Edward Markey

From KeyWiki

Edward J. Markey is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 7th district of Massachusetts.

Background

Ed Markey was born in Malden, Massachusetts, on July 11, 1946. He attended Boston College (B.A., 1968) and Boston College Law School (J.D., 1972). He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and was elected to the Massachusetts State House where he served two terms representing Malden and Melrose. He is married to Dr. Susan Blumenthal.^[1]

Congress

Representative Edward J. Markey, a national leader on energy and the environment, is the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee. He has served on the Committee since his election to the House of Representatives in 1976. In addition to being a steward of our public lands, national parks, and oceans, Rep. Markey has fought to create new jobs in American clean energy. He also consistently served as consumer champion against rising gas prices and foreign oil.

From 2007 to 2010, at the direction of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Markey served as Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. The Select Committee has held 80 hearings and briefings and contributed to the advancement of smarter energy and climate policies, including the first increase in fuel economy standards in three decades, which Rep. Markey authored.

During the 111th Congress, Rep. Markey also chaired the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Perhaps the most powerful Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, it had unprecedented jurisdiction over national energy and environmental policy. As Chairman, Markey co-authored the landmark Waxman-Markey "American Clean Energy and Security Act," which was approved by the House of Representatives in June 2009.

Reflecting his commitment to maintaining the quality of life and economic opportunity in New England and across America. Gene Karpinski, the President of the League of Conservation Voters of the United States, has said “there is no greater environmental champion in Congress than Ed Markey as we fight to head off the looming catastrophe of climate change,” and Kevin Knobloch, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists has said that Rep. Markey “is part of an exciting, game-changing leadership in the Congress on climate and energy.” President Obama has also noted that "the House of Representatives has already passed historic legislation" on energy and environmental issues "due in large part to the efforts of Massachusetts' own Ed Markey" noting in a speech in Boston that Markey “deserves a big round of applause” for his leadership in drafting the Waxman-Markey bill.^[2]

Security

From 2003 to 2009, Rep. Markey also served as a senior member of The House Homeland Security Committee. In that capacity, he focused on closing gaps in our homeland defenses, particularly in the areas of nuclear, aviation, rail, liquefied natural gas and chemical security. National Journal named Rep. Markey to its “Homeland Security 100,” a list of the top leaders influencing homeland security policy, identifying him as “a tenacious watchdog, relentlessly prodding the Bush administration to crack down on what he sees as critical gaps in the nation’s security.”^[3]

The Chile letter

On August 1 1979 Thirty-five U.S. Congressmen signed a letter^[4]to President Jimmy Carter demanding that private bank loans to Chile be barred unless the Chilean government chose to extradite three military officials, including the former director of the Chilean intelligence service. The three had been indicted for complicity in the assassination of marxist Unidad Popular government member and KGB agent Orlando Letelier and the killing of Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) staffer Ronni Moffitt in 1976.

In May 1978 the Chief Justice of the Chilean Supreme Court rejected the U.S. request for extradition.

Chief sponsor of the letter was Rep. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who was joined by Congressmen John Burton (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Robert Kastenmeier (D-WI), Ron Dellums (D-CA), Berkley Bedell (D-IA), Richard Ottinger (D-NY), Fred Richmond (D-NY), Robert Drinan (D-MA), Leon Panetta (D-CA), Don Edwards (D-CA); Norman Mineta (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA}, Anthony Beileson (D-CA) George Brown (D-CA), Toby Moffett (D-CT), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Eugene Atkinson (D-PA), Michael Barnes (D-MD), David Bonior (D-MI), Adam Benjamin (D-IN), William Brodhead (D-MI), Robert Carr (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), Tom Downey (D-NY), Harold Hollenbeck (R-NJ), Pete Kostmayer (D-PA), Stewart McKinney (R-CT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Andrew Maguire (D-NJ) Richard Nolan (DFL-MN), Gerry Studds (D-MA), Bruce Vento (DFL-MN) and Howard Wolpe (D-MI).

The Harkin letter characterized the Chilean government as "an enemy of the American people" and urged the President to "take strong action against this terrorist government." The letter was released (9 A.M. on August 1 1979) at the same time a press statement from the Washington, DC, Chile Legislative Center of the National Coordinating Center in Solidarity with Chile, staffed by veterans of the Venceremos Brigade and the Communist Party USA, supported the Congressional letter and urged pressure so that the State Department does not accept a military trial of the three Chileans in Chile as a substitute for extradition and trial in the US

Voted against support for "Contras"

The Congressional Record of February 3, 1988 shows that the following leading Democratic Party Congressmen voted against aid to the Nicaraguan Freedom Fighters - the "Contras"- then fighting against the Marxist-Leninist Sandinista government of Nicaragua:

Reception Honoring Martha Coakley

On Jan. 12, 2010 a reception honoring Martha Coakley was held at the Sonoma Restaurant, 223 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington D.C. Among those present were Senator John Kerry and Representatives, Ed Markey, Richard Neal, William Delahunt, John Tierney, Stephen Lynch, Barney Frank, John Olver, Jim McGovern, Michael Capuano and Niki Tsongas.

Hosts of the reception donated $10,000 and included Nick Allard, Thomas Hale Boggs Jr., the Boston Scientific Political Action Committee, Chuck Brain, Susan Brophy, Mary Beth Cahill, Steve Champlin, Licy Do Canto, Gerald S. J. Cassidy, David Castagnetti, Steve Elmendorf, Candy Ergen, Cahrlie Ergen, Shannon Finley, Larry Harris, Tom Hogan, Carol Kenner, Stephanie Markiewicz, Andy Miller, Heather Podesta, Tony Podesta, Robert Raben, Linda Singer and Bill Titelman.

Co-hosts of the reception donated $5,000 and included Marty Bienenstock, Sheryl Cohen, Chad Dale, Joe Eyer, Jamie Gorelick, Robin Leeds, Fred Liowther, Bernie Nash, Frank Purcell of the CRNA (Nurse Anesthetists) Political Action Committee and Melissa Schulman.

The administration for the reception was organized by Julia Hoffman.^[5]

Congressional Progressive Caucus

As of February 20 2009 Edward Markey was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[6]

The Wilderness Society

On April 29, 2010, The Wilderness Society held a celebration for the 50^th anniversary of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Society's president, William H. Meadows joined Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mark Udall (D-CO), together with Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) in addressing the event. Also speaking were Luci Beach, Tom Campion, Brian Moore, Evan Hirsche, Mary Beth Beetham and Debbie Sease.^[7]

Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament

The following were, as of 2011, vice presidents of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament :^[8]

Staff

The following are past and present staff:^[9]

External links

• Markey's website with the House of Representatives

References