Warren is unique in other ways. After a brief fling with Republican Senator Scott Brown, Massachusetts voters returned to their liberal senses and in 2012, elected Warren. She immediately filled the progressive vacuum left by Kennedy’s death. Her arrival in the Senate coincided with a time of national economic turmoil, giving her populist message special resonance across the county. Her intelligence and fearlessness also set her apart, and she quickly rocketed to national prominence.
So now, like Kennedy, Warren has established herself as a strong, partisan leader, with a national voice. But she has yet to grab hold of the deal-making piece of Kennedy’s mantle.
Asked for examples of bipartisan out-reach, her office sent a long list that included work with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska on a budget amendment that passed to help fund fishing disaster relief; an act to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, introduced with two Republican Senators — Bob Corker of Tennessee and David Vitter of Louisiana; the Truth in Settlements Act, to increase transparency around settlement reached by federal enforcement agencies, co-sponsored with Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma; proposed legislation with Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida to strengthen financial protections for veterans; and the Smart Savings Act to improve the retirement security of federal employees, filed with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and co-sponsored by Republican Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming.
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