Elizabeth WarrenBENEDICT GOMBOCZ

Personal details

Personal details Born June 22, 1949 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Member of the Democratic Party (since 1996; was a Republican until

1996)

Graduate of George Washington University, University of Houston

(B.S.), Rutgers School of Law-Newark (J.D.)

Senior senator from Massachusetts (serving with Ed Markey) since

January 3, 2013

Special Advisor for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,

September 17, 2010-August 1, 2011

Chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Panel, November 25,

2008-November 15, 2010

Official Senate portrait, 113th Congress

Synopsis

Synopsis Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is a Senator from Massachusetts who was

elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2012 at age 63.

Warren formerly worked as one of President Barack Obama’s

assistants who was involved in designing the Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau, among a number of other positions.

Born on June 22, 1949, Elizabeth Warren was the first in her family to

graduate from college; she acquired her law degree from Rutgers

University.

She was chosen to supervise the National Bankruptcy Review

Commission (NBRC) after she had a job as a law professor at Harvard

University.

She also presided over the Congressional Oversight Panel for the

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in 2008.

Four years later, Warren was elected to the U.S. Senate over her

opponent Scott Brown, the incumbent Republican.

Early Life

Early Life Born Elizabeth Ann Herding in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 22,

1949, Elizabeth Warren was the youngest of four children (and the

only daughter) of Donald and Pauline Herring.

Warren spent much of her early years on what she referred to as “the

ragged edge of the middle class.”

Her father worked mainly as a maintenance man; when he suffered a

heart attack that resulted in expensive medical bills, Warren’s mother

made extra money by working at Sears’ catalogue-order

department.

At the age of thirteen, Warren began helping by working as a table

waitress at her aunt’s Mexican restaurant.

Yet money was still tight, in spite of attempts to eliminate the family’s

financial stress; because there were few finances, Warren recalled

her mother’s reluctance to take her to the doctor.

Skyline of Oklahoma City from I-35

Early Life – cont.

Early Life – cont. An intelligent student, Warren became a state debate victor and

graduated from high school when she was only sixteen; she entered

George Washington University on a full debate scholarship the same

year.

Warren left the university after only two years there to marry her high

school sweetheart, NASA mathematician Jim Warren; the couple

moved to Texas, where Elizabeth completed her degree in speech

pathology at the University of Houston, which made her the first

member of her immediate family to finish college.

The couple moved to New Jersey, where Elizabeth worked in public

schools and assisted children with disabilities; during that time, the

couple gave birth to two children: a daughter, Amelia, and a son,

Alex.

On the day that Amelia turned two, Warren started graduate school

for law at Rutgers University; she obtained her J.D. in 1976, and

practiced law in her living room.

George Washington University

University of Houston Rutgers University

Elizabeth Warren as a student at the University

of Houston in 1970, age 21

Political Career

By 1978, she and Jim had divorced.

In the year after the annulment, Warren began to observe the challenges that the American middle class was dealing with; she specifically studied a

1978 law passed by Congress that made it easier for corporations and individuals to declare bankruptcy.

Warren decided to analyze the reasons that Americans found themselves in bankruptcy courts, and concluded that the majority of the financial victims

belonged to middle-class families who lost their jobs, dealt with financial suffering from a divorce, or suffered diseases that destroyed their savings.

From there, she turned her attention to research on bankruptcy and commercial law, more specifically on how it affected financially distraught

corporations and women, senior citizens, and the working poor.

Political career – cont.

Political career – cont. In 1980, Warren married Harvard law professor Bruce Mann; she kept

her last name from her first marriage.

Warren and Mann traveled around the United States together, with

Warren teaching at schools like the University of Texas, the University

of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1995, the couple finally found a living in Harvard; the same year,

she was asked to direct the new National Bankruptcy Review

Commission.

During her tenure as chief adviser, Warren testified against

Congressional attempts to restrict consumers’ ability to file for

bankruptcy.

In spite of her best attempts, the bill was passed in 2005; it was seen as

a triumph for the business lobby, and a defeat for Warren.

Bruce Mann campaigns on behalf of his wife during

the Massachusetts 2012 Senate election

Political Career – cont.

Political Career – cont. In November 2008, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) appointed

Warren to head the Congressional Oversight Panel (as a special advisor), which was established to keep a close eye on the $700 billion bank bailout known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Warren led investigations, managed televised public hearings, directed interviews of government officials, and submitted recurrent reports demanding responsibility from banks.

