Elizabeth Warren has served as a senator from Massachusetts since 2013. She was previously a law professor at several universities including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.
Previous Work Around Poverty and Opportunity
- Was the architect behind the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- Has branded herself as a frequent critic of Wall Street.
- In 2008, was appointed to help oversee the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which created the Troubled Asset Relief program.
- Her 2004 book, The Two Income Trap,examined economic challenges facing American families.
On the Issues
Jobs: Believes that NAFTA should be renegotiated as it has caused serious job loss for American workers. Has proposed the Accountable Capitalism Act, which would require businesses with over one billion in tax receipts to allow employees to elect 40 percent of the corporate board.
Affordable Housing: Introduced the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, which includes a number of reforms, such as incentivizing the construction of additional housing to expand the supply and providing funds for housing in communities that have been impacted by redlining.
Health Care/Insurance: Has supported Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All bill. In 2018 she proposed a bill that would curb the total profits an insurer could receive while also expanding tax credits for health care.
Education: Advocates for “debt free” college. Co-sponsored and promoted Bernie Sanders’ bill that would make college free for those from families earning less than $125,000 and allow current and former students to refinance student loans at a lower rate.
Criminal Justice: Has stated that the prison system is racist “front-to-back.” She also introduced legislation that would end the federal prohibition on marijuana in states that have legalized the drug.
Minimum Wage: Co-sponsored legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15.
Safety Net: Co-leads the Expand Social Security Caucus, which seeks to protect existing benefits and expand the Social Security program.
Children/Families: Supports universal child care that would charge families based on what they can pay. Wrote an op-ed on the importance of family leave and child care.
Taxes/Tax Credits: Proposed a wealth tax on the richest .01 percent of Americans that is estimated to raise $2.76 trillion over ten years.
News Articles
“Elizabeth Warren: Everything you need to know about the 2020 candidate” (Axios: 3/19/2019)
“Warren calls for ‘full-blown conversation about reparations’” (POLITICO: 3/18/2019)
“Warren defends proposal to break up tech giants” (POLITICO: 3/10/2019)