Elizabeth Warren biography

The couple finally settled at Harvard in 1995. That same year, Warren was asked to advise the new National Bankruptcy Review Commission. During Warren's time as chief adviser, Warren testified against Congressional efforts to limit consumers' ability to file for bankruptcy. Despite her best efforts, the bill passed in 2005. It was considered a victory for the business lobby, and a defeat for Warren.

In November 2008,

Warren was tapped by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to chair the Congressional Oversight Panel, which was created to monitor the $700 billion bank bailout effort known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Warren headed investigations, conducted televised public hearings, led interviews of government officials and submitted monthly reports demanding accountability from banks. For her oversight efforts, The Boston Globe named Elizabeth "Bostonian of the Year" in 2009.

In July 2011, Warren helped design the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation. The main goal of the CFPB was to police credit lenders and prevent consumers from unwittingly signing up for risky loans. But, due largely in part to Republican opposition, Warren was not chosen to head the agency. She stepped down from the post in August 2011, and in September 2011, President Obama appointed Warren as his special assistant.

Elected to U.S. Senate

On September 14, 2011, Warren officially announced her candidacy for Massachusetts Senate, pitting herself against Republican incumbent Scott Brown. Around this time, a speech Warren delivered went viral on YouTube, endearing Warren to populist supporters. In the clip, filmed in an informal living room meet-and-greet, the Harvard law professor explained how everyone benefits from roads, public safety, and the public education system in the United States, which 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 earned some credit for bumping Warren up in the polls.

Warren's campaign ran into some trouble in early 2012. She found herself in a media maelstrom over her Native American ancestry claims. Reporters for the Boston Herald could not find any proof of her Cherokee heritage, and a Cherokee genealogist also challenged Warren's assertion. To try to quell the controversy, Warren released 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 explained that "I never sought nor gained personal benefit in school or job applications based on my heritage."

In June 2012, Warren clinched the Democratic nomination in the Senate race, facing incumbent Republican opponent, Senator Scott Brown. The candidates were involved in a tight race.