Elizabeth Warren

U.S. Senator, Massachusetts

Website

 

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Opportunity

Racial Wealth Gap

Elizabeth Warren addresses the racial wealth gap in her “Leveling the Playing Field for Entrepreneurs of Color” plan. Her “Small Business Equity Fund to help close the startup capital gap for entrepreneurs of color” plan will “have $7 billion in funding to provide grants to entrepreneurs — not loans or loan guarantees.”

Her “Valuing the Work of Women of Color” plan will:

• “Deny contracting opportunities to companies with poor track records on diversity and equal pay.”

• “Direct real resources towards attracting entry-level applicants from HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions.” 

• “Create new paid fellowship programs for federal jobs for minority and low-income applicants.”

• “Require every federal agency to incorporate diversity as part of their core strategic plan.”

Her “Empowering American Workers and Raising Wages” plan will:

• “Stop employers from using traits historically associated with race to discriminate against workers.”

• “Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour for all workers” 

Her “Addressing Descrimination and Ensuring Equity for Farmers of Color” plan will “direct the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) to include farmworkers and farmers of color more prominently in their research.”

In the Democratic debate held in New Hampshire in Feb. 2020, she said 

• “‘Criminal justice should not be the only time we speak about race,” she noted as she gave a nuanced response to the question of how to deal with racial disparities, concluding ultimately that “We need to start having race-conscious laws. Housing, for example. I have a great housing plan to build more housing in America. But understand, it was the policy of the United States of America to discriminate against African-Americans and people—any other people of color—for buying homes until 1965. You can’t just repeal that and say, “OK, now everything is even.” It’s not. We need race conscious laws in education, in employment, in entrepreneurship to make this country a country of opportunity for everyone.”

She also said a “wealth tax would help close the racial wealth gap and criticized her party for not living up to prior promises.” She continued,

• “‘Year after year after year, election after election after election, Democrats go to people in the black community and say, ‘Boy, we really care about these issues. Racism is terrible. We all want to do something.’ And then somehow the problem just seems to keep getting worse…Well, I think it’s time we have real concrete plans that are going to make a difference in people’s lives.’”

In an op-ed, she said “we need to talk honestly about what is broken in America. We have a country that is working great for the wealthy, and leaving everybody else behind…”, mentioning the issues of “…tax breaks that favor the rich, environmental regulations that favor polluters, a racial wealth gap that holds back families, and the list goes on.”

Affordable Housing

Elizabeth Warren addresses affordable housing in her “Safe and Affordable Housing” plan. Her plan will:

• “Bring down rental costs by 10% by addressing the root causes of the problem: a severe lack of affordable housing supply, and state and local land-use rules that needlessly drive up housing costs.”

• “Help people in formerly redlined areas buy a home and get the wealth-building opportunities that were denied to previous generations because of government discrimination.

The centerpiece of her plan is the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, which she introduced last year and will:

• “Invest $500 billion over the next ten years to build, preserve, and rehab units that will be affordable to lower-income families.”

• “Reduce rental costs by 10% over the next ten years,” by increasing the affordable housing supply.”

• “Invests half-a-billion dollars in rural housing programs. It invests $2.5 billion in the Indian Housing Block Grant and the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant to build or rehab 200,000 homes on tribal land.” 

• “Put $10 billion into a new competitive grant program. States, regions and cities can use the new grant money to build infrastructure, parks, roads, or schools. But to even apply for these grants, they must reform land-use rules to allow for the construction of additional well-located affordable housing units and to protect tenants from rent spikes and eviction.”

• “Prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, and the source of one’s income, like a housing voucher.”

• “Extend the [Community Reinvestment Act] to cover non-bank mortgage lenders, promotes more investment in activities that help low- and moderate-income communities, strengthens sanctions against institutions that fail to follow the rules, and imposes new requirements on banks that want to merge.” 

• “Reform The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) to “limit the situations in which the agencies are allowed to sell mortgages and imposing requirements on buyers to make sure they protect distressed homeowners and the neighborhoods
  they live in.” 

• “Enact tenant protection laws.”

• “Create a first-of-its-kind down-payment assistance program… for first-time homebuyers who live in a formerly redlined neighborhoods or communities that were segregated by law and are still currently low-income If they qualify, they are entitled to a substantial grant they can put towards a down payment on a home anywhere in the country.”

Access to High Quality Education

Elizabeth Warren addresses access to high quality education in her “Affordable Higher Education for All” plan. Her plan will:

• Establish a $50B fund for HBCUs and MSIs. 

• “Cancel debt for more than 95% of the nearly 45 million Americans with student loan debt.”

• “Wipe out student loan debt entirely for more than 75% of the Americans with that debt.”

• “Give every American the opportunity to attend a two-year or four-year public college without paying a dime in tuition or fees.”

