Press releases
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271 rows where chamber = "Senate", state = "MA" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending
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| url | title | date ▲ | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| 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 | legacy | Chairman Neal Statement on House Passage of the CASH Act Chairman Neal Statement on House Passage of the CASH Act 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: House 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. Even 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. ### | 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 | 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. With 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. "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. Petrick 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. Congressman Richard Neal released a statement to Western Mass News on the president's decision to sign the bill on Sunday night, saying: The 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." The 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. "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." But the timing could be off, as a new Congress gets sworn in next Sunday. "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 | legacy | Chairman Neal Statement on President Trump's Signing of COVID Relief Legislation Chairman Neal Statement on President Trump's Signing of COVID Relief Legislation 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: The 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. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/second-stimulus-update-millions-americans-set-lose-unemployment-benefits-day-after | Second stimulus update: Millions of Americans set to lose unemployment benefits day after Christmas as COVID-19 relief measure awaits signature | 2020-12-26 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | 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. The 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. If 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. The 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. These 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. The 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. It'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. This 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… | 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 | 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. But 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. President-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. With a deal that avoids the need for tariffs between the U.K. and EU member Ireland, that prospect has been averted. 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, 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. But 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. There 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. He 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 B… | 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 | legacy | Neal: Millions Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits Tomorrow if Trump Does Not Sign COVID Relief Bill Neal: Millions Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits Tomorrow if Trump Does Not Sign COVID Relief Bill 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: If 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. The 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. ### | 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 | 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. The 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. However, 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. For 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. We 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. That echoes similar sentiments that McGovern shared in late March, when the U.S. House passed a $2 trillion stimulus package. Back 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. The 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. McGovern 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 bu… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/congressman-richard-neal-reacts-house-blocking-cash-act | Congressman Richard Neal reacts to House blocking CASH Act | 2020-12-24 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | 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. Congressman Neal introduced the CASH Act to the House on Thursday but Republicans voted against it however Neal said he expected this to happen. The 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. But because the act didn't get unanimous consent, it will be shut down. Congressman Neal called this block a heartless obstruction of relief for millions of families. What 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. According to Congressman Neal, 20-million Americans are receiving unemployment assistance. The 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 | 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. We had a feeling that would happen, said Neal, a Springfield Democrat and chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Neal'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. In a tweet, meanwhile, Neal said, This is not over. House 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. But 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. Neal's bill introduced Thursday morning after consultation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others would do two things: increase 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; apply 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. Neal'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. McCarthy, a California Republican, sa… | 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 | 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. The 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. Congressman Neal sent a statement to Western Mass News on this latest development, saying: For 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. But as of Thursday morning on Christmas Eve, House Republicans have blocked the Democrats' bid for the $2,000 stimulus checks demanded by President Trump. Congressman Neal also released a statement regarding the House Republicans latest decision, saying: If 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. For 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 | legacy | Chairman Neal Introduces the CASH Act to Provide $2,000 Payments to Americans in Need Chairman Neal Introduces the CASH Act to Provide $2,000 Payments to Americans in Need 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: For 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. The CASH Act: Increases 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. Applies 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. Text of the legislation is available HERE. ### | 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 | legacy | Chairman Neal Statement on UK-EU Post-Brexit Trade Agreement Chairman Neal Statement on UK-EU Post-Brexit Trade Agreement 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: I 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. ### | 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 | legacy | Neal Decries Republicans' Heartless Obstruction of $2,000 Checks for Struggling Americans Neal Decries Republicans' Heartless Obstruction of $2,000 Checks for Struggling Americans 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: If 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. ### | 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 | legacy | December 23, 2020 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 The problem is exacerbated by oil drillers' financial struggles caused by the pandemic and the Trump administration slashing environmental regulations Trump administration's failed enforcement could cost states hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for cleanup, while endangering the environment and public health Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC -- United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led a letter to Secretary of the Interior (DOI) David Bernhardt about the Bureau of Land Management's failure to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for plugging millions of abandoned oil and gas wells on public lands, which continue to leak dangerous chemicals like methane and endanger both the environment and public health. The letter is also signed by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.). The federal government estimates that there are more than three million abandoned oil and gas wells across the United States, two million of which are unplugged and are releasing "the methane equivalent of the annual emissions from more than 1.5 million cars." These abandoned wells can contaminate groundwater and emit volatile and hazardous compounds, posing significant environmental and public health risks. Leaking methane is particularly dangerous, since methane "pound for pound can warm the planet more than 80 times as much as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period." In 2018 and 2019, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) laid out recommendations for how the Bureau of Land Management can track and manage the wells. But the Trump administration largely ignored and even hampered efforts to hold Big Oil and franking firms accountable by weakening environmental laws like the Methane Rule, which… | 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 | legacy | December 22, 2020 Senators Warren and Booker to OSHA: Your Persistent Failure to Protect Workers at Meatpacking Facilities From Escalating, Deadly COVID-19 Outbreaks is Disgraceful A new study finds that meatpacking facilities are associated with community spread of COVID-19, leading to hundreds of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths in the U.S. OSHA has refused to establish emergency workplace safety standards Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent a letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) asking why the agency is still failing to take any action to protect meatpacking workers during a raging global health pandemic in which meatpacking plants are serving as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hotspots that are harming their employees and surrounding communities, the majority of which are immigrant communities and communities of color. Their letter follows the recent release of a study that explicitly identified meatpacking facilities "as (COVID-19) transmission vectors into the surrounding population (that) accelerate the spread of the virus" and are associated with hundreds of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths. The senators sent a letter to OSHA in September 2020 criticizing the agency's delayed and ineffective response to COVID-19 outbreaks occurring at meatpacking facilities across the U.S. that have sickened and killed many workers. In response, OSHA wrongly asserted that enforceable, emergency health and safety standards are "not necessary at this time." Since the September 2020 letter to OSHA, an additional 8,974 meatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and 54 workers have died of COVID-19 across another 69 meatpacking plants. "Given these ongoing concerns, we would like to know whether you plan to take any action while you are still in office to protect workers and communities during this surge in the pandemic, or if you plan to end you… | 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 | legacy | December 22, 2020 Warren Announces Funding Bill Will Restore Pell Grant Eligibility to Victims of Predatory For-Profit Colleges Washington, 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… | 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 | legacy | December 22, 2020 Warren, Blumenthal, Durbin, Krishnamoorthi and DeGette Question Tobacco Companies Exploitative e-Cigarette Advertisements During the COVID-19 Pandemic Extensive Use of Social Media Indicates Abusive Promotions Are Aimed at Youth "Exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic of a respiratory disease to promote a product that increases risk for the very same disease is unconscionable" Letter to BAT (PDF) | Letter to PMI (PDF) | Letter to FDA & FTC (PDF) Washington, DC - After a recent study by public health experts at Stanford University revealed that numerous tobacco companies - including several subsidiaries of British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) - have "chosen to exploit a global pandemic for marketing purposes," United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) along with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform's Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and Congresswoman Dianna DeGette (D-Colo.), Chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee's Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, sent letters to BAT, PMI, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) questioning the tobacco companies' exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic to market their e-cigarette products using abusive and misleading tactics aimed at youths and adolescents, and seeking information on the enforcement actions taken by the agencies to regulate these advertisements. Since the beginning of the pandemic, several subsidiaries of tobacco and e-cigarette companies BAT and PMI have taken advantage of the ongoing public health emergency to promote the sale of their products. The research conducted by a group of public health experts at Stanford foun… | 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 | legacy | December 22, 2020 Warren, Booker, Durbin, and Colleagues Request Investigation of Trump Administration's Unprecedented Spree of Federal Executions "Prior to the Trump Administration's revival of federal executions, the federal government had not executed a federal prisoner since 2003 and has only executed three people in the previous 50 years." "The reversal of long-standing DOJ policies and protocols for federal executions raise numerous questions about the fairness and application of these policies and protocols by the Trump Administration." Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio.), sent a letter to Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), seeking an investigation of the frenzied and unprecedented "spree of federal executions during [President Trump's] lame-duck period." In July 2020, the Trump Administration ended a 17-year hiatus on federal executions when it executed Daniel Lewis Lee, and followed that with six more executions between July 16, 2020, and September 24, 2020. Since his defeat at the polls in the November 2020 election, President Trump and political appointees at the DOJ have ramped up the pace of executions during the lame duck period of his presidency, with executions of Orlando Hall on November 19, 2020, Brandon Bernard on December 10, 2020, and Alfred Bourgeois on December 11, 2020. Three more executions are scheduled mere days before the end of President Trump's term in January 2021, including Lisa Montgomery, who would be the first woman to be put to death by the federal government in 67 years. "This spree of executions marks a break with both modern history and decades-old practice. Prior to the Trump Administration's revival of federal executions, the federal government had not executed a federal p… | 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 | legacy | December 22, 2020 Warren Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Federally Funded COVID-19 Testing "Even as vaccine distribution begins, testing will remain a critical tool in reducing rates of COVID-19 infections" The Expanding COVID-19 Testing Capacity Act of 2020 would require the federal government to manufacture and distribute COVID-19 diagnostic tests to expand Americans' access to free COVID-19 testing. Bill Text | Bill One-Pager Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the Expanding COVID-19 Testing Capacity Act of 2020, which would require the federal government to manufacture and distribute COVID-19 diagnostic tests to community centers, congregate care settings, schools, and childcare facilities, religious centers, prisons and jails, businesses that employ essential workers, and other qualified locations across the country for the purpose of expanding Americans' access to free COVID-19 testing. "It's long past time that the federal government throws real muscle behind controlling and mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and investing in and implementing aggressive testing measures are a critical part of this effort. Even as vaccine distribution begins, testing will remain a critical tool in reducing rates of COVID-19 infections. High-quality and frequent COVID-19 testing should be easily available to all Americans, and this is why I'm glad to be introducing legislation to ensure that our nation has expanded access to federally funded testing," said Senator Warren. "For many months, physicians with a frontline view of the devastation caused by the pandemic have been calling for federal support to enable broader testing. A strong national testing framework is a critical component of an optimal COVID-19 mitigation strategy, and we applaud Senator Warren for her leadership in introducing this thoughtful bill," Massachusetts Medical Society president Dr… | 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 | legacy | December 22, 2020 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 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. Text of Letters (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, sent letters to top executives at six major private military housing companies requesting information about the on-base housing units they developed and manage to determine whether military families are being denied access to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant housing. In July 2020, the Military Housing Advocacy Network (MHAN), a nonprofit organization that advocates for military families to make sure that they have access to safe and appropriate conditions in on-base, privatized housing, released findings from a survey of military families with disabilities revealing that private military housing companies that have partnered with the Department of Defense (DoD) do not appear to be following federal laws that protect persons with disabilities. "These findings paint a clear and troubling picture of housing problems for thousands of servicemembers and their families and are yet another example of how private military housing companies are padding their pockets with profits at the expense of our women and men in uniform. Our military families should have access to safe, accessible, high-quality housing and deserve better than this," Senator Warren said in a statement shared with her letters. The DoD's Exceptional Family Membe… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/covid-stimulus-only-beginning-massachusetts-lawmakers-pledge | COVID stimulus only the beginning, Massachusetts lawmakers pledge | 2020-12-22 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | 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. The 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. But 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. With 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. The $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. The 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. Markey, 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 incl… | 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 | 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. Leaders 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. The 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. It 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. Congressman 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. The 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. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill sometime Tuesday. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/12/21/2020/senators-warren-and-markey-convene-bipartisan-advisory-committee-on-nomination-of-united-states-attorney-for-the-district-of-massachusetts | Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 21, 2020 Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Washington, 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 … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/brewers-restaurants-federal-workers-set-tax-wins-congressional-deal | Brewers, Restaurants, Federal Workers Set for Tax Wins in Congressional Deal | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | 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. The 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. There 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. The 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. Beer, 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. Mr. 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. The 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. Common-sense solutions like my bill are no-brainers and will help save millions of restaurants across the nation from going under, he said. Federal 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-… | 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 | 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. This 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. The $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. 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, Neal noted. The 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. Neal, 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. With the package coming after months of negotiations among Democratic and Republican leaders and the Trump administr… | 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 | 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. Each tweet was accompanied by a shot of the lawmaker getting vaccinated. All had similarly worded statements of support for the vaccine. Neal, like his Democratic colleagues from the Massachusetts delegation, used the opportunity to encourage others to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity. Today, 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. All three members are over the age of 70: Neal is 71, Markey is 74 and Warren is 71. President-Elect Joe Biden was expected to get vaccinatedMonday on live television. Sitting Vice President Mike Pence was vaccinated last week. The 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. The 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. The 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 | legacy | (As Prepared for Delivery) After long, intense negotiations, we are finally here today with relief in sight for the American people. This agreement isn't perfect, but it will offer struggling workers, families, and business with some immediate support. Americans are suffering, wondering how they'll afford to put food on the table and stay in their homes. Democrats understand that folks are in extraordinary crisis, so we fought to make sure this package includes urgently-needed relief provisions. As with previous COVID legislation, the Ways and Means Committee contributed several of the most crucial measures in today's bill. We 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. Importantly, 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. Folks 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. I'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. What'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. 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 the Additional Child Tax Credit. An expanded Employee Retention Tax Credit and the deductibility of expenses paid for using PPP loans will both incentivize the hiring and retention of workers. Ways and M… | 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 | 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: This 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. There 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. We 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. This 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 nat… | 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 | 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: During 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. For 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. Workers 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. In 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. Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman Mike Thompson has been a consi… | 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 | legacy | December 18, 2020 Warren and Jayapal Reintroduce the Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act 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 Bill Text (PDF) | Bill Summary (PDF) | New Provisions (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) today reintroduced the Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act, bicameral legislation to fundamentally change the way Washington does business and restore the American public's faith in democracy, which has been at "historic lows" forover a decade. Today, only20% of Americans trust the government "to do the right thing." Originallyintroduced in 2018 as the most ambitious anti-corruption legislation since Watergate, the Anti-Corruption & Public Integrity Act of 2020 includes additional reforms to the country's campaign finance laws. The bill also includes new provisions to ban members of Congress from serving on corporate boards, to establish new ethics accountability for Supreme Court justices, and to overhaul the nation's campaign finance laws. The legislation also strengthens provisions to ban members of Congress, federal judges, and other senior federal officials from owning or trading individual stock. "After nearly four years of the most corrupt president in American history and with U.S. senators brazenly trading stocks to profit off a raging pandemic, the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act is more urgent than ever in order to rei… | 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 | legacy | December 18, 2020 Warren Statement on Republican Attempt to Restrict the Ability of the Federal Reserve to Help the Economy Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today released the following statement on the Republican attempt to restrict the ability of the Federal Reserve to help the economy. "After weeks of refusing to acknowledge Biden's victory, some Republicans have now decided that sabotaging his presidency is more important than helping our economy recover by insisting that any COVID relief legislation also restrict the ability of the Federal Reserve and the new Administration to help states, cities, and American businesses next year," said Senator Warren. "Proposals to sabotage President Biden and our nation's economy are reckless, they're wrong, and they have no place in this legislation." ### Print Email Tweet Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-warren-criticizes-fdic-rule-on-brokered-deposits | Senator Warren Criticizes FDIC Rule on Brokered Deposits | 2020-12-16 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 16, 2020 Senator Warren Criticizes FDIC Rule on Brokered Deposits 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 Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today released the following statement criticizing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for issuing a final rule on brokered deposits that poses serious risk to the financial system: "Following a multi-year effort to weaken key safety and soundness rules put in place after the 2008 financial crisis, Trump-appointed regulators have now gutted decades-old restrictions on certain banks' ability to accept brokered deposits, opening up the floodgates for banks to rely on this risky source of funding even though FDIC research shows that they are correlated with higher risks of bank failures. Instead of undermining these critical protections at the behest of the banking industry, the FDIC Board should focus on maintaining financial stability and keeping consumers' bank accounts safe amidst this ongoing pandemic." Deposits are considered "brokered" when they are placed through a third-party rather than directly by individuals and businesses. Restrictions on the types of banks that can accept these deposits were put in place after the 1980s Savings and Loan Crisis during which banks' reliance on these unstable deposits contributed to distress in the financial system. The FDIC's final rule will significantly limit the scope of these restrictions. ### Print Email Tweet Previou… | 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 | legacy | December 16, 2020 Senators Warren and Markey Convene Bipartisan Advisory Committee on Nomination of United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Washington, DC -United States SenatorsElizabeth 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. Attorneypositionmust submit their applications to the Advisory Committee by December 24, 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 enforcementofficer. The Advisory Committee comprises distinguished members of the Massachusetts legal community, including prominent academics and litigators, and is chaired by formerU.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 appointedasU.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts,"said Senators Warren and Markey."Welook forward to receiving the committee's recommendations." Applications for the position will be reviewed byNancy 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 oftheBoston University School of Law; Walter Prince, Partner at Prince Lobel and former president oftheMassachusetts Black Lawyers Association; Georgia Katsoulomitis, Executive Director oftheMassachusetts Law Reform Institute; Jennifer Levi, Professor of Law at Western New England University School of Law and Director o… | 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 | legacy | December 15, 2020 Warren, Markey, Keating Joint Statement on Attorney General Maura Healey's Investigation Into the May 1, 2020 Incident at Bristol County Jail Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representative William Keating (D-MA-09) released a joint statement on Attorney General Maura Healey's investigation into the violent events of May 1, 2020 at the C. Carlos Carreiro Immigration Detention Center, Unit B, Bristol County Sheriff's office. "The thorough investigation by the Office of Attorney General Healey compiled significant evidence that the Bristol County Sheriff's Office violated the civil rights of immigrants detained at the facility. We agree with the report's recommendation that the Bristol County Sheriff's Office should not be engaged in immigrant detention," said the lawmakers in a joint statement. "Every person - regardless of their immigration status and regardless of where they are living - deserves to feel safe, to have access to due process under the law, to be treated with dignity, and to have their rights protected. We led our colleagues in calling on the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties to conduct a federal investigation of these events. We look forward to the findings of that additional investigation, which we expect to help determine accountability for this disturbing incident and to offer further recommendations about how such events can be avoided in the future." In May, shortly after the violent altercation, Senators Warren and Markey, along with Representatives Keating and Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), wrote to Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson to express alarm about the incident, to request that Sheriff Hodgson preserve video of the events to facilitate an investigation, and to allow persons detained at the facility to speak with their attorneys immediately. The four lawmakers also led the entire Massach… | 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 | legacy | December 15, 2020 Warren to Outgoing SEC Chair: Delay Rushed, Lame Duck Resource Extraction Rule Until Corruption and Transparency Concerns Can Be Addressed Text of letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to outgoing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Jay Clayton urging the SEC to delay the rushed, lame duck vote on its final Resource Extraction Rule, expected Wednesday, December 16th, until the rule can be strengthened. "The current SEC proposal would severely undermine the anti-corruption measures included in Dodd-Frank, and the Commission should conduct a full and complete analysis of the potential harm caused by implementing this rule before rushing to finalize it before you resign from the Commission at the end of the year," Senator Warren wrote to Chair Clayton. Congress enacted Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), also known as the bipartisan Cardin-Lugar amendment, to address the "resource curse" of leaders of countries rich in fossil fuels siphoning off the wealth from resource sales to enrich themselves and their allies, rather than investing in the countries' economies. Strong rules under Section 1504 were meant to require governments to increase transparency and help root out the corruption that keeps entire nations in poverty and enables corrupt regimes to funnel money to terrorist groups. The nation's largest public pension funds and other major institutional investors have supported strong disclosure and oversight into payments for resource extraction to foreign governments, calling them "essential to safeguarding the effective functioning of the financial markets." But the rule up for a vote on Wednesday is severely flawed, limiting the amount of information companies would need to share about their payments to foreign countries and strengthening companies' ability to shield payments from public scrutiny. It also places the United States r… | 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 | legacy | December 14, 2020 Warren, DeLauro, Pocan and Lee, Blast NLRB Members Admitting They Would Defy Recusal Guidance from Ethics Officials Three NLRB Members say federal ethics laws allow them to disregard ethics official's guidance on recusal and substitute their own "independent judgment" William J. Emanuel Response | Marvin E. Kaplan Response | Lauren McFerran Response John F. Ring Response on Behalf of Board | John F. Ring Individual Response Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) Chairwoman of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) released the following joint statement regarding answers from the majority of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) members attesting they would defy ethics officials' recusal guidance. "It should alarm every worker, employer, and American that a majority of NLRB members have stated they would openly defy the guidance of ethics officials, and rely instead on their 'individual judgment' about whether their conflicts of interest necessitate recusals. Public service is a public trust, and by brazenly flouting our federal ethics program, these members have undermined public confidence in the integrity of the NLRB and in these Board members' commitment to comply with principles of ethical conduct," wrote the lawmakers. The lawmakers wrote to the NLRB in March, regarding concerns that the Board's November 2019 ethics report and new recusal guidance "inexplicably suggests that it is not only permissible, but preferable for a potentially-conflicted Board member, rather than a third party, to make the final determination of whether they should recuse." The lawmakers wrote that the new NLRB guidance "belies common sense… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-democrats-press-trump-administration-on-decision-not-to-pre-order-more-doses-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-need-for-transparent-plan-going-forward | Warren, Democrats Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 14, 2020 Warren, Democrats Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward FDA granted an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine last Friday; Reporting revealed the Trump administration turned down an option this summer to pre-order additional doses of Pfizer's vaccine; We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation;" the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much fundi Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Patty Murray (D-Wash.), ranking member of the HELP Committee, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and 15 of their Democratic Senate colleagues, in a letter to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, and General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer of Operation Warp Speed, asking about recent reports that earlier this year the Trump administration declined to purchase additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine when given the opportunity. The decision could hinder efforts to launch a nationwide vaccination campaign as the U.S. will reportedly be unable to purchase additional doses of the vaccine from Pfizer until pre-orders from other countries are filled. In their letter, the senators express concern about the Trump administration's lack of planning and transparency, and press for more information about the administration's preparations to purchase vaccines. We write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earli… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/reports/warren-investigation-finds-pervasive-conflicts-of-interest-and-rubber-stamp-approvals-by-the-nations-largest-accreditor-of-private-prisons-and-immigration-detention-centers | Warren Investigation Finds Pervasive Conflicts of Interest and Rubber Stamp Approvals by the Nation's Largest Accreditor of Private Prisons and Immigration Detention Centers | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 14, 2020 Warren Investigation Finds Pervasive Conflicts of Interest and Rubber Stamp Approvals by the Nation's Largest Accreditor of Private Prisons and Immigration Detention Centers Accreditation