. Donald Trump's businesses have declared bankruptcy on six occasions. The Bankruptcy Abuse and Protection Act of 2005 made bankruptcy much more expensive and time-consuming for ordinary Americans to access. After the passage of BAPCA, typical costs for declaring bankruptcy rose from $663 to $986 for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and from $1,847 to $2,515 for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Elena Botella\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\tForbes\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/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"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2020/12/rep-lynch-and-ma-delegation-call-for-explanation-of-mbta-cuts-and-commitment-to-restore-full-services", "Rep. Lynch And MA Delegation Call For Explanation Of MBTA Cuts And Commitment To Restore Full Services", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Boston, MA \u2014Yesterday, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward Markey (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Richard Neal (MA-1), James P. McGovern (MA-2), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and William Keating (MA-09), sent a letter to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak requesting a full explanation for the proposed short-term and long-term cuts to MBTA services.\n\n\u201cAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we worry that the proposed cuts will disproportionately impact riders from underserved communities. These riders likely have no other method of transportation and rely on MBTA services and expanded hours of service for their essential travel needs,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. \u201cMany of these riders\u2014and MBTA employees themselves\u2014are essential workers who have stepped up to help us face this public health crisis. The cuts could also add volume to each trip, further exacerbating public health risks for riders and workers alike. Reduce transit options for riders and employment opportunities for MBTA workers at this time is incongruous with the support and recognition they deserve for the risks taken to continue providing the essential services to the Commonwealth.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe consider public transit to be a public good and will continue to fight for federal funding for the Commonwealth\u2019s public transportation infrastructure,\u201d they continued. \u201cAs such, we request that the MBTA further evaluate this proposal and provide clear evidence demonstrating the need for this degree of service reduction before moving forward with implementation at this precarious time.\n\nIn addition to requesting evidence that demonstrates the need for the severity of the proposed service cuts, the Delegation Members expressed their expectation that any service cuts would be fully restored as soon as possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases?ID=3D363F14-5969-4CCD-8FBE-8BD890ABCBE6", "Rep. Lynch And MA Delegation Call For Explanation Of MBTA Cuts And Commitment To Restore Full Services", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Boston, MA \u2014Yesterday, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward Markey (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Richard Neal (MA-1), James P. McGovern (MA-2), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and William Keating (MA-09), sent a letter to MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak requesting a full explanation for the proposed short-term and long-term cuts to MBTA services.\n\n\u201cAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we worry that the proposed cuts will disproportionately impact riders from underserved communities. These riders likely have no other method of transportation and rely on MBTA services and expanded hours of service for their essential travel needs,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. \u201cMany of these riders\u2014and MBTA employees themselves\u2014are essential workers who have stepped up to help us face this public health crisis. The cuts could also add volume to each trip, further exacerbating public health risks for riders and workers alike. Reduce transit options for riders and employment opportunities for MBTA workers at this time is incongruous with the support and recognition they deserve for the risks taken to continue providing the essential services to the Commonwealth.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe consider public transit to be a public good and will continue to fight for federal funding for the Commonwealth\u2019s public transportation infrastructure,\u201d they continued. \u201cAs such, we request that the MBTA further evaluate this proposal and provide clear evidence demonstrating the need for this degree of service reduction before moving forward with implementation at this precarious time.\n\nIn addition to requesting evidence that demonstrates the need for the severity of the proposed service cuts, the Delegation Members expressed their expectation that any service cuts would be fully restored as soon as possible.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/media/press-releases/pressley-leads-lawmakers-calling-president-elect-biden-end-death-penalty-first", "Pressley Leads Lawmakers in Calling on President-Elect Biden to End Death Penalty on First Day in Office", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Text of Letter (PDF)\nWASHINGTON Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 41 of her House colleagues and three Representatives-Elect on a letter calling on President-Elect Joe Biden to end the use of the federal death penalty on his first day in office. The Congresswoman's letter comes as the Trump Administration continues its killing spree, executing more people in six months than the total number executed over the previous six decades.\n \n\tYour historic election with record turnout represents a national mandate to make meaningful progress in reforming our unjust and inhumane criminal legal system, wrote the lawmakers. Ending the barbaric practice of government-sanctioned murder is a commonsense step that you can and must take to save lives.\n \nCapital punishment is unjust, racist and defective. The United States stands alone among its peers in executing its own citizens, a barbaric punishment that denies the dignity and humanity of all people and is disproportionatelyapplied to people who are Black, Latinx, and poor. For example, Black people make up less than 13 percent of the nation's population while accounting for more than 42 percent of those on death row. A nationwide study found that at least 1 in 25 people sentenced to death are innocent, while research has shown that capital punishment does not deter crime.\nIn their letter, the lawmakers called on President-Elect Biden to affirm his commitment to eliminating the death penaltyas laid out in his criminal justice reform planby ending it through executive action on Day 1 of his administration. The lawmakers also made clear that in the 117th Congress, they will continue to work toadvance H.R. 4052, Congresswoman Pressley's legislation to permanently abolish the death penalty and require the resentencing of those currently sentenced to death, and use their oversight authority to investigate the use of lethal injection drugs and its violation of the Eighth Amendment.\n \n\tWith a stroke of your pen, you can stop all federal executions, prohibit United States Attorneys from seeking the death penalty, dismantle death row at FCC Terre Haute, and call for the resentencing of people who are currently sentenced to death, the lawmakers continued.Each of these elements are critical to help prevent greater harm and further loss of life. While eliminating the death penalty will not fix our broken criminal legal system, it is a significant step toward progress.\n \nJoining Congresswoman Pressley in sending the letter are Representatives Peter Welch (VT-At-Large), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nydia M. Velazquez (NY-07), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Henry C. Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Adam Smith (WA-09), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jess G. \"Chuy\" Garca (IL-04), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Joseph P. Kennedy, III (MA-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), David N. Cicilline (RI-01), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Ted W. Lieu (CA-33), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Katherine M. Clark (MA-05), David Trone (MD-08), Daniel T. Kildee (MI-05), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14), Ro Khanna (CA-17), James P McGovern (MA-02) and Joyce Beatty (OH-03), along with Representatives-Elect Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Mondaire Jones (NY-17) and Cori Bush (MO-01).\nLast month, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), wrote to Attorney General Bill Barr calling for a halt to all scheduled federal executions in the remaining days of the Trump Administration.\nIn July 2019, Congresswoman Pressley introduced H.R. 4052, legislation to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row.\nIn August 2019, Congresswoman Pressley, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, andCongressmanJamie Raskin (D-MD), Chairman of the Subcommittee,sent letters to theActing Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) Hugh J. HurwitzandAttorney General William P. Barrseeking documents and information regarding the Administration's July 25, 2019, announcement that the Bureau would resume capital punishment.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/mcgovern-markey-and-pressley-demand-answers-from-usdafollowing-reports-of-food-box-shortages", "McGovern, Markey, and Pressley Demand Answers From USDA\r\nFollowing Reports of Food Box ShortagesRead More", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON In light of recent reports from constituents that\r\nthe United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Families Food Box Program is\r\nstruggling to meet the needs of Massachusetts families, Representative James P. McGovern (MA-02), Senator\r\nEdward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) are leading the\r\nMassachusetts delegation in demanding answers from USDA\r\nadministratorsthat oversee the program, and are requesting a meeting with\r\nthe USDA to discuss the challenges that food box recipients and distributors\r\nare facing in Massachusetts. In\r\naddition to McGovern, Markey, and Pressley, the letter was signed by Senator\r\nElizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard E. Neal (MA-01), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08),\r\nKatherine Clark (MA-05), William Keating (MA-09), Joseph P. Kennedy III\r\n(MA-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), and Lori Trahan (MA-03). Authorized\r\nby