• “Invest an additional $100 billion over the next ten years in Pell Grants — and expand who is eligible for a Grant.”

Her “A Great Public School Education for Every Student” plan will:

• “Fund schools adequately and equitably by quadrupling Title I funding – an additional $450B over the next 10 years – to help ensure that all children get a high-quality public education.” 

• “Committ to strengthening Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in any program or activity that receives federal funding – and reviving robust enforcement of its terms.”

• “Revive and fund the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).”

• “Subject any attempt to create a breakaway district to careful scrutiny and bring appropriate Title VI enforcement actions.”

• “Ensure that students of color with disabilities are treated fairly when it comes to identifying disabilities, classroom placement, services and accommodations, and discipline.” 

• “Expand access to early childhood services and education”

• “Prohibit the use of standardized testing as a primary or significant factor in closing a school, firing a teacher, or making any other high-stakes decisions.” 

• “Cancel student breakfast and lunch debt and provide free and nutritious school meals

• “End zero-tolerance discipline policies.”

Environmental Equity

Elizabeth Warren addresses environmental equity in her “Fight for a Green New Deal” plan. Her plan will:

• “Prioritize resources for people and communities left behind by the fossil fuel economy and hit worst by climate change and pollution.”

• “Invest in community-developed projects, because the people who live and work in an area best know its needs. And we’ll create truly participatory and democratic processes, centered on and led by those living on the front lines of climate change.”

• inject over $10 trillion dollars into our economy and create over 10 million new jobs.

• “Extend programs to provide grants in lieu of tax credits, establish refundable tax incentives to speed utilities’ deployment of existing smart grid and advanced transmission technologies, and work with utilities to increase on-bill investment in energy efficiency solutions, including by subsidizing those investments for low-income communities.” 

• “Establish a national initiative to upgrade building energy efficiency, offering tax credits, generous and inclusive financing, and direct federal funding to put Americans to work reducing the carbon output of existing homes and businesses, including subsidizing weatherization for low-income households.”

Warren’s green manufacturing plan is her vehicle for implementing the Green New Deal. In it, she notes:

• “Here at home, lower-income communities, communities of color, and Indigenous nations have often borne the brunt of climate change and other environmental harms, and we must “prioritize resources for frontline and disadvantaged communities that have been polluted and left behind by the fossil fuel economy.”

Health Equity

Elizabeth Warren addresses health equity in her “Health Care Is A Basic Human Right” plan. Warren’s plan will:

• “Lowering the cost of prescription drugs.”

• “Prioritize affordable, high-quality mental health services.” 

• “Increase funding for Community Health Centers by 15 percent per year over five years and establish a $25 billion dollar capital fund to support a menu of options for improving access to care in health professional shortage areas.”

Warren’s “Ending the Stranglehold of Health Care Costs on American Families” plan will:

• “Give everyone good insurance and cut their health care costs to nearly zero.”

• Allow for every U.S citizen to choose the Medicare for All option for little or no cost, and cuts costs for families before moving us into full Medicare for All.

Warren’s “Addressing Descrimination and Ensuring Equity for Farmers of Color” plan will “support the mental health of Black and brown farmers and farmworkers.” 

Warren’s “A Working Agenda for Black America” plan will:

• “Repeal the Hyde Amendment, ending the Trump Administration’s gag rule, and fully supporting Title X family planning funding, which many Black women depend on for essential reproductive health services.” 

In Warren’s “Addressing our Maternal Mortality Epidemic” plan, she will:

• “Apply to maternity care the lessons learned from successful reforms — many enabled by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — already revolutionizing other types of procedures, like joint replacements or cardiac care.”

In an op-ed, she said “we need to talk honestly about what is broken in America. We have a country that is working great for the wealthy, and leaving everybody else behind…”, mentioning the issues of “…Gun violence prevention, housing, child care, health care. If there’s a decision to be made in Washington, it’s been influenced by money. It’s been shaped by money. It’s been decided by money. So here’s what we have to do. We start by calling out what is broken: the corruption in the system.”

Transportation Access

Elizabeth Warren does not address transportation access in her campaign platform. She does support the “Fight for a Green New Deal” plan, which will:

• Overhaul the nation’s transportation system by investing in electric vehicles and high-speed rail.

• Create “zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing,” “clean, affordable and accessible public transit” and “high-speed rail.

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Justice

Bail/Prison Reform 

Elizabeth Warren addresses bail/prison reform in her “Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform” plan. Her plan will:

• “End cash bail.”

• “Restrict fines and fees levied before adjudication.”

• “Eliminate fees for necessary services.”

• “Restrict qualified immunity to hold police officers accountable.”

• “End racially discriminatory policing.”

