Elizabeth Warren addressed a group of carpenters at the Robert D. Marshall Training Center in Millbury on Weds.

Photo Credit: Steve Balestrieri

Warren speaks with the men at the Carpenter training center about the project they are working on.

Photo Credit: Steve Balestrieri

Warren poses for a group photo with carpenters from the union as well as the school

Photo Credit: Steve Balestrieri

MILLBURY, Mass. - Elizabeth Warren, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, stopped by Millbury on Wednesday for a short visit at the Robert D. Marshall Carpenter's Training Center.

Warren and her staff toured the facilities and drummed up support from the rank and file carpenters. Her message struck home with the men in the construction industry who's jobs have been hit hard by the poor national economy.

Warren, who is campaigning for the Democratic nomination, spoke to a crowded cafeteria of carpenters and trainees.

"I talk a lot about working families and the way working families are getting hammered for a generation now," she said.

"Washington isn't working for working families," she added, "it's working for people with an army of lobbyists and an army of lawyers."

She used the example of General Electric, which pays zero tax dollars. Washington is working well for them and for the oil companies that enjoy big subsidies, she noted.

Warren spoke about her humble beginnings, with parents who worked multiple jobs to provide for their family. Her three older brothers served in the military, one a careerist who flew 288 combat missions over Vietnam. She was married at 19, put herself through law school and was a teacher for special needs children.

"This middle class of America is what makes America a strong country. And we've been hammered economically, and been hammered and hammered. In Washington we need to build a future for American families. We've stopped making investments in this country for American families," she said.

She said the reason she came to the Millbury site was, "I'm interested in training and education. We need to invest more in our infrastructure. China invests 9 percent of GDP on infrastructure, Europe 5 percent, the U.S. 2.4 percent. At 2.4 percent we can't even maintain our country, so to me it's about what kind of country are we going to build economically?"

Warren asked for the carpenters' support, asked them to talk about the issues facing working families and urged them to go out and do the right thing.

Afterwards Warren spoke to the assembled media and answered a few questions before moving on to her next engagement. Asked about housing markets, she said, "We have a lot to do on the foreclosure front, and we have to force the Fannie and Freddie companies to do more as well on the foreclosure front."

She was asked about Brown's plan to sell off unused or under-used Federal lands to help with the deficit. "I think the President has been working on this for awhile, and I'm glad to see it. It's good government and it's what we should be doing.

Warren declined to address the news that Rick Santorum swept last night's primaries, simply stating, "That's for the Republicans to sort out. I'm in this race for the working families of Massachusetts and that's who we need to build a future with.

She finished saying that she loves the area, that Central Mass is a beautiful place and we'll see more of her in the future.

To read more about Warren and her campaign see her website.