the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Farmers to Families Food\r\nBox Program purchases and distributes agricultural products to schools, food\r\nbanks, and families in need. However,recentlyMcGovern, Markey, and\r\nPressley learned that the program has not met the needs of Massachusetts\r\nresidents. In\r\nrecent weeks, we have received reports that the Northeast Region's new\r\nfourth-round contractor, Whitsons Culinary Group, is now unable to service many\r\nof the same Massachusetts schools and food banks that received food boxes in\r\nthe Program's prior rounds,wrote the Massachusetts lawmakers in their letter.In our\r\nconversations with Whitsons, we learned that regional needs not only vastly\r\noutweigh its contracted capacity, but also that, as of December 3, 2020, it has\r\na waitlist of 21 organizationsmany of which are previous food box recipients\r\nnow without a supplier. In\r\nMassachusetts, the food-insecurity rate has increased by 53% during the\r\npandemic, with one in seven residents lacking access to enough food for three\r\nhealthy meals per day, and one in five children living in food-insecure\r\nhouseholds, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank. The\r\nlawmakers also note that recipient organizations were provided with almost no\r\nwarning of the transition between vendors, and no notice was provided to\r\nschools and food banks that its distributions would be greatly reduced or\r\nstopped entirely, forcing food banks to scramble to purchase agricultural\r\nproducts for the families they serve or leave families without resources. American\r\nfamilies must always have access to basic necessities, but never more so than\r\nduring this pandemic,conclude the lawmakers.To ensure their needs are being\r\nmet and that the Program is effective, USDA must engage in effective oversight,\r\nincluding seeking feedback from the Program's contractors and recipients. The\r\ndelegationis expected to speak with the USDA on this important matter\r\nthis week. The signed letter is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-warren-and-reps-keating-and-kennedy-applaud-keeping-wcvb-on-air-in-bristol-county", "Senators Markey and Warren, and Reps. Keating and Kennedy Applaud Keeping WCVB on Air in Bristol CountyRead More", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 15, 2020) \r\nSenators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and\r\nCongressmen Bill Keating (MA-09) and Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04) today\r\npraised the agreement between Comcast Corporation and Hearst Television to keep\r\ncontinue airing WCVB, the Boston ABC affiliate owned by Hearst, in Bristol\r\nCounty. Earlier this month, the Massachusetts lawmakers sent a letter expressing concerns about reports that starting on\r\nDecember 22, 2020 Comcast subscribers in Bristol County would no longer be able\r\nto view WCVB. Massachusetts residents rely on\r\nin-state news every day, and as viewers across the Commonwealth continue to\r\nnavigate the ongoing public health and economic crises, they need up-to-date\r\ninformation that is relevant to their families, said the Massachusetts lawmakers. We applaud Comcast\r\nand Hearst for heeding our call, reaching this agreement, and doing the right\r\nthing on behalf of their customers in Massachusetts.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-van-hollen-and-bennet-and-rep-meng-applaud-inclusion-of-3-billion-in-e-rate-distance-learning-funding-in-bipartisan-senate-coronavirus-proposal", "Senators Markey, Van Hollen, and Bennet, and Rep. Meng Applaud Inclusion of $3 Billion in E-rate Distance Learning Funding in Bipartisan Senate Coronavirus ProposalRead More", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Edward Markey", "M000133", "www.markey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington (December 14, 2020) \r\nSenators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.),Chris Van Hollen\r\n(D-Md.),Michael Bennet (D-Colo.),and Congresswoman Grace Meng\r\n(NY-01) today applauded inclusion of their legislation the Emergency\r\nEducational Connections Act and $3 billion in funding for the E-rate\r\nprogram in the bipartisan Senate coronavirus relief proposal. The lawmakers'\r\nlegislation funds elementary and secondary schools and libraries, including\r\ntribal schools and libraries, to provide Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and\r\ninternet-enabled devices, including internet service through such equipment, to\r\nstudents, staff, and patrons. It would also allow schools and libraries to\r\ncontinue to use the equipment after the emergency period. We are pleased to see our\r\nlegislation that funds K-12 distance learning included in this bipartisan\r\ncoronavirus relief package, said the\r\nlawmakers. We cannot afford to wait another day to connect online our\r\nnation's most vulnerable children to their educators and classmates and to\r\nensure the homework gap' does not grow into a damaging learning gap as the\r\npandemic continues. This $3 billion in E-rate funding is a strong down payment\r\non ensuring all kids can continue to learn and develop throughout this health\r\ncrisis. TheEmergency Educational Connections\r\nAct, introduced in May by a\r\ngroup of 46 Democratic Senators and by Rep. Meng in the House of\r\nRepresentatives, would appropriate at least $4 billion to be delivered through\r\nthe E-Rate program to equip students with internet connectivity and devices\r\nduring the ongoing pandemic.Since the E-Rate began nearly two decades\r\nago, more than $52 billion has been committed nationwide to provide internet\r\naccess for schools and libraries.Senator Markey is the author of the\r\noriginal E-Rate program, which was created as a part of the 1996\r\nTelecommunications Act. The program is designed to connect schools and\r\nlibraries to the Internet, as well as ensure access for low-income students and\r\nfamilies.