For her efforts to identify errors, The Boston Globe named Warren “Bostonian of the Year” in 2009.

She took part in designing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, in July 2011.

Policing credit financiers and stopping customers from inadvertently signing up for hazardous loans was the CFPB’s primary goal.

However, Warren was not selected to lead the agency, mostly because of opposition from Republicans.

In August 2011, she resigned as special advisor for the CFPB; the following month, President Obama appointed her as his special assistant.

Elizabeth Warren looks on as President Obama announces the appointment of Richard Cordray as the CFPB’s first director, July 2011

Elected to U.S. Senate

Elected to U.S. Senate Warren formally announced her bid for the Senate on September 14,

2011, challenging Republican incumbent Scott Brown, who previously

won the 2010 special election for the deceased Ted Kennedy’s seat

against Paul G. Kirk.

Around the time of her announcement, a speech that Warren gave

went viral on YouTube, recommending her to mainstream supporters.

In the clip, filmed in a casual living room meet-and-greet, the Harvard

law professor demonstrated how everyone profits from roads, public

safety, and the public education system in the U.S.; all of them are

paid for by taxes.

“You built a factory and it turned into something terrific or a great

idea—God bless!" she said. "Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the

underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward

for the next kid who comes along.“

The talk won some recognition for Warren’s rise in the polls.

Warren waves as she speaks at a campaign rally in

Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood, Friday, September 21,

2012

Warren’s rise in the polls (June 2011-March 2012)

Elected to U.S. Senate – cont.

In early 2012, Warren’s campaign faced legal trouble when she was in a media scramble regarding her Native American descent c laims.

Reporters for the Boston Herald were unable to uncover any evidence of her alleged Cherokee heritage; her claim was also disputed by a Cherokee

genealogist.

In an effort to overcome the dispute, Warren issued a statement to Boston’s WBZ-TV: "Growing up, my mother and grandparents often talked about our

family's Native American heritage. As a kid, I never thought to ask them for documentation—what kid would?"

Warren further clarified that, "I never sought nor gained personal benefit in school or job applications based on my heritage."

Elected to U.S. Senate – cont.

Elected to U.S. Senate – cont. In June 2012, Warren secured the Democratic nomination in the

Senate election; she was now running against Scott Brown in a tight

race.

A September 2012 poll from Public Policy Pulling showed Brown in the

lead with five points above Warren.

Later that month, however, Warren gained national experience as

one of the speakers at the Democratic National Convention in

Charlotte, North Carolina; this won her the favor of several critics as

well as a small lead in the polls.

At the convention, she emphasized the necessity for economic and

government changes: "America's middle class is getting hammered,

and Washington is rigged to work for the big guy," Warren told ABC

News.

Scott Brown (R) speaks with Elizabeth Warren (D) during their third debate in Springfield, MA, Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Warren speaks during the third day of the Democratic National

Convention in Charlotte, NC, Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Elected to U.S. Senate – cont.

Elected to U.S. Senate – cont. In November 2012, Warren won the election and her first term in the Senate;

she defeated Brown by a slight margin.

To the residents of Massachusetts, Warren states on her website, “I won't just be your senator, I will also be your champion.“

Warren, who has written numerous academic and popular works and is regularly mentioned in media interviews regarding the U.S. economy and personal finance, is seen as a leading voice among progressivism in the U.S.; she has often been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for 2016, even though she has continually stated that she is not interested in running.

Results of Massachusetts Senate election, 2012

VP Joe Biden gives the oath of office to Massachusetts

Senator-elect Warren, Thursday, January 3, 2013

Senator-elect Warren takes the oath of office again in a mock swearing-in

ceremony in front of supporters in Boston; accompanying her are husband

Bruce Mann, Senator John Kerry, and Justice Elena Kagan, Saturday,

January 5, 2013

Sources

Sources Sources:

http://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-warren-20670753#elected-to-us-senate

Other links:

http://elizabethwarren.com/ (Elizabeth Warren’s website)

http://www.warren.senate.gov/?p=biography

http://www.warren.senate.gov/

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Elizabeth_Warren.htm

http://ballotpedia.org/Elizabeth_Warren

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethWarren