I support the electoral college. We need to renew trust in our democratic process, and as Senator, I will support legislation that allocates resources for elections in each state.
We must act to combat human-created climate change. There is no better state to address this issue than Massachusetts. We are a global leader in innovation and technology, and our goals of combatting climate change can work in concert with our efforts to grow our economy and protect consumers. This includes the continued expansion of wind, solar, and hydroelectric generation. We need to continue to develop battery technology and explore small nuclear. We must also continue to promote the proliferation of electric and hybrid vehicles, including hydrogen technology. The Commonwealth has established aggressive climate goals, and in the Senate I will work to support them.
We need to expand access to affordable health care in this country. I grew up in extreme poverty to a single mother, so I know how difficult it is for poor people to pay for health insurance and receive quality care. Healthcare is simply unaffordable for too many people. I would add reforms to the Affordable Care Act to allow companies to sell insurance across state lines and I would take on the pharmaceutical companies who for far too long have grossly overcharged for drugs.
On the first day of high school, I had a 38-millimeter gun shoved into my mouth and the next day, I was a high school drop out for months like everyone else in my family. At the age of 17, my best friend died in my arms from a drive by shooting. I grew up surrounded by gun violence and was a victim of gun violence, so this issue is extremely important to me. I support the laws of Massachusetts and would work to defend them in the Senate – including red flag laws, background checks, and closing the gun show loophole.
The crisis at the southern border is two-fold: humanitarian and national security. First and foremost, we must secure our southern border, end catch and release and reinstate remain in Mexico. The cartels are exploiting migrant families and the women making the treacherous journey and selling them a false promise. Meanwhile, our state budget is no longer able to cover the expense, our healthcare system is overwhelmed, and our citizens (including poor and veterans) are being denied services.
If anyone understands what it is to want a better life, it's me, but we need common-sense immigration reform to fix the broken system. We need to expand legal immigration and give the border agents the tools they need to do their job.
I have strongly advocated for abolishing the Electoral College. Please see my previously published plan on this: elizabethwarren.com/plans/electoral-college/. In addition to being outspoken about this—both to the public and with my colleagues, in order to reinforce that this is an idea whose time has come—I called for “fixing the outdated Electoral College” in a New York Times op-ed I coauthored with my friend, Senator Tina Smith, and noted that the Electoral College is “antiquated” in a Boston Globe op-ed with another of my friends, Congressman Jamie Raskin. I will continue to use my platforms to support efforts to abolish the Electoral College, as I’ve done for years now (see, for example, x.com/ewarren/status/1610757296585572352).
A ranking of my priorities is difficult because concern for the environment suffuses so much of my work. When I ran for president, I put out fourteen plans related to climate: elizabethwarren.com/plans/climate-change. That said, I would like to call attention to two of my top projects. The first is my BUILD Green Infrastructure & Jobs Act, legislation that would invest $500 billion over ten years in state, local, & tribal projects to jumpstart the transition to clean public transportation & help modernize our infrastructure. The second is accountability for corporations’ impacts on the environment. Washington works great for well-connected oil companies, but not for the rest of us watching climate change bear down on our planet.
America has the highest maternal mortality rate among wealthy nations, with Black, Brown, & Indigenous women disproportionately impacted. I have twice introduced the Mamas First Act, legislation that would address this crisis by expanding Medicaid to include doula & midwifery care. I have also introduced the Maternal Health Pandemic Response Act, which would safeguard the health of pregnant & postpartum individuals & ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic does not exacerbate maternal health outcomes. The Biden administration recently announced steps in line with my own plan to address our maternal mortality epidemic (elizabethwarren.com/plans) that would hold hospitals to higher standards for maternal care as a condition for federal funding.
I’ve repeatedly introduced the Gun Violence Prevention & Community Safety Act, one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation ever written to help end this epidemic. I’ve also led dozens of my colleagues in urging the Treasury Department to issue guidance directing payment card networks & financial institutions to implement the new Merchant Category Code for firearm retailers. These codes could allow financial institutions to identify suspicious gun purchases. Recently, I wrote to the Commerce Department urging it to strengthen its new rule on firearms license requirements, to help prevent U.S. weapons exports from contributing to violence globally. Please see my plan on tackling gun violence: elizabethwarren.com/plans/gun-violence.
I have many priorities in this area. I’ve pressed for a number of reforms that would create a fair & welcoming immigration system while ensuring that states, cities, & our immigration courts are adequately resourced. I’ve pushed for more federal funding to help states and localities support newly arriving migrants. And I have been a leader in pushing to close inhumane detention centers. I’ve also been a leader in the push to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented essential workers, who risked their lives during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—but lived in fear of deportation. Please see my plan on creating a fair & welcoming immigration system: elizabethwarren.com/plans/immigration.