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/mother-jones-exclusive-read-elizabeth-warrens-scathing-report-on-corrupt-prison-audits", "Mother Jones: Exclusive: Read Elizabeth Warren\u2019s Scathing Report on \u201cCorrupt\u201d Prison Audits", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 14, 2020\n\t\t\t Mother Jones: Exclusive: Read Elizabeth Warren's Scathing Report on Corrupt Prison Audits \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 result has been the rubber-stamping of dangerous facilities and the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t The organization responsible for accrediting US prisons, jails, and detention centers runs a corrupt process that puts a rubber stamp on dangerous facilities while taking in millions from the private prison industry, according to a scathing report from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), shared exclusively with Mother Jones. The report, the result of a nearly 19-month investigation by the senator's office, examined the American Correctional Association (ACA), a nongovernmental organization that acts simultaneously as a professional association and an oversight body for prison and detention systems. Federal, state, and local governments pay the ACA to audit the facilities where they keep people incarcerated and issue its stamp of approval on their operations. Qualifying facilities must meet the standards ACA spells out in its published manuals, covering everything from fire code compliance to officer gun training. Private prisons and detention centers, meanwhile, are often required to get accredited by the ACA to access lucrative government contracts, according to Warren's reportand when scrutinized, they point to their accreditation status as a defense. After all, the ACA's website says, accreditation is awarded to the best of the best. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Madison Pauly\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\tMother Jones\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/politico-senate-democrats-press-trump-on-possible-vaccine-shortage", "Politico: Senate Democrats press Trump on possible vaccine shortage", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 14, 2020\n\t\t\t Politico: Senate Democrats press Trump on possible vaccine shortage \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 They questioned if the U.S. is facing a vaccine cliff after the administration reportedly passed up offers to buy more Pfizer doses.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senate Democrats are pressing the Trump administration to explain whether the United States could soon face a critical shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses, citing recent reports that the White House passed on Pfizer's repeated offers to purchase additional shots. \"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,\" a group of senior lawmakers wrote to leaders of Operation Warp Speed, the government's vaccine accelerator, in a letter shared with POLITICO. The Trump administration in July agreed to purchase 100 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine, which started rolling out across the country on Monday after the shot became the first to receive an emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The nearly $2 billion deal included an option to buy an additional 500 million shots of the two-dose vaccine. Read the full articlehere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t By:\n\t\t\t\t Dan Diamond\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\tPolitico\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/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"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 3063, "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 \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "MA", "p2": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 3063, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MA&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 2792, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020&chamber=House", "selected": false}, {"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 271, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "MA", "label": "MA", "count": 3063, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 3063, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2020-12-14,http~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewarren~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress-releases~2Fwarren-delauro-pocan-and-lee-blast-nlrb-members-admitting-they-would-defy-recusal-guidance-from-ethics-officials", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=MA&year=2020&_next=2020-12-14%2Chttp~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewarren~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress-releases~2Fwarren-delauro-pocan-and-lee-blast-nlrb-members-admitting-they-would-defy-recusal-guidance-from-ethics-officials&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 315.7075389754027, "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"}