• “Expand the responsible use of body cameras and protect citizen privacy.”

• “Eliminate private prisons.”

Re-Entry Services

Elizabeth Warren outlines plans for establishing re-entry services in her “Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform” plan. Her plan will:

• “Invest in programs that facilitate rehabilitation.” 

• “Pressure states to eliminate collateral sanctions — from restrictions on occupational licensing to housing.”

• “Reduce needlessly restrictive parole requirements.”

• “Reduce discrimination during reentry.” 

• “Establish a federal expungement option.”

Ending Capital Punishment

Elizabeth Warren advocates for ending capital punishment in her “Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform” plan. Her plan will “end the death penalty”

Expanding Gun Safety Measures

Elizabeth Warren focuses on expanding gun safety measures in her “Protecting Our Communities from Gun Violence” plan. Her plan will:

• “Create a federal licensing system.”

• “Require universal background checks.”

• “Increase taxes on gun manufacturers.”

• “Establish a real waiting period.”

• “Cap firearm purchases.”

• “Create a new federal anti-trafficking law.” 

• “Raise the minimum age for gun purchases.”

• “Pass a new federal assault weapons ban.”

• “Ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.”

• “Prohibit accessories that make weapons more deadly.”

• “Pass extreme risk protection laws.”

• “Prohibit anyone convicted of a hate crime from owning a gun.”

• “Protect survivors of domestic abuse.”

• “Secure our schools.”

• “Repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.”

• “Hold gun manufacturers strictly liable for the harm they cause through a federal private right of action.” 

• “Strengthen the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.”

• “Regulate firearms for consumer safety.”

• “Tighten oversight for gun dealers.”

• “Hold gun industry CEOs personally accountable.”

In an op-ed, she said “we need to talk honestly about what is broken in America. We have a country that is working great for the wealthy, and leaving everybody else behind…”, mentioning the issues of “…
Gun violence prevention, housing, child care, health care. If there’s a decision to be made in Washington, it’s been influenced by money. It’s been shaped by money. It’s been decided by money. So here’s what we have to do. We start by calling out what is broken: the corruption in the system.”

Improving Police-Community Relations 

Elizabeth Warren addresses improving community-police relations in her “Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform” plan. Her plan will:

• “Require that any police department receiving federal funds provide mandatory training in the scientific and psychological roots of discrimination, youth development, and de-escalation tactics to officers assigned to school campuses.”

• “Improve data collection and reporting.” 

• “Increase federal oversight capacity.”

• “implement a competitive grant program that provides funding to communities that establish an independent civilian oversight mechanism for their police departments, such as a civilian oversight board or Office of Civilian Complaints.” 

• “Establish a federal standard for the use of force.”

• “Provide incentives for cities and states that hire a diverse police force and provide tools and resources to ensure that best practices on law enforcement training are available across America.”

• “End racially discriminatory policing.”

• “Demilitarize local law enforcement.”

• “Expand the responsible use of body cameras and protect citizen privacy.”

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Democracy

Voting Rights

Elizabeth Warren addresses voting rights in her “Strengthening our Democracy” plan. Her plan will:

• “Replace every voting machine in the country with state-of-the-art equipment and require adoption of a uniform federal ballot.” 

• “Establish standards for federal elections.”

• “Provide every polling location with accessible ballot machines for people with disabilities.”

• “Conduct research into how to improve voting security and accessibility for all people.”

• “Create a new independent Secure Democracy Administration, which will replace the Election Assistance Commission and be staffed by civil servants.”

• “Ban states from removing voters from the election rolls unless the voter affirmatively requests to be removed or there is objective evidence of a legitimate reason to remove them.” 

• “Make Election Day a national holiday; all federal elections will have a minimum of 15 days of early voting.”

• “Pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Native American Voting Rights Act to shut down a host of festering discriminatory practices.”

• “Offer strong financial incentives to states for following rules in their state and local elections as well — and to maximize voter turnout.”

Access to Voter Registration

Elizabeth Warren addresses access to voter registration in her “Strengthening our Democracy” issue page. Her plan will:

• “Mandate automatic registration, early voting, and vote by mail.”

• “Require every state to offer same-day registration, which acts as a fail-safe for anyone who is mistakenly left off the rolls.”

Gerrymandering

Elizabeth Warren addresses gerrymandering in her “Strengthening our Democracy” plan. Her plan will “require the use of independent redistricting commissions to draw federal congressional districts to prevent gerrymandering.”

Census 2020

Elizabeth Warren’s campaign platform does not include a plan for Census 2020. However, she has addressed it on Twitter:

• “The Census must count every person. Our Constitution demands it. Our democracy requires it. And I hope that the courts will continue to keep this racist and blatantly partisan question off of the 2020 Census.” — 12:12 PM · Jun 27, 2019