process is supposed to ensure quality -- but overlooks serious problems and allows private prison companies CoreCivic, GEO, and MTC to evade responsibility; "The U.S. criminal legal and immigration systems are broken from top to bottom;" Rather than addressing major health and safety concerns during COVID-19 pandemic, the ACA has "greatly reduced its auditing of correctional facilities" Report (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today released the findings of the May 2019 investigation she opened into the American Correctional Association (ACA) -- the nation's largest accreditor of prisons and immigration detention Facilities -- and its relationship with the three largest private prison companies that receive ACA accreditation: CoreCivic, GEO Group (GEO), and Management & Training Corporation (MTC). Her investigation confirms that the deeply flawed ACA accreditation system is riddled with conflicts of interest and fails to provide meaningful oversight of the facilities it accredits, resulting in rubber-stamping of dangerous facilities and the wasting of millions of taxpayer dollars. Senator Warren's 16-page report opens with troubling truth about the nation's criminal legal and detention systems: "The criminal legal and immigration systems in the United States are broken. The criminal system incarcerates too many people, locks them away for too long, and fails to provide the formerly incarcerated with the necessary tools and support to successfully return to their communities upon release. The immigration system is similarly in shambles. Instead of providing refuge to vulnerable immigrants fleeing poverty and violence, including children an… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/ma-delegation-press-usda-over-reports-food-box-shortages | MA delegation press USDA over reports of food box shortages | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Unexpected shortages of food boxes and reduced service from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture contractor have left several Massachusetts food banks and schools scrambling to buy agricultural goods to adequately serve families, according to lawmakers. Massachusetts lawmakers on Mondaywrote to USDAto request a meeting after schools and food banks participating in theFarmers to Families Food Box Programreported that the Northeast region's new contractor, New York-based Whitsons Culinary Group, could not service all the facilities that received food in prior rounds of the program. In our conversations with Whitsons, we learned that regional needs not only vastly outweigh its contracted capacity, but also that, as of December 3, 2020, it has a waitlist of 21 organizations many of which are previous food box recipients now without a supplier, wrote the lawmakers, led by U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Ed Markey. Food banks have also reported that some of the Whitsons' food box content has fallen short of meeting nutritional and quality standards. Food banks and schools say the USDA gave almost no warning of any transition in vendors, and that Whitsons provided minimal notice to many schools and food banks that its distributions would be greatly reduced or stopped entirely. The USDA has agreed to meet with lawmakers this week, McGovern's office told MassLive. MassLive left a voicemail with Whitsons on Monday evening. The lawmakers' pressure on USDA comes as the commonwealth's food-insecurity rate has jumped by 54% since COVID-19 hit, according to theGreater Boston Food Bank. About one in eight don't have access to enough food for three healthy meals a day, and one in five children live in food-insecure homes, Arlene Fortunato, senior vice president of advancement for Greater Boston Food Bank, toldWCVBon Sunday. We're looking at the possibility of 1 million Massachusetts residents being food insecure during this pandemic, Fortunato said. Food insecurity rates are definitely moving in the wrong di… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/us-rep-richard-neal-touts-compromise-surprise-medical-billing | US Rep. Richard Neal touts compromise on surprise medical billing | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Surprise medical bills ones sent to people who receive care outside their insurer's network, often without knowing it until later could be headed to arbitration under bipartisan compromise legislation hashed out last week by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and others. This was a significantbreakthrough, Neal said Monday. The incentive there clearly is for the parties to avoid arbitration. Neal said he hopes surprise medical billing legislation is part of COVID-19 relief legislation now talking shape in Washington and set to pass in the next week. Arbitration could be winner-take-all, he said. The hope is that providers, insurers and consumers can work out a compromise. It's sizable legislating achievement, said Neal, D-Springfield, chairman of the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means. Neal's opponent in the fall's Democratic primary, Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, used the surprise medical billing issue against him, saying Neal helped shelve a competing solution about a year ago. That plan, Neal said, was skewed too favorably toward insurance companies and would have hurt hospitals and providers. Detractors said Neal was responding to the concerns of corporate campaign donors by blocking progress on the matter. Neal's position was backed by hospitals, includingSpringfield's Baystate Health. A similar arbitration program is in place in New York, where Neal said it has worked well. The agreement would hold patients harmless from surprise medical bills, including from air ambulances, by ensuring they are only responsible for their in-network cost-sharing amounts, including deductibles, in both emergency situations and certain non-emergency situations where patients do not have the ability to choose an in-network provider. Air ambulance charges had been a sticking point. The deal prohibits certain out-of-network providers from billing patients, unless the provider gives the patient notice of their network status and an estimate of charges 72 hours prior to receiving out-of-network services and the patient… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/covid-pandemic-changes-face-hunger-food-banks-across-massachusetts-see-double-digit | As COVID pandemic changes the face of hunger, food banks across Massachusetts see double-digit increases in demand | 2020-12-12 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | SPRINGFIELD For more than 20 years, Andrea Allen-Glenn has helped people in need have one less thing to worry about each week. As the food coordinator for the Emergency Food Assistance Program at Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services on Rutland Street, Allen-Glenn connects people who need food with fresh produce, meat and other items. Organizations like Allen-Glenn's have seen the faces of hunger for generations. But this year, thecoronaviruspandemic has exacerbated the problem, and more people turning to food pantries than ever before. There is a lot of need and it's not just people who live in the neighborhood, Allen-Glenn said. I am seeing people coming from Longmeadow, Chicopee and other communities. They need food, but they don't want their neighbors to know they are in need. According to data compiled by the Associated Press on quarterly food distributions at food banks across the country, three major Massachusetts saw double-digit percent increases in the third quarter of 2020, compared to the same quarter in 2019. The Greater Boston Food Bank saw the greatest increase: food distributions, measured in total pounds, were up by 65.7%. Distributions at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts were up 38.2%, and the Worcester County Food Bank saw an increase of 11.7%. Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, said the need has always been there but it has increased substantially since March. Communities like Springfield and Holyoke, that are predominantly made up of communities of people of color, are being particularly hard hit because of the COVID-19 virus and its impact on the economy. So many businesses are struggling that people have lost their jobs and their source of income. It's something we need to be very mindful of because everyone deserves and needs to have heathy food, he said. Morehouse said 45% of the people the organization serves are children and senior citizens, but the faces of hunger have changed since the pandemic hit. Our children and elders are the… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/op-eds/elizabeth-warren-what-a-biden-harris-administration-should-prioritize-on-its-first-day | Elizabeth Warren: What a Biden-Harris administration should prioritize on its first day | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | As Democrats celebrate the election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris, we need to have an important conversation about building a 50-state party that can win up and down the ticket. But with a hobbled economy, an international health crisis, a vanishing middle class and widespread racial inequities, we also need to answer another important question how to deliver on our campaign promises and improve the lives of the American people. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-urges-senate-leaders-to-adopt-bill-to-address-health-inequity-in-the-covid-19-relief-package | Warren Urges Senate Leaders to Adopt Bill to Address Health Inequity in the COVID-19 Relief Package | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 11, 2020 Warren Urges Senate Leaders to Adopt Bill to Address Health Inequity in the COVID-19 Relief Package Warren's bill with Rep. Barbara Lee provides $8 billion for faith-based and community organizations and the Indian Health Service The funds would reach medically-underserved communities that have been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic The bill also funds public outreach to overcome medical mistrust Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urging them to ensure the next COVID-19 relief package includes her bill - first introduced by Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) - the COVID Community Care Act, which provides grants to faith-based and community organizations, as well as funding to the Indian Health Service, to conduct testing, contact tracing, and public outreach in medically under-served communities. "As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities, Tribal nations, and communities of color. It is essential that the next federal pandemic relief package include funding that directly reaches these communities and enlists trusted partners to provide services and information that slow the spread of COVID-19," Senator Warren wrote. The coronavirus pandemic has had an especially severe effect on low-income communities, communities of color, and Native communities. Black and Latino people are being hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher rates and are dying from COVID-19 at younger ages. American Indians and Alaska Natives have been especially hard hit by the pandemic and its economic effects. At the same time, federal pandemic relief resources have not prioritized under-served communities. For example, a study of the Provider Relief Fund found that hospitals with the most revenue from private insurance received more than twice as much funding per … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/committees-reach-bipartisan-deal-protect-patients-surprise-medical-bills | Committees reach bipartisan deal to protect patients from surprise medical bills | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Four congressional committees on Friday reached a bipartisan deal on legislation to protect patients from massive "surprise" medical bills after a series of tense negotiations. Theagreementis a milestone in a roughlytwo-year long effort to pass legislation to protect patients from what is widely seen as an especially egregious practice in American health care. Backers of the deal are hoping toinclude it in the year-end spending package slated to go through Congress next week. The deal was struck by the leaders in both parties of the Senate Health and House Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor and Ways and Means Committees, though it would still need buy-in from leadership to be added to the year-end package. The legislation would protect patients from receiving medical bills for thousands of dollars afterroutine occurrenceslike going to the emergency room and getting care from a doctor that is outside the patient's insurance network. The Hillreportedearlier this week that House Ways and Means Committee ChairmanRichard Neal(D-Mass.) was a roadblock to an agreement, as he held out for his own approach and clashed with the other three committees. But the deal eventually came together after House SpeakerNancy Pelosi(D-Calif.) spoke toNealand helped restart talks. Pelosi praised the agreementin a statement and said: "The House will push for this critical legislation to end surprise billing to be passed as part of the end-of-year package. Senate Minority LeaderChuck Schumer(D-N.Y.) said he supported the agreement. "There is now a consensus path forward on how to fix a broken system that harms patients," he said. "I hope to see it passed into law as soon as possible. A spokesman for Senate Majority LeaderMitch McConnelldid not immediately respond to a request for comment. The legislation does move much closer to Neal's position. It uses a method known as arbitration to determine how much insurers pay doctors once patients are protected. That is the method favored by doctor and hospital groups, as well as Neal. I… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/congressman-neal-weighs-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine | Congressman Neal weighs in on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine has obtained emergency use authorization by the FDA, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the U.S. Now that the COVID-19 vaccine has been approved, the public could see the first shipments of the vaccine arrive in Massachusetts by December 15. Western Mass News spoke with Congressman Richard Neal about these positive developments. He told us he's amazed at how fast the vaccine developed. "In about eight months. We have now developed two vaccines that have positively tested," he said. "They're being administered in other counties." With news of the first coronavirus vaccine receiving emergency use authorization from the FDA, Neal spoke with Western Mass News about these positive developments and what will take to get them to western Mass. This week Governor Charlie Baker announced how the state's plan to distribute the vaccine in three phases. The first phase estimated to start between December and February, and the third phase between April and June, something that Neal is on board approves. "I've been in touch with him. I've encouraged him to make sure first that there was geographic equity," he explained. "Combined with the acknowledgment that essential workers, nursing home patients, [and] people who are in healthcare jobs would be those who would be vaccinated first." One Chicopee resident Western Mass News spoke to Friday night said he approves of the governor's plan. "You got to keep the people who are taking care of the safe first, and then after that, it's a trickling. But it's the only way to keep people safe during this time. You might as well do it," said Chicopee resident Devin Badone. Also, this week, 15 communities in western Mass. are in the red on the state COVID-19 map, making them high-risk areas for spreading the virus. Badone said everyone needs to do their part to stop the spread. "Honestly, people just need to wear their mask and do what you got to do, and if this is what's proven to keep it down, why not do it,"… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/lawmakers-strike-deal-end-surprise-medical-bills | Lawmakers strike deal to end 'surprise' medical bills | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Key congressional committees have clinched a last-minute deal to protect patients from receiving surprise medical bills, potentially putting an end to nearly two years of infighting over an issue that's pitted powerful health care giants against each other and frustrated Congress. Shielding insured patients from eye-popping medical bills for unexpected out-of-network and emergency care has been a bipartisan priority for lawmakers, but progress had been stalled for over a year. The late-breaking deal surprised Washington, where the fight over what was supposed to be a simple policy fix had devolved over the past two years into a lobbying blood bath with private equity-backed physician groups pouring millions of dollars to sink an earlier deal that could cut into their profits. In recent days, sources said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ramped up pressure on House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who is aligned with physician groups and had been one of the largest impediments to striking a deal. The compromise reached Friday night hews closer to the policy preferred by doctors and physicians. Pelosi in a Friday night statement said the measure should be included in a year-end funding package, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hoped it would be "passed into law as soon as possible." Representatives for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell didn't respond to a request for comment What's in the deal:The committees largely abandoned a framework struck earlier in Congress by the Senate HELP and House Energy and Commerce committees. That bicameral legislation would have set a benchmark rate health insurers would pay providers for out-of-network care, pegged to local charges for in-network rates. Health insurers favored the proposal, but doctors and hospitals fought hard against the idea, saying it was tantamount to price controls. Instead, the latest proposal which was formalized Friday night calls for parties to negotiate an agreed-upon rate or bring their dispute to a mediator. Air ambulances… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/top-house-democrat-prods-biden-reopen-eu-trade-talks | A Top House Democrat Prods Biden to Reopen E.U. Trade Talks | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON The chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee urged the incoming administration to renew trade negotiations with the European Union, countering a pledge by President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to postpone any new trade talks until after the United States has made significant domestic investments. The statement on Friday, from Representative Richard E. Neal, Democrat of Massachusetts, raises the question of whether congressional pressure could persuade the Biden administration to take a more aggressive approach to trade negotiations with close allies. Mr. Biden has downplayed expectations for new trade negotiations early in his term, saying he wants to first wrest control of the pandemic and make substantial investments in American industries like energy, biotech and artificial intelligence. I'm not going to enter any new trade agreement with anybody until we have made major investments here at home and in our workers, Mr. Bidensaid in a New York Times interview last week. But since congressional opposition would be one of the main obstacles to any new trade agreement, the support of key Democrats could be strong motivation for initiating talks. In an interview, Mr. Neal suggested that reaching a trade agreement with the European Union would help deal with the rising economic threat from China, which has used hefty subsidies, state-owned companies and other practices to dominate industries and challenge the trade rules long embraced in the West. Mr. Neal called Mr. Biden's approach fine and fair, but argued that pursuing E.U. trade negotiations is part of a foreign policy challenge as it relates to China's expansionist activities. I think that we should, right now, be preparing to match the aggressive nature of what China's doing in the world, he added. Mr. Biden would need the support of Mr. Neal and others to cement such a deal. So-called trade promotion authority, a statute that sets out guidelines for the executive branch as it negotiates trade deals and streamlines the approval proces… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/congressional-committee-leaders-announce-surprise-billing-agreement | Congressional Committee Leaders Announce Surprise Billing... | 2020-12-11 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Congressional Committee Leaders Announce Surprise Billing Agreement Congressional Committee Leaders Announce Surprise Billing Agreement Legislation Will Protect Patients from Surprise Medical Bills and Establish Fair Framework to Resolve Disputes Between Providers and Insurers WASHINGTON, DC Today, key House and Senate Committee leaders announced a bipartisan agreement on legislation to protect patients from surprise medical bills and establish a fair framework to resolve payment disputes between health care providers and health insurance companies. The deal was agreed to by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA). We have reached a bipartisan, bicameral deal in principleto protect patients from surprise medical bills and promote fairness in payment disputes between insurers and providers, without increasing premiums for patients or interfering with strong, state-level solutions already on the books, the bipartisan, bicameral Committee leaders said. Under this agreement, the days of patients receiving devastating surprise out-of-network medical bills will be over. Patients should not be penalized with these outrageous bills simply because they were rushed to an out-of-network hospital or unknowingly treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility. This is a win for patients and their families that will improve America's health care system. We are pleased to sha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/at-warren-pressley-request-independent-watchdog-agrees-to-investigate-racial-inequity-in-pandemic-response | At Warren, Pressley Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 10, 2020 At Warren, Pressley Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response Response from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) here Lawmakers Initial Request here Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statement regarding GAO approving their request to investigate how COVID-19 relief funds have been distributed to disproportionately affected communities. "Decades of structural racism have hindered the ability of communities of color to get ahead, and right now, Black and Brown people are some of the hardest hit by these economic and public health crises. The GAO's agreement to investigate inequities in the distribution of COVID-19 relief funds is a critical step to help ensure that communities that are most affected by this pandemic have the resources they need to address these crises head-on," said the lawmakers. The coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color and Indigenous communities. Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native people are being hospitalized with and dying from COVID-19 at higher rates and are dying from COVID-19 at younger ages. People living on tribal lands are more than four times as likely to have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as the U.S. population as a whole. The same communities have also been hit hardest by the economic fallout: every month since the economic crisis began in March 2020, Black and Latino workers have had significantly higher unemployment rates than white workers, even after adjusting for age and education status. To date, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars to sustain the health system and mitigate the economic fallout during this public health emergency. However, it is not clear wh… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/mass-congressmen-introducing-holyoke-veteran-s-act-response-deadly-covid-outbreak | Mass. congressmen introducing Holyoke Veterans Act in response to deadly COVID outbreak | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | HOLYOKE, MASS. (WHDH) - Congressmen Joe Kennedy III and Richard Neal are introducing a bill in response to the deadly COVID-19 outbreak that occurred at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in the springtime. The Holyoke Veteran's Act aims to get justice for 76 veterans who died from coronavirus exposure at the home and prevent an incident like that from happening again. If passed, the bill would require all top administrators at soldiers' homes to be properly licensed. It would also require those homes to hire an infection prevention expert. If the infection had been detected earlier, the contagion had been discovered quicker, it strikes me that there might have been a better opportunity to cut down on the number of deaths that took place, Neal said. Neal, who has a 92-year-old uncle at the facility, would like a new Soldiers' Home in Holyoke. His uncle, a Korean War veteran, caught the virus but survived. If you were to walk through the corridors [of the Soldier's Home] you'd be struck as to how small some of the bedroom facilities are and they have two beds, Neal said. You would be struck by the proximity that they all had in the dementia unit. They literally sit elbow to elbow. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/we-want-go-back-not-until-it-s-safe-teachers-workers-impacted-covid-share-stories-rep | We want to go back, but not until its safe: Teachers, workers impacted by COVID share stories with Rep. Richard Neal, call for stimulus deal | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | James Ryan, a history and social science teacher at the Springfield Honors Academy, says most if not all teachers are eager to get back in the classroom in the wake of theCOVID-19pandemic shaking up the school year nationwide. We miss our kids. We miss each other. We miss the school communities, Ryan said Wednesday. We want to go back, but as we've been saying since the summer, not until it's safe. Not until it's safe for our staff, our students and our families, and we're just not there yet. We need your help. Ryan, whose wife also teaches, was one of 10 workers across the country directly impacted by the pandemic who shared stories in avirtual listening sessionhosted by Rep.Richard Nealof Massachusetts. The workers who were in education, health care, hospitality, retail and other fields painted a dire picture of workplaces and communities in need of funding, personal protective equipment as well as greater understanding from local, state and federal leaders. They were unified in calling on Congress to finalize astimulus packagethat could provide relief to taxpayers, schools, small businesses and local governments struggling to equip first responders. Anthony Murray, a firefighter and paramedic in Indiana, told Neal that without additional plans and funding for PPE, fire departments wind up competing with other health care providers for equipment. He said towns and cities urgently need more funding for PPE and to boost paid sick leave, particularly because firefighters and emergency responders are in such close proximity to COVID-19 patients and each other, a situation ripe for viral spread that can lead to debilitating staffing shortages when crews must quarantine. We need Congress to recognize this reality by passing legislation that provides more PPE, sick leave and funding for state and local governments, Murray said. We see America at 2 a.m., and America is hurting right now. Neal told participants and reporters that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act helped save the economy in … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-opening-statement-virtual-listening-session-workers-affected-covid-19 | Chairman Neal Opening Statement at Virtual Listening... | 2020-12-10 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | (As Prepared for Delivery) Good afternoon, thank you to everyone for tuning in. Today, we are over nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic that has inflicted unthinkable losses on our country. Over 280,000 Americans have died from the virus and countless are suffering. Scores are sick or have lost loved ones. Our frontline health care workers are overwhelmed and overworked as they continue to risk their health and that of their loved ones to care for those who are sick. Millions of Americans are unable to work. Families are struggling to put food on the table and are behind on rent payments. Folks desperately need solutions. Ways and Means Democrats convened this listening session because we know these challenges aren't new, but it's more important than ever that we take action. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the hardships workers face every day. We've all heard from constituents who are enduring nightmare after nightmare. Whether it be that they have been denied unemployment insurance or they are risking their own health to continue showing up for a job with inadequate personal protective equipment, they are being pushed to their limits. Lisa is a constituent of mine who lives in Springfield, Massachusetts and shared her story with my office. She was a U.S. Postal Service employee until this past May, when she left her job to help her daughter who was struggling with online learning at home. After taxes, her weekly unemployment benefit is a mere $80, so she picked up part time work at Dunkin Donuts to try to make ends meet as the crisis continues. Joining us today for this session is another constituent of mine, James, who is a teacher in Springfield and will be sharing his experience grappling with the pandemic. James, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. An economic recovery would provide some relief to people like Lisa and James. We can prevent a complete economic crash by providing unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, and other temporary measures that prop up our economy. But a real recover… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/sens-warren-smith-tell-azar-they-discovered-significant-gaps-in-covid-testing | Sens. Warren, Smith tell Azar they discovered ‘significant gaps’ in Covid testing | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 Sens. Warren, Smith tell Azar they discovered significant gaps' in Covid testing Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., have informed the secretary of Health and Human Services they have discovered significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity. In aletterthis week to HHS chief Alex Azar, Warren and Smith said they made the discovery after contactingfive of the worlds largest Covid testing labs: Quest, BioReference, ARUP Labs, LabCorp., and Mayo Clinic. They said the labs informed them that they experienced a large spike in COVID-19 diagnostic testing needs during the summer surge. The letter said the labs are also developing additional testing capacities but are still short on supplies and are experiencing confusion about payment and reimbursement for COVID-19 diagnostic testing as a result of Congressional and Administration inaction. ...Read the full article on CNBC.com here. By: Brian Schwartz, Stephanie Dhue Source: CNBC.com Print Email Tweet Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/warren-files-bill-to-require-immigration-agencies-report-out-covid-19-data | Warren Files Bill To Require Immigration Agencies Report Out COVID-19 Data | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 Warren Files Bill To Require Immigration Agencies Report Out COVID-19 Data Sen. Elizabeth Warren and several Democratic colleagues want immigration detention facilities to track and publicly report data about COVID-19 cases.Warren, along with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, filedthe bill, called the COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act, Wednesday in both chambers of Congress.The billwould requireImmigrations and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement and any facilities that contract with those agencies to collect and submit COVID-19 data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a weekly basis. That data would then be published publicly. ...Read the full article from WBURhere. By: Ally Jarmanning Source: WBUR Print Email Tweet Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/as-nation-grapples-with-covid-19-surge-warren-smith-release-their-findings-on-national-testing-capacity-and-pediatric-testing-availability | As Nation Grapples With COVID-19 Surge, Warren, Smith Release Their Findings on National Testing Capacity and Pediatric Testing Availability | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 As Nation Grapples With COVID-19 Surge, Warren, Smith Release Their Findings on National Testing Capacity and Pediatric Testing Availability "Our findings reveal significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity, exacerbating the ongoing public health threat. Addressing these problems will require aggressive federal government action." Text of Letter Washington, DC - United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to Alex Azar, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) summarizing the findings from their investigation into the nation's testing capacity and the availability of pediatric testing and making recommendations for how the federal government can improve national testing infrastructure. On August 26, 2020, Senators Warren and Smith wrote to five of the largest COVID-19 testing laboratories regarding each company's capacity to process COVID-19 diagnostic tests and deliver prompt results. From the responses to these letters, the lawmakers learned that lab companies experienced a large surge in COVID-19 diagnostic testing needs during the summer surge, straining lab company capacity and slowing test turnaround times in some cases. Supply shortages hampered their efforts to develop additional capacity. They also experienced confusion about payment and reimbursement in different scenarios - for instance, whether insurers or the government was responsible for payment when a test was not considered "medically necessary." Furthermore, in response to reports that families were having difficulty obtaining COVID-19 testing for their young children, on October 7, 2020, Senators Warren and Smith wrote to the retail providers participating in the HHS Community-Based Testing Sites partnership to ask for information about their poli… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/at-warren-and-baldwin-request-independent-watchdog-agrees-to-investigate-mandatory-work-requirements-at-drug-and-alcohol-rehabilitation-facilities-receiving-federal-funding | At Warren and Baldwin Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 At Warren and Baldwin Request, Independent Watchdog Agrees to Investigate Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding A recent investigation found that individuals at these facilities are being required to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a "huge, unpaid shadow workforce" Response from Government Accountability Office (GAO) Here Senators' Initial Request to GAO Here Washington, DC - At the request of United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has agreed to conduct an independent audit of mandatory vocational requirements at drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities that receive federal funding. The senators' call for an investigation follows recent reporting by the Center for Investigative Reporting which found that individuals at some drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities are being required to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a "huge, unpaid shadow workforce." "The GAO's decision to investigate this practice is a good first step toward ensuring no one seeking treatment for substance use disorder is subjected to predatory conditions that threaten their recovery and violate their rights," Senator Warren said. "Their investigation will aid in ensuring federal funds are being used for evidence-based treatment programs, and that federal labor laws are being properly enforced." "It is simply wrong that some drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities are requiring patients to work for little or no pay, under predatory and unfair working conditions, as part of their treatment program," said Senator Baldwin. "The Government Accounta… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-warren-and-markey-welcome-independent-report-on-fort-hood-urge-immediate-action-to-protect-soldiers | Senators Warren and Markey Welcome Independent Report on Fort Hood, Urge Immediate Action to Protect Soldiers | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 Senators Warren and Markey Welcome Independent Report on Fort Hood, Urge Immediate Action to Protect Soldiers Senators called for an independent investigation into Ft. Hood after the disappearance and death of Brockton native Elder Fernandes, who died near the base in August Washington D.C. - Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Ed Markey (D-Mass) released the following statement upon the release of the report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee, which was tasked with investigating the command culture and climate at Fort Hood Army Base, near Killeen, Texas. The report's executive summary reveals pervasive deficiencies in the sexual harassment and assault reporting structure, a lack of clearly outlined procedures for responding to reports of missing soldiers, and a command culture permissive of sexual harassment and sexual assault, among other problems. As a result of the report's findings, the Army announced today they are firing or suspending 14 Fort Hood commanders and other leaders. "The pervasive problems found by the independent investigation into Fort Hood demonstrate a gross disregard by Army leadership and the Command at Fort Hood for the safety and well-being of America's soldiers," said Senators Warren and Markey. "It should not have taken the dozens of deaths of men and women of our armed forces at Fort Hood to trigger an investigation. "While we appreciate the findings of the independent investigation, it's been clear that the Army's leadership must be held accountable for the harm caused by allowing a climate of harassment, fear, and retaliation to take hold for so long. The Army must make immediately clear what steps it will be taking to address the problems outlined in the report. Top Army leadership should testify before the Senate as soon as possible, and the incoming Biden administrati… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-and-nadler-introduce-the-consumer-bankruptcy-reform-act-of-2020 | Warren and Nadler Introduce the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 Warren and Nadler Introduce the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 would simplify and modernize the consumer bankruptcy system to make it easier for individuals and families forced into bankruptcy to get back on their feet One-Pager (PDF) | Bill Summary (PDF) | Bill Text (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020, bicameral legislation to simplify and modernize the consumer bankruptcy system to make it easier for individuals and families forced into bankruptcy to get back on their feet. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.). "Our bankruptcy system too often fails to provide financially struggling individuals and families the relief they desperately need," said Senator Warren. "The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2020 will take long overdue steps to make it easier and less expensive for financially-strapped families and individuals to obtain meaningful bankruptcy relief and give Americans a better chance to get back on their feet." "Bankruptcy is an option of last resort, but it also promises a fresh start so that people can get back up and keep working and providing for their families," said Chairman Nadler. "Today that promise rings hollow for many people because the bankruptcy system has become complex, unfair, and even punitive for ordinary consumers. The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act ensures that the bankruptcy system works for the American people and not just big corporate creditors. Senator Warren and I have worked on this issue for many years, and I look forward to continuing our fight for consumers with this new legislation." "As w… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-castro-booker-colleagues-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-require-covid-19-data-collection-in-immigration-detention-facilities | Warren, Castro, Booker, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Require COVID-19 Data Collection in Immigration Detention Facilities | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 09, 2020 Warren, Castro, Booker, Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Require COVID-19 Data Collection in Immigration Detention Facilities The COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act would provide public health experts, policymakers, immigration advocates, and the public with critical information about COVID-19 in immigration detention facilities. Current information about the number of COVID-19 cases affecting individuals in immigration detention is inadequate for the purpose of stopping the spread of the virus and protecting detainees, staff, and nearby communities. Bill Text | Bill One-Pager Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas.), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, introduced the bicameral COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act, which would require immigration-detention facilities to collect and publicly report data about COVID-19 cases and the preventative measures in place in these facilities. This legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas.), Filemon Vela (D-Texas.), James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), and Al Green (D-Texas.). COVID-19 presents serious risks to individuals in group settings, including in immigration detent… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/after-deaths-holyoke-soldiers-home-lawmakers-introduce-new-bill-protect-veterans | After deaths at Holyoke Soldiers Home, lawmakers introduce new bill to protect veterans | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) A federal overhaul on the safety standards for veterans' homes is being proposed by two Massachusetts congressmen. Congressmen Richard Neal and Joe Kennedy introduced the new bill in response to the deaths of 76 veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home. The Holyoke Veterans Act calls for higher and more appropriate qualifications for the administration of veteran homes. For example, leaders would need to hold a medical license. The bill also calls for more oversight of those facilities, larger governing boards, and requires all veteran homes to have infection control plans. Because of what happened across the country soldiers homes and nursing home facilities that we can gain some traction. There is going to have to be more oversight from the federal government about many of these soldier' homes across the country, Congressman Neal said. Next, the proposed act will move to the Committee on Veterans Affairs for approval. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/following-holyoke-tragedy-reps-joe-kennedy-iii-and-richard-neal-introduce-bill-overhaul | Following Holyoke tragedy, Reps. Joe Kennedy III and Richard Neal introduce bill to overhaul safety standards at soldiers homes | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | U.S. Reps. Joe Kennedy III and Richard Neal proposed an overhaul of federal safety standards at soldiers' homes nationwide on Tuesday, building on aKennedy proposal earlier this yearafter theCOVID-19pandemic took the lives of 76 veterans at theHolyoke Soldiers' Home. The Holyoke Veteran's Act calls for improved qualifications among administrative leaders and significantly broader oversight of soldiers' homes. The bill would require administrators or deputy superintendents at soldiers' homes to maintain a medical license similar to those held by skilled nursing facility administrators. If the act becomes law, governing bodies at the homes must be more than a single person and, like state long-term care facilities, all soldiers' homes will have to employ an infection preventionist. The proposed new rules come a month after two former administratorswere arraigned on criminal neglect chargeslinked to the deadly outbreak at the state-run facility in Holyoke. Of the roughly 210 veterans who were living at the home since the outbreak began, 76 died of COVID-19 and dozens more tested positive, prompting Kennedy to proposesweeping reforms back in May. What happened in Holyoke makes clear: We failed to keep safe heroes who dedicated their lives to protecting us, Kennedy said in a statement. No action today can undo the harm our nation caused, but in honor of those we lost and all who loved them we can act aggressively to fix the gaping holes in oversight, accountability and basic safety that this pandemic exposed. The Holyoke Veterans Act will help save lives today, as COVID continues to soar across the country, and will ensure a similar tragedy cannot ever again occur. According to the act, each facility will be required to submit annual emergency plans to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Government Accountability Office must produce a report on how the VA could bolster oversight and safety. The tragedy at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home was personal to me, Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the House C… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/elizabeth-warren-and-ed-markey-urge-fellow-senate-democrats-to-demand-stimulus-checks-in-covid-19-relief-bill | Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey urge fellow Senate Democrats to demand stimulus checks in COVID-19 relief bill | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | In a letter, they called the recent Manchin-Romney proposal "unacceptable." Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey believe that any new COVID-19 relief package needs to include a new round of stimulus checks and they're imploring fellow Senate Democrats to hold firm on the position in the midst of the dual public health and economic crises. The two Massachusetts senators signed ontoa letter Tuesdayurging colleagues to join us in demanding that any new COVID-relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children, similar to thefirst round of checksthat were included in the CARES Act last spring. ...Read the full article on Boston.com here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/16-mass-elected-officials-challenge-state-agency-on-east-boston-substation | 16 Mass. Elected Officials Challenge State Agency On East Boston Substation | 2020-12-07 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 07, 2020 16 Mass. Elected Officials Challenge State Agency On East Boston Substation Multiple members of the Massachusetts federal delegation, along with several state and local elected officials, senta letteron Monday to Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, challenging the state's recent decision to move forward with plans to build a controversial electrical substation in East Boston. The letter, directed at the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB), asked the board to re-evaluate whetherthe electrical substationon the Chelsea Creek waterfront is actually needed to meet the area's power demands, and also to postpone an upcoming public hearing so that more members of the public can participate.The siting of any new significant energy project requires the full and informed input of the surrounding public, [especially] as this planned industrial infrastructure is in an already disproportionately overburdened Environmental Justice community, the 16 signatories wrote. Participation in the approval process must not be in name only. Officials signing the letter include U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren; U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Joseph P. Kennedy, III and Katherine Clark; State SenatorsJoseph A. Boncore,Sal N. DiDomenico andJamie B. Eldridge;State Reps. Adrian C. Madaro, Daniel J. Ryan,Liz Miranda and Michelle DuBois; as well as Boston City Councilors Lydia Edwards, Michelle Wu,Julia Mejia andAnnissa Essaibi-George. ...Read the full article from WBUR here. By: Miriam Wasser Source: WBUR Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/with-rent-due-and-evictions-looming-warren-rips-mcconnell-for-disgraceful-obstruction | With rent due and evictions looming, Warren rips McConnell for "disgraceful" obstruction | 2020-12-07 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | "It is cruel for Republicans to continue blocking real relief for working people during this crisis" With another rent payment due Tuesday for millions of Americans, Sen. Elizabeth Warrencalled outSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his fellow Republicans for continuing to stonewall an adequate coronavirus stimulus bill that would prevent mass evictions that arejust around the cornerand provide desperately needed relief to the unemployed. "The rent is due. . . and Majority Leader McConnell and the Senate GOP still haven't reinstated the $600 unemployment checks, extended unemployment programs, passed rental assistance, or anything else in months to help struggling families during this crisis," the Massachusetts DemocrattweetedMonday. "It's disgraceful." "With so many families struggling to put food on the table," Warren added in a separatetweet, "it is cruel for Republicans to continue blocking real relief for working people during this crisis." ...Read the full article on Salon here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/elizabeth-warren-and-ayanna-pressley-want-to-know-how-badly-the-us-pandemic-response-failed-people-of-color | Elizabeth Warren And Ayanna Pressley Want To Know How Badly The US Pandemic Response Failed People Of Color | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | Nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, It is not clear whether that relief has successfully reached the communities that are most impacted. The US government needs to investigate whether Black, Latino, and Native American communities most impacted by thepandemichave received adequate coronavirus relief funds, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley wrote to the Government Accountability Office. To date, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars to sustain our health system and mitigate the economic fallout during this public health emergency. However, it is not clear whether that relief has successfully reached the communities that are most impacted, the lawmakers stated in theirletter, shared first with BuzzFeed News. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on people of color.Datafrom the CDC shows that of COVID-19 cases in which the race is known, Latinx people represent about 24% of cases in the US but 19% of the population, and Black people are about 14% of cases and 13% of the population. States with large Native American populations New Mexico, Wyoming, and South Dakota, for instance are seeing higher rates in those communities than overall. Demographic data about the pandemic is incomprehensive, however, and the impact on minority populations may be even greater than these data reveal. ...Read the full article on Buzzfeed News here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/op-eds/new-op-ed-why-we-elizabeth-warren-and-chuck-schumer-believe-the-biden-harris-administration-should-cancel-up-to-50k-in-student-debt-on-day-one | New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 04, 2020 New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One Op-Ed in Blavity Washington, DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today published an op-ed in Blavity on why the Biden-Harris administration should cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt on day one of their administration and how cancelling student loan debt will help start to close the racial wealth gap. Read the full op-ed here. Key sections below. Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One For the first time in history, the American people have elected a President and Vice President States who committed to cancelling billions in student loan debt. Americans outside of Washington get it. They see their friends, family, and neighbors crushed by growing debt burdens, unable to afford their first home or start a small business. They know a senior whose Social Security check has been garnished by the federal government just to pay student loan interest. They know a mother struggling to make ends meet who never got a degree and now watches her debt load grow faster than she can keep up with. ... Broad cancellation of student debt would give tens of millions of Americans $200 to $300 more to spend and save each month. Cancellation also means they won't have to worry about a student debt time bomb exploding when the payments suspension ends. With more money in their pockets and a smaller debt load, they can consider bigger purchases like cars and homes and, for some, start their own businesses. That's good for the borrower and good for our economy. ... On day one, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can use existing authority under the law to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for all borrowers with federal loans and make sure it doesn't result in any tax bill for borr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/op-eds/why-we-elizabeth-warren-and-chuck-schumer-believe-the-biden-harris-administration-should-cancel-up-to-50k-in-student-debt-on-day-one | Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | Black and brown students across the country go to college because they believe it is the surest path to build a future for themselves and their families. They did everything right. For the first time in history, the American people have elected a President and Vice President States who committed to cancelling billions in student loan debt. Americans outside of Washingtonget it. They see their friends, family, and neighborscrushed by growing debt burdens, unable to afford their first home or start a small business. They know a senior whose Social Security check has been garnished by the federal government just to pay student loan interest. They know a mother struggling to make ends meet who never got a degree and now watches her debt load grow faster than she can keep up with. And even if they don't know one of our 43 million friends and neighbors buried under 1.5 trillion dollars in federal student loan debt, they understand the need toboost to our struggling economy. This is Econ 101: the best way to jumpstart our economy is to put more money in working families' pockets money they can spend in their communities. ...Read the full article on Blavity here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-op-ed-why-we-elizabeth-warren-and-chuck-schumer-believe-the-biden-harris-administration-should-cancel-up-to-50k-in-student-debt-on-day-one | New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 04, 2020 New Op-Ed: Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One Op-Ed in Blavity Washington, DC - Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today published an op-ed in Blavity on why the Biden-Harris administration should cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt on day one of their administration and how cancelling student loan debt will help start to close the racial wealth gap. Read the full op-ed here. Key sections below. Why We, Elizabeth Warren And Chuck Schumer, Believe The Biden-Harris Administration Should Cancel Up To $50K In Student Debt On Day One For the first time in history, the American people have elected a President and Vice President States who committed to cancelling billions in student loan debt. Americans outside of Washington get it. They see their friends, family, and neighbors crushed by growing debt burdens, unable to afford their first home or start a small business. They know a senior whose Social Security check has been garnished by the federal government just to pay student loan interest. They know a mother struggling to make ends meet who never got a degree and now watches her debt load grow faster than she can keep up with. ... Broad cancellation of student debt would give tens of millions of Americans $200 to $300 more to spend and save each month. Cancellation also means they won't have to worry about a student debt time bomb exploding when the payments suspension ends. With more money in their pockets and a smaller debt load, they can consider bigger purchases like cars and homes and, for some, start their own businesses. That's good for the borrower and good for our economy. ... On day one, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can use existing authority under the law to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for all borrowers with federal loans and make sure it doesn't result in any tax bill for borr… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-pressley-ask-independent-watchdog-to-investigate-racial-inequity-in-pandemic-response | Warren, Pressley Ask Independent Watchdog to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 04, 2020 Warren, Pressley Ask Independent Watchdog to Investigate Racial Inequity in Pandemic Response "The health and economic effects of the pandemic have been especially severe in communities of color and Native communities, yet it is not clear whether federal relief resources have reached these communities in proportion to their need." Text of Letter Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent a letter to Gene L. Dodaro, U.S. Comptroller General, requesting a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on how COVID-19 relief funds have been distributed to disproportionately affected communities. The request seeks to examine how much federal COVID-19 relief funding went to businesses and providers located in low-income and medically underserved communities, as well as Tribal businesses and health care providers, community health centers, and other organizations serving high-need populations. "The health and economic effects of the pandemic have been especially severe in communities of color and Native communities, yet it is not clear whether federal relief resources have reached these communities in proportion to their need. We, therefore, request an evaluation of supplemental appropriations provided under COVID-19 relief laws, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, with regard to how funds have been distributed to disproportionately affected communities," wrote the lawmakers. The coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color and Native communities. Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native people are being hospitalized with COVID-19 at higher rates and are dying from COVID-19 at youn… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/latest-unemployment-numbers-show-need-new-covid-relief-bill-us-rep-richard-neal-says | Latest unemployment numbers show need for new COVID relief bill, U.S. Rep Richard Neal says; economy adds fewest jobs since April | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | The U.S. economy gained just 245,000 jobs in November, the smallest increase since April and the fifth consecutive month of declining gains. The unemployment rate fell to 6.7%, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Department Labor. But one reason the unemployment rate fell was that fewer people are looking for work. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said the numbers show the need for another pandemic relief bill. As we've seen throughout the course of the COVID crisis, the state of the economy is linked to the severity of the pandemic, said Neal, reelected this week as the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. The United States began to experience another devastating surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in November, so it's no surprise that hiring slowed that month as well. As long as people's health and safety are at risk, our economy cannot fully rebound. Local and state figures are not yet available for November. But in October, the Massachusettsunemploymentrate fell 2.4 percentage points to 7.4% from a revised September rateof 9.8%. The unemployment rate in Greater Springfield was 7.2% in October, down from 10% in September. Nationally, the number of people among the unemployed who are on temporary layoff decreased by 441,000 in November to 2.8 million. The measure is down considerably from the high of 18.1 million in April but is 2 million higher than its February level. The report uses February as a reference point for the economy prior to the pandemic. The number of people who lost jobs permanently, at 3.7 million, was roughly unchanged in November but is 2.5 million higher than in February. The labor force participation rate edged down to 61.5 percent in November, 1.9 percentage points below its February level. Neal noted that while news about COVID-19 vaccines has been positive, widespread immunization is still months away. With that timeframe in mind and knowing that critical pandemic-related unemployment assistance is due to cut off at the end of this month, Con… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-november-2020-jobs-report | Chairman Neal Statement on the November 2020 Jobs Report | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Chairman Neal Statement on the November 2020 Jobs Report Chairman Neal Statement on the November 2020 Jobs Report WASHINGTON, DC Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) November 2020 jobs report: As we've seen throughout the course of the COVID crisis, the state of the economy is linked to the severity of the pandemic. The United States began to experience another devastating surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in November, so it's no surprise that hiring slowed that month as well. As long as people's health and safety are at risk, our economy cannot fully rebound. While positive vaccine news is on the horizon, widespread immunization is still likely months away. With that timeframe in mind, and knowing that critical pandemic-related unemployment assistance is due to cut off at the end of this month, Congress must provide further support to jobless workers as soon as possible. House Democrats have twice passed extensions of this expiring aid, and twice Senate Republicans have blocked it from reaching those in need. With bipartisan calls for action growing on Capitol Hill and the stakes climbing even higher for millions of Americans, I urge Senator McConnell to come to the table and finally work constructively with us to get additional relief across the finish line. View Ways and Means Democrats' fact sheet on the year-end unemployment insurance cliff HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-house-passage-more-act | Neal Statement on House Passage of the MORE Act | 2020-12-04 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Neal Statement on House Passage of the MORE Act Neal Statement on House Passage of the MORE Act Washington, D.C. Following the House passage of H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020, Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, released the following statement. Today's House consideration of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020 or the MORE Act marks an important step in mitigating the impacts of the historically racist war on drugs. This legislation will reform our federal criminal laws while also making investments in and empowering communities of color and those adversely affected by current unjust policies. The MORE Act makes important changes to federal law by removing marijuana, or cannabis, from the list of federally controlled substances. This change to federal law does not undermine the ability of states to apply their criminal laws to marijuana as they see fit. Instead, it makes marijuana a federally regulated substance that is subject to the FDA's regulatory authority and federal taxation. The excise tax that is established by the bill is similar to those for alcohol and tobacco. By creating a legal marijuana market that is subject to federal taxation, this legislation also creates an opportunity trust fund that will increase opportunities for individuals and communities affected by the War on Drugs. The opportunity trust fund will fund programs such as job training, reentry services, and substance use disorder services, as well as assistance to small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. I thank my colleague, Representative Blumenauer, for his tireless leadership on this issue. As this bill continues through the legislative process, I look forward to continuing to work with … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/massachusetts-lawmakers-concerned-that-some-comcast-subscribers-could-lose-wcvb | Massachusetts lawmakers concerned that some Comcast subscribers could lose WCVB | 2020-12-03 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | "Consumers should not be caught in the middle." Could some Comcast subscribers in Massachusetts soon be forced to tune into a Rhode Island TV station for ABC programming? Four members of the state's federal delegation are worried it could happen. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Bill Keating and Joe Kennedy III expressed concern Thursday that subscribers to Comcast's Xfinity TV service in Bristol County could lose access to WCVB, amid news that the cable company and the Boston-based ABC affiliate's owner, Hearst, have yet to reach a new agreement. Particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, loss of access to this station would be harmful to Bristol County viewers who rely on state-specific announcements to stay healthy and safe, the four Massachusetts Democrats wrote in a letter to the leaders of Comcast and Hearst. ...Read the full article on Boston.comhere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-markey-kennedy-release-amazon-response-to-their-inquiries-about-high-rate-of-serious-injuries-among-warehouse-workers | Warren, Markey, Kennedy Release Amazon Response to Their Inquiries About High Rate of Serious Injuries Among Warehouse Workers | 2020-12-03 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 03, 2020 Warren, Markey, Kennedy Release Amazon Response to Their Inquiries About High Rate of Serious Injuries Among Warehouse Workers Lawmakers Concerned By Amazon's Unwillingness to Place Worker Safety Before Corporate Profits and Address High Injury Rates at Their Warehouses Amazon could take immediate action to address the injury rate at warehouses ... yet the company seems unwilling to address the root causes of high injury rates at their warehouses, or acknowledge a link between productivity demands and injuries. Amazon Response (PDF) Washington, D.C. - On October 14th, United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy (D-MA-04) sent Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos a letter expressing concern that, as evidence mounts of unsafe working conditions for Amazon warehouse workers, the company did not make meaningful changes to protect workers, but instead responded by rolling out PR campaigns and appearing to misrepresent workers' injury risk to Congress and the public. An investigation by The Center for Investigative Reporting found that Amazon's obsession with speed has turned its warehouses into injury mills. This investigation found that peak periods like Prime Days and the period from a week before Thanksgiving through Christmas are particularly dangerous for Amazon warehouse workers, including workers in Massachusetts. The lawmakers' letter had expressed concern that Amazon has seemingly refused to consider reducing the speed at which Amazon workers must work or face disciplinary action. We are now at the beginning of another dangerous season for Amazon warehouse workers, and the company's responses to repeated Congressional inquiries have only escalated our concern about Amazon's unwillingness to value worker safety above corporate profit, the lawmakers said. Amazon could take immediate action to address the injury rate at… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-applauds-announcement-house-vote-als-disability-insurance-access-act | Chairman Neal Applauds Announcement of House Vote on ALS... | 2020-12-03 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Chairman Neal Applauds Announcement of House Vote on ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 Chairman Neal Applauds Announcement of House Vote on ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019 Leader Hoyer announced the bill will be brought to the House Floor the week of December 7, 2020 WASHINGTON, DCHouse Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement applauding the upcoming House vote on the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019: I am heartened by Leader Hoyer's announcement that next week the House will vote on the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019. With no cure, people with ALS and their families face unspeakable challenges in accessing and affording care. Like many Americans, I've seen loved ones suffer the devastating effects of this disease, and I am glad that this bill led by Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton will move forward. This legislation takes a vital step in providing relief from the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance so that people with ALS can access their Social Security and Medicare benefits without any harmful delays. I look forward to strong bipartisan support for finally giving people grappling with this disease quicker access to the benefits they have earned, and hope that we can extend similar relief to others in the 117th Congress. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-statement-reelection-serve-chairman-ways-and-means-committee | Neal Statement on Reelection to Serve as Chairman of Ways... | 2020-12-03 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Neal Statement on Reelection to Serve as Chairman of Ways and Means Committee Neal Statement on Reelection to Serve as Chairman of Ways and Means Committee WASHINGTON, DCToday, Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after being reelected Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means for the 117th Congress: Remaining the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is the honor of my life, and I am immensely grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with this responsibility. This past Congress, Ways and Means Democrats wasted no time with our majority. We passed legislation to lower prescription drug prices, increase Americans' retirement savings, redesign the IRS, reduce the number of children requiring placement in foster homes, and provide expanded tax credits to low-wage workers and middle-class families. Our members led the way in improving and passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and conducted robust oversight of the Trump Administration at every turn. Of our many achievements, I am most proud of the Committee's swift and innovative leadership through the COVID-19 health and economic crises. Our significant contributions to Congress's pandemic relief packages saved both lives and livelihoods. We're not out of the woods yet, though. The American people need us now more than ever, and I look forward to the Committee working closely with the Biden Administration not only to recover from this horrific virus and accompanying recession, but to build back even better. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/warren-makes-case-to-fed-chair-for-canceling-student-loan-debt | Warren makes case to Fed chair for canceling student loan debt | 2020-12-01 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 01, 2020 Warren makes case to Fed chair for canceling student loan debt Sen.Elizabeth Warren(D-Mass.) on Tuesday pressed for President-electJoe Bidento take executive action to cancel student loan debt during an exchange with Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell at a Senate hearing. "All on his own, President-elect Biden will have the ability to administratively cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt using the authority that Congress has already given to the secretary of Education," Warren said during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. "This is the single most effective economic stimulus that is available through executive action." Warren has long supported student debt cancellation, and her commentscome amid a debateover whether Biden should act unilaterally to do so. ...Read the full article on The Hill here. By: Naomi Jagoda Source: The Hill Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-senate-banking-hearing-chairman-powell-agrees-with-senator-warren-that-student-loan-debt-drags-down-our-economy | In Senate Banking Hearing, Chairman Powell Agrees with Senator Warren that Student Loan Debt Drags Down Our Economy | 2020-12-01 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 01, 2020 In Senate Banking Hearing, Chairman Powell Agrees with Senator Warren that Student Loan Debt Drags Down Our Economy As Republicans continue to block relief, President-elect Biden can cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt -- the single most effective executive action available to provide a massive stimulus to our economy Video of Exchange (Youtube) Read the Cancel Student Debt Resolution Here Washington, DC - In a Senate Banking Committee hearing today, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell confirmed to United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that the high level of student debt is a drag on our economy. Chairman Powell agreed that people "weighed down by debt" at a time when unemployment is very high will negatively impact economic activity as people are forced to send money back to the federal government to cover student loan payments instead of spending that money in the economy. This acknowledgment comes at a time when policymakers should be focused on economic recovery. Canceling billions of dollars in student loan debt is needed now more than ever as more people are getting sick from the coronavirus than at any other time during the pandemic, as 12 million workers will lose unemployment insurance after Christmas Day, and as Republicans continue to block state and local government aid, unemployment benefits, and checks for families. Canceling student debt would provide a massive stimulus to the economy, and President-elect Biden has the ability to administratively do this on day one by using the authority Congress has already given to the Secretary of Education. Transcript: U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. So, today, more people are getting sick from the coronavirus than at any other time during the pandemic. And on top of … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-maloney-porter-release-findings-from-first-comprehensive-survey-of-covid-19-outbreaks-in-residential-behavioral-health-and-addiction-treatment-programs | Warren, Maloney, Porter Release Findings from First Comprehensive Survey of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Programs | 2020-12-01 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 01, 2020 Warren, Maloney, Porter Release Findings from First Comprehensive Survey of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Residential Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Programs Investigation Findings (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and Senate Aging Committees, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-Calif.), a member of Oversight and Reform Committee, released the findings from their investigation into the effects of the novel coronavirus in residential behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities, and the actions these facilities are taking to prevent and mitigate outbreaks when they do occur. The lawmakers' investigation, the first national survey of coronavirus in residential behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities, revealed that more than half of residential behavioral health facilities covered by the survey had at least one coronavirus case, while one in seven facilities had larger outbreaks. The investigation also found that limited testing capacity has prevented residential behavioral health programs from conducting routine testing of their patients and staff, that facilities' paid sick leave policies do not provide sufficient coverage for all workers, and that fewer patients have been able to receive inpatient care during the pandemic despite an increased need for services. These findings highlight the need for greater federal support for residential behavioral health programs during the pandemic. "The economic turmoil and social isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic has increased the need for substance use disorder, addiction, and mental health treatment. Our investigation confirms that, just like nursing homes and assisted living facilities, residential behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities present significant risks fo… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-warner-wyden-and-colleagues-in-requesting-extension-of-pandemic-unemployment-programs | Warren Joins Warner, Wyden & Colleagues in Requesting Extension of Pandemic Unemployment Programs | 2020-12-01 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | December 01, 2020 Warren Joins Warner, Wyden & Colleagues in Requesting Extension of Pandemic Unemployment Programs Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with 29 of their colleagues in urging Senate leaders to include in the next COVID-19 relief package an extension of two critical financial lifelines for Americans affected by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program which provides unemployment assistance to domestic workers, freelance workers, contractors, and other workers in alternative work arrangements and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program which temporarily provides a 13-week extension of benefits for those whose regular unemployment benefits have expired but are still struggling to find employment during the pandemic are set to expire on December 26th. Unfortunately, these programs are as vital as ever right now, with the nation facing more than five times the number of COVID-19 cases as in the spring, and with more than twice the number of Americans participating in these programs as in the regular state unemployment system. As the virus surges going into the winter months, the loss of benefits at this time is particularly cruel. A recent report from The Century Foundation suggests that nearly 12 million workers could lose coverage once these programs expire over the holiday. In other words, roughly 12 million American workers will lose benefits this season for a job they lost through no fault of their own, wrote the senators in a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. What's more, the loss of emergency benefits compounds the hardships many families are already facing in this economy. Since May, researchers have found that roughly 8 million Americans have slipped into poverty. That is t… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/east-west-passenger-rail-boosters-see-converging-opportunities-springfield-doubts-remain | East-west passenger rail boosters see converging opportunities for Springfield, but doubts remain about states commitments | 2020-11-27 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | SPRINGFIELD Train tracks stretching into the distance appear to converge just out of view. Backers of faster passenger rail service from Western Massachusetts to Boston see several factors converging now the newBidenadministration, the need to boost the economy through a national infrastructure plan, the changing nature of the workplace even after thecoronavirus pandemic, and Boston's housing crunch. This is a moment of opportunity, says state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow. You really see a lot of needs coming together. The two most important issues, Lesser said, are a lack of jobs in Western Massachusetts and a lack of housing in eastern Massachusetts. Make it easier to commute, he said, and more folks will live here and work in Boston, boosting both economies. It's simple logic that has earned support from Boston'sCity Counciland chamber of commerce, as well as MassMutualCEO Roger Crandall. Commuter trains could link Boston and Springfield in as little as 90 minutes and as often as 10 or 12 times a day, according to one early concept state transportation experts explored. It remains to be seen whether the convergence is real or, like those steel rails that never really meet, an illusion. Lesser proposed the legislation that led to an 18-month study of the feasibility of east-west passenger rail. The state is due to issue its final report by the end of the year. InOctober,state Department of Transportation researchers released a preliminary report saying enhanced passenger rail service could attract 278,000 to 469,000 riders per year. But the cost for extensive track upgrades would range from $2.4 billion and $4.6 billion. At that ridership and cost, the project doesn't meet guidelines for federal funding. The preliminary report cast doubt the project's feasibility. It also made Lesser doubt whether Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is committed. I have my questions, he said. It seems like at every opportunity, MassDOT emphasizes the hurdles. Lesser and others have said for years that Baker is at best luke… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/elizabeth-warren-calls-on-ice-to-end-deportations-during-pandemic-stop-terrorizing-our-communities | Elizabeth Warren Calls On ICE To End Deportations During Pandemic: 'Stop Terrorizing Our Communities' | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 25, 2020 Elizabeth Warren Calls On ICE To End Deportations During Pandemic: 'Stop Terrorizing Our Communities' SenatorElizabeth Warrencalled on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to end deportations of undocumented immigrants who pose no national security threat on Wednesday, citing concerns that the deportations could lead to an unnecessary spread of COVID-19. The Massachusetts senator joined forces with the state's additional 11 members of Congress towrite a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security(DHS) stating that "detention and deportation of immigrants only serves to increase the spread of COVID-19 among detainees and to foreign countries." "ICE should listen to the medical and public health experts who want the agency to stop terrorizing our communities and deporting harmless people during this pandemic. It's needless, cruel, and undermines the COVID-19 containment efforts," Warren tweeted on Wednesday. ...Read the full article in Newsweek here. By: Natalie Colarossi Source: Newsweek Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/awesome-have-here-harper-s-haven-honors-holyoke-toddler-adds-attractions-community-field | Awesome to have this here: Harpers Haven honors Holyoke toddler, adds to attractions at Community Field | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | HOLYOKE A bright, rainbow sign greets visitors at the entrance to Harper's Haven, a new playscape at Community Field that honors Harper Violet Brewer, who passed away at 15 months old in March. Harper's grandmother, Laura Ferriter, presided over a ribbon-cutting Wednesday that welcomed families as well as U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, state Sen. John Velis, state Representative-elect Patricia Duffy and city officials. The joyful sounds of children at play echoed throughout the ceremony. The playground provides a safe and welcoming escape for toddlers, and a treehouse loaded with sensory games anchors the space. Ferriter secured $38,000 in donations for the playscape that adjoins a swingset Harper often frolicked on. We wanted to have a nice memorial for her. We thought it would complement the great facilities here already, something for toddlers, Ferriter said after the ceremony. Ferriter thanked Parks and Recreation Director Terry Shepard and City Engineer Bob Peirent for supporting the project and offering guidance. We worked as a team to get this in place. I sent out letters, and we were able to secure private donations for almost all of it, she said. Major donors included Health New England and The Positive Regard Network/Center School, where Ferriter works. The Center School matched employees' contributions. It's in memory of Harper but also the children of Holyoke and surrounding areas, she said. The Holyoke Community Preservation Act Committee awarded a $3,000 grant for fencing. The Hampshire Fence Company installed the fence free of charge. Harper was the most joyful little girl you ever met. We were so honored to have her as our grandchild. She loved to come to play here on the swings, Ferriter said. The rainbow signs reflect Harper's spirit and legacy. Neal said the ribbon-cutting reflected a Holyoke moment involving people he's known his entire life, the Ferriters and the Brewers. As we're bonded by Harper's memory, we're also bonded by the consciousness of the laughter of those children in the backgroun… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/harpers-haven-playground-dedicated-holyoke | 'Harper's Haven' playground dedicated in Holyoke | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- A ribbon-cutting was held in Holyoke Friday to dedicate a new toddler playground at Community Field. The playground is named 'Harper's Haven' in memory of Harper Violet Brewer. Harper died this past March at just 15 months old. Today, Harper's family spoke of their daughter's love of Community Field. "She loved the swings. The photograph of her on the swings here and really thought what would compliment the great facilities that are here already was something for toddlers," said Laura Ferriter, Harper's grandmother. Congressman Richard Neal was on-hand for the ribbon-cutting. Harper's family said the new toddler playground was made possible by donations from many area businesses and individuals. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/new-playground-holyoke-dedicated-toddler-who-passed-away | New playground in Holyoke dedicated to toddler who passed away | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) There was a ribbon-cutting at Holyoke's Community Field Wednesday morning to dedicate a new playground. According to a news release sent to 22News, the new playground, Harper's Haven, is in remembrance of Harper Violet Brewer who passed away in March at 15 months old. Harper frequently visited Community Field and this donation to the City of Holyoke was made possible by the contributions of many businesses and individuals. Congressman Richard Neal participated in the ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was limited to a small number of attendees who wore masks and maintained a distance of at least six feet from one another. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/in-the-news/sarno-neal-help-distribute-meals-oasis-food-pantry | Sarno, Neal help distribute meals at Oasis Food Pantry | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | (WGGB/WSHM) -- Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and Congressman Richard Neal joined with the Oasis Food Pantry and volunteers to help hand out the much needed food to western Massachusetts families. After recent community feedback, the Oasis Food Pantry decided to hold their meals distribution program today instead of Friday. The mayor wished everyone a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday at Friday morning's event, which took place at Springfield Central High School. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/mayor-sarno-and-congressman-neal-joined-oasis-food-pantry-help-hand-out-food-and-wish | Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal Joined the Oasis Food Pantry to Help Hand Out Food and Wish Everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal Joined the Oasis Food Pantry to Help Hand Out Food and Wish Everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal Joined the Oasis Food Pantry to Help Hand Out Food and Wish Everyone a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Congressman Richard E. Neal joined with the Oasis Food Pantry and volunteers to help distribute much needed food and wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving Holiday. The Oasis Food Pantry held their meals distribution program on Wednesday, November 25thinstead of Friday, November, 27thdue to the Thanksgiving holiday. Mayor Sarno states, I am so appreciative of John Foley and his team at the Oasis Food Pantry, which continues to assist thousands of families in need. By offering the meals this Wednesday, those families will have their proper food needs for their Thanksgiving holiday meal. Again, I cannot thank Mr. Foley and his team enough for their compassion and giving. This meals distribution program is like a finely tuned machine with heart and touches the lives of so many. While this Thanksgiving may be different than years past, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for, especially the tremendous endeavor that the Oasis Food Pantry has undertaken throughout this pandemic, said Congressman Richard E. Neal. Week after week, they have been providing for individuals and families who have suffered from food insecurity during this challenging time. I am grateful for their dedication to our residents and am so appreciative of the volunteers who have stepped up to meet this challenge. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-slams-secretary-mnuchin-s-sabotage-incoming-biden-administration-s-covid | Neal Slams Secretary Mnuchins Sabotage of Incoming Biden... | 2020-11-25 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Neal Slams Secretary Mnuchin's Sabotage of Incoming Biden Administration's COVID Response Neal Slams Secretary Mnuchin's Sabotage of Incoming Biden Administration's COVID Response SPRINGFIELD, MA Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement regarding reports that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is placing $455 billion of COVID response money in the Treasury Department's General Fund: The President and his team have politicized the pandemic from the start, which has resulted in unfathomable sickness, death, and economic hardship. Now, on their way out the door, they're continuing to put petty politics ahead of Americans' safety. Despite the stock market's rebound due to the news that President-elect Biden can formally begin his transition process, the COVID-19 economic crisis is not over. Millions of families are struggling, wondering how they'll make ends meet in the coming weeks. The next administration needs access to all available resources to continue fighting the virus and getting Americans back to work. The Trump Administration still doesn't understand that the stock market is not the same thing as the economy. Their inability to grasp the American people's hardship has real consequences. Secretary Mnuchin's clawing back of this COVID response funding will only worsen the pain and suffering that has stemmed from the President's inept mismanagement of the crisis. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/sen-elizabeth-warren-to-introduce-8-billion-relief-bill-to-help-underserved-americans-during-pandemic | Sen. Elizabeth Warren to introduce $8 billion relief bill to help underserved Americans during pandemic | 2020-11-24 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | If passed, the COVID Community Care Act would funnel emergency funding to Black, Latinx and Native American communities that have been especially hard hit by the pandemic. Arguing that the federal response to the pandemic has largely overlooked millions of Americans, Sen. Elizabeth Warren plans to introduce the COVID Community Care Act a move first shared with The 19th. The $8 billion relief bill would provide grants for community-based organizations and nonprofits to conduct testing, tracing and outreach activities in communities with higher virus rates or that have historically lacked access to medical care. Women account for75 percentof full-time health care workers and about73 percentof the nonprofit workforce. COVID-19 has laid bare the systemic racism embedded in the U.S. health care system that our country's legacy of discrimination has prevented communities of color from accessing the health care services they need, the Massachusetts senator said in a statement. ...Read the full article on The 19thhere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-slotkin-daines-and-kelly-request-answers-on-promotion-delays-of-national-guard-service-members | Warren, Slotkin, Daines and Kelly, Request Answers on Promotion Delays of National Guard Service Members | 2020-11-24 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 24, 2020 Warren, Slotkin, Daines and Kelly, Request Answers on Promotion Delays of National Guard Service Members A 2017 survey conducted by the National Guard Association of the United States found that nearly half of respondents reported delays in promotions - the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these delays. A modified version of Warren's and Daines' bill in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act seeks to address these delays. Text of Letter Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), both members of the House Armed Services Committee and Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), sent a letter to Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy, and Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, requesting information on National Guard promotion delays and an update on the federal recognition process. Senators Warren and Daines introduced legislation to address promotion delays, a modified version of that bill was included in the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "We write today out of concern for the men and women of the National Guard who have experienced unacceptable delays to their well-earned promotions and request information regarding how these delays are being addressed and how the Army is implementing new authority granted to it," wrote the lawmakers. Soldiers and airmen and women in the National Guard are unique in that their promotion or appointment to a higher rank must be recognized by both the state and the federal government. This requirement can cause significant delays as newly-promoted officers await federal recognition. The Guard is also unique because it conducts "unit vacancy promotions," in which an officer is promoted into a specific open position at a higher rank. While a thorough review is important, the scrolling process has become redundant and overly bureaucratic. Current Ar… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-to-introduce-senate-version-of-covid-community-care-act-to-provide-8-billion-in-emergency-funding-for-medically-underserved-communities | Warren to Introduce Senate Version of COVID Community Care Act to Provide $8 Billion in Emergency Funding for Medically Underserved Communities | 2020-11-24 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 24, 2020 Warren to Introduce Senate Version of COVID Community Care Act to Provide $8 Billion in Emergency Funding for Medically Underserved Communities The COVID Community Care Act would empower trusted organizations in medically underserved communities to address mistrust, communicate timely information, and provide services to combat COVID-19. Bill Text | One-Pager Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), will be introducing a Senate version of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's (D-Calif.) bill to provide emergency funding for community organizations in medically underserved communities to take action as part of the larger public health effort to contain COVID-19. The COVID Community Care Act would empower trusted organizations in underserved communities to address mistrust of public health information and provide timely services to combat COVID-19. This legislation provides grants for community-based organizations and nonprofits to conduct testing, tracing, and outreach activities in communities with higher rates of the virus or who have historically lacked access to the health care system. The bill also requires that persons hired to conduct engagement have experience and relationships with the people living in the communities they serve. "COVID-19 has laid bare the systemic racism embedded in the U.S. health care system -- that our country's legacy of discrimination has prevented communities of color from accessing the health care services they need. I'm glad to be introducing Congresswoman Lee's legislation in the Senate to address the government's failed response to containing and mitigating COVID-19 and provide much-needed financial support to communities disproportionately impacted by this pandemic," said Senator Warren. "COVID is devastating Black and Brown communities. Black, Latinx, Asian and Indigenous people are all dying at disproportionate rates," said Con… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-brown-colleagues-to-press-fhfa-to-ensure-access-for-low-income-borrowers-and-borrowers-of-color | Warren Joins Brown, Colleagues to Press FHFA to Ensure Access For Low-income Borrowers and Borrowers of Color | 2020-11-24 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 24, 2020 Warren Joins Brown, Colleagues to Press FHFA to Ensure Access For Low-income Borrowers and Borrowers of Color Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC -- United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Mark Warner (D-Va.), today in sending a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mark Calabria, urging the Enterprises to renew their focus on facilitating safe, affordable refinance loans to all, including low-income borrowers. The lawmakers stressed that it is more important now than ever that the Enterprises are dedicated to serving the entire housing market, including low-income homeowners and homeowners of color. The Enterprises play a vital role in facilitating access to affordable mortgage loans. At a time when families are facing economic uncertainty, we must ensure that those affordable loans benefit the low-income borrowers who need them, wrote the lawmakers. Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Senator Warren has pressed the Trump Administration to respond effectively to deliver the robust set of resources needed to address this public health emergency, including mortgage, foreclosure, and eviction relief for homeowners and renters. She cosponsored a bill in March 2020 with Senator Brown that would fill the gaps in the CARES Act relief by instituting a more comprehensive suspension of mortgage and other debt collection.In April 2020, Senator Warren published a Medium post with Senator Brown pushing for consumer debt protections, including expanded and extended forbearance and foreclosure moratorium for homeowners.In April 2020, she also wrote to the credit reporting agencies with Senator Schatz to gain more information on how COVID-19-related defaults were harming consumer credit.She also cosponsored legislation in May 2020 to pro… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-massachusetts-congressional-delegation-in-calling-for-halt-to-needless-and-cruel-deportations | Warren Joins Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in Calling for Halt to Needless and Cruel Deportations | 2020-11-24 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 24, 2020 Warren Joins Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in Calling for Halt to Needless and Cruel Deportations Washington, D.C. As the number of coronavirus cases in the United States surges past 12 million, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), William Keating (MA-09), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), James P. McGovern (MA-02), and Richard E. Neal (MA-01) today to call on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to listen to public health and medical professionals and immediately halt needless deportations of individuals who pose no public safety threat. Deportations during the pandemic pose a unique risk for the spread of the disease, given that time in detention and grueling travel may weaken immune defenses and exacerbate the risk and spread of infection. Deportation flights to any country during this time endanger passengers and crewmembers and increase the likelihood that the United States is exporting COVID-19 to countries with weak public health infrastructure. The lawmakers' letter comes after a recent report by a watchdog group, Witness at the Border, found there were approximately twelve deportation flights to Haiti in October and recent media reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement activities in East Boston, as well as increased targeting and deportation of Cape Verdean nationals. ICE enforcement activities terrorize immigrant communities and stop immigrants from seeking critical medical care, write the Massachusetts lawmakers in their letter to the Trump administration. As a result, public health officials and medical professionals are unable to provide needed treatment that helps control the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. We urge you to listen to medical experts who have called for a stop to deportations as a matter of public health. In their letter, the lawm… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/senators-demand-investigation-into-rehab-centers-that-use-patients-for-free-labor | Senators Demand Investigation Into Rehab Centers That Use Patients for Free Labor | 2020-11-23 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin have formally asked for an investigation into unpaid labor practices at vocational centers across the country. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin have requested a formal look into a shadow workforce at federally funded substance rehabilitation centers. According to arecent Reveal investigation, 300 vocational centers have been using unpaid workers, many in hazardous settings, as well as waiving all worker benefits for patientsin one case, using patients to clean up dead animals in a zoo. We had to clean up blood and stuff, which I didn't feel comfortable doing, because you're supposed to have a hazmat team supposed to be doing that stuff, said Breden Earl, who served one year at the Synergy Foundation rehabilitation center in Tennessee, according to The Center for Investigative Reporting. It was literally one of them situations where I was never able to say no. ...Read the full article on Vicehere. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/senators-warren-and-baldwin-seek-gao-investigation-of-mandatory-work-requirements-at-drug-and-alcohol-rehabilitation-facilities-receiving-federal-funding | Senators Warren and Baldwin Seek GAO Investigation of Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding | 2020-11-23 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 23, 2020 Senators Warren and Baldwin Seek GAO Investigation of Mandatory Work Requirements at Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities Receiving Federal Funding A recent investigation found that individuals at these facilities are being required to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a "huge, unpaid shadow workforce"; "Individuals struggling with substance use disorder who attend rehabilitation programs should never be subjected to predatory conditions that threaten their recovery and violate their rights under the law" Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, sent a letter requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate mandatory vocational requirements at drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities that receive federal funding. Their request follows arecent investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting which found that individuals at some drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities are being required to work, unpaid, as part of their treatment program, creating a "huge, unpaid shadow workforce." Some rehabilitation facilities have mandatory work requirements, described as vocational therapy, in which facilities send participants to work for contractors of or directly at private companies, with these individuals receiving little to no pay for their labor. This practice appears to be a violation of federal labor law, but has escaped federal enforcement. "Requiring individuals to work without compensation is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which establishes standards for labor protections including minimum wage and overtime pay," the senators wrote. Additionally, the senators … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/chairman-neal-statement-gsa-administrator-s-letter-allowing-transition-process | Chairman Neal Statement on GSA Administrators Letter Allowing Transition Process to Proceed | 2020-11-23 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Chairman Neal Statement on GSA Administrator's Letter Allowing Transition Process to Proceed Chairman Neal Statement on GSA Administrator's Letter Allowing Transition Process to Proceed SPRINGFIELD, MA House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy informed President-elect Joe Biden that the Trump Administration will now cooperate with the formal transition process: I'm glad the Administrator did her job and that the Biden-Harris Transition Team can now fully begin their preparations for the incoming administration, including taking critical steps to fight COVID-19 and save lives. Read Chairman Neal's letter calling on Administrator Murphy to immediately ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-congress-must-act-expiring-unemployment-provisions | Neal: Congress Must Act on Expiring Unemployment Provisions | 2020-11-23 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Neal: Congress Must Act on Expiring Unemployment Provisions Neal: Congress Must Act on Expiring Unemployment Provisions The Chairman weighed in on the upcoming benefits cliff as Committee Democrats released a new fact sheet on expiring aid SPRINGFIELD, MA As the December 31 cutoff date for a number of COVID-related unemployment supports approaches, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) today emphasized the importance of Congress extending the assistance beyond the end of the year. As case numbers rise and hospitals across the country fill, it's clear that the end of 2020 does not mark the end of the COVID-19 crisis. We should extend pandemic-related unemployment assistance accordingly, said the Chairman. Millions of jobs that have been lost this year have not yet returned due to public health considerations, and workers are counting on the government to help them make ends meet as the economy slowly climbs out of the ongoing recession. The July 31 cutoff of the $600 per week emergency supplement to unemployment benefits was a huge blow to struggling families and resulted in a considerable hit to consumer demand. Now, workers and the economy are due to endure yet another setback when other COVID-related aid expires next month. The House has already passed extensions of these critical relief provisions, but Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have refused to do the same. There is no time to delay action is urgently needed to prevent millions of workers from abruptly losing vital assistance while we continue our efforts to crush the virus and right the economy. The Chairman's comments come as Ways and Means Committee Democrats today released a fact sheet that outlines the benefits that will expire on December 31 without congressional action. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://neal.house.gov/press-releases/neal-gsa-administrator-you-are-endangering-lives-and-livelihoods-people-across-nation | Neal to GSA Administrator: You are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation | 2020-11-23 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Richard Neal | N000015 | neal.house.gov | legacy | Neal to GSA Administrator: You are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation Neal to GSA Administrator: You are endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the nation SPRINGFIELD, MA Today, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) called on General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy to immediately ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President. Although major news organizations declared President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris the winners of the election on November 7, 2020, GSA Administrator Murphy continues to hold up the transition process and prevent critical COVID-19 response preparations from taking place. Your continued refusal to grant the Biden-Harris Transition Team access to critical services and facilities specified in the Presidential Transition Act of 1963impairs the incoming administration's ability to address the coronavirus pandemic, threatening catastrophic consequences for the American people, wrote Chairman Neal. It is unclear on what basis you continue to deny that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the apparent successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President. Chairman Neal underscored that each day lost in the transition process puts more Americans at risk of contracting or dying from the coronavirus. Nearly three weeks have passed since the American people chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as their next President and Vice President, Neal reminded Administrator Murphy. In that time, the public health crisis has worsened and millions of Americans have continued to struggle financially due to the COVID-19 recession. This is a critical time for the incoming administration to access essential information and resources to prepare for an… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-markey-lead-colleagues-in-questioning-dojs-about-its-settlement-with-purdue-pharma-and-the-sackler-family | Warren, Markey Lead Colleagues in Questioning DOJ's about its Settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family | 2020-11-20 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 20, 2020 Warren, Markey Lead Colleagues in Questioning DOJ's about its Settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family Agreement allows Purdue to restructure and continue to sell opioids under an unusual business partnership with State and local governments "Purdue and the Sackler family must be held fully accountable for their role in accelerating the nation's deadly opioid crisis" Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) led their colleagues in sending a letter requesting information from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding its settlement agreement with Purdue Pharma (Purdue) and the Sackler Family, including a proposal for Purdue's reorganization into a "public benefit company" (PBC). The letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Last month, DOJ announced a resolution of its civil and criminal investigations into Purdue and its role in contributing and accelerating the opioid epidemic that has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives and generated $35 billion in revenue for Purdue. The settlement agreement includes a provision that would allow Purdue to emerge from bankruptcy as a PBC, owned by a trust or similar entity, with proceeds directed toward State and local governments. Purdue's reorganization as a PBC could create a significant conflict of interest by giving the same states and local governments that are responsible for regulating the opioid industry a financial interest in the sale of opioids. Twenty-five state attorneys general have publicly opposed the PBC provision in DOJ's settlement agreement with Purdue and urged DOJ to rescind it. "DOJ failed to do its job. The Sacklers' OxyContin business doesn't deserve special treatment, and we'll fight to stop it," said Attorney General Maura Healey. "This is the same business that ravaged our communities for far too long. I'm proud of and grateful to … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-joins-tester-colleagues-to-slam-va-privatization-of-compensation-and-pension-exams-for-disabled-veterans | Warren Joins Tester, Colleagues to Slam VA Privatization of Compensation and Pension Exams for Disabled Veterans | 2020-11-20 | 2020 | 2020-11 | Democrat | Senate | MA | Elizabeth Warren | W000817 | www.warren.senate.gov | legacy | November 20, 2020 Warren Joins Tester, Colleagues to Slam VA Privatization of Compensation and Pension Exams for Disabled Veterans Lawmakers outline concerns over outsourcing of exams critical to providing disabled veterans with earned compensation and pension Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, DC United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee today, along with nine colleagues, in expressing grave concerns over the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) recent decision to increase the privatization of Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams, negatively impacting services and benefits provided to disabled veterans. We were alarmed to learn that VA's vision for the future of the C&P program is to fully utilize private contractors to take over the VA personnel's workload, which we believe has the potential for serious long-term negative impacts on the services and benefits provided to our nation's veterans, the senators wrote. As you know, when Congress established the pilot program to contract C&P exams with non-VA medical professionals, it was done in order to supplement VA's internal capacity to perform exams to help veterans, not supplant it. C&P examinations are a key component of ensuring veterans receive their earned disability benefits from VA. Eliminating associated VA personnel conducting these examsin addition to outsourcing examinations to private contractors at a potentially enormous cost to American taxpayerswould severely impact veterans and VA employees across the country, especially those in rural America. The senators continued, Given's VA's admission that there is a 350,000 backlog of C&P exams throughout the nation, and more than 480,000 claims are awaiting decisions, we fail to see the logic for continuing to reduce VA's internal capacity to perform these exams as VA already has exp… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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