Ed Markey
Encyclopedia
Edward John "Ed" Markey is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 1976. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district includes most of Boston
's northern and western suburbs, such as Medford
and Framingham. Markey is the Dean
of both the Massachusetts and New England
House delegations. He is the second longest-serving member of Congress from New England, behind Senator Patrick Leahy
of Vermont
.
Markey was born and raised in Malden, Massachusetts
. He graduated from Boston College
and Boston College Law School
. He worked as an attorney and served in the United States Army Reserve
for five years before being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
, where he served two terms as a state representative. In 1976 he won a crowded special election to succeed deceased incumbent Torbert Macdonald
, and took office in November 1976.
In the U.S. House, Markey is a Progressive
representative who has made energy policy
his top priority. He sits on several energy committees and subcommittees, and is the former chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
.
, the son of Christina M. (née Courtney) and John E. Markey, a milkman. He was raised in an Irish Catholic
family and educated at Immaculate Conception Grammar School and Malden Catholic High School
. He graduated from Boston College
in 1968 with a B.A.
and from Boston College Law School
in 1972 with a J.D.
After graduating, he worked as a lawyer in private practice, and served in the United States Army Reserve
from 1968 to 1973.
He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
, where he represented the 16th Middlesex district (Malden and Melrose
) from 1973 to 1976.
died in office. Markey won a crowded seven-way primary for the seat, which was tantamount to election
in this heavily Democratic district. He has been re-elected 16 times with no substantive opposition and never won re-election with less than 62% of the vote.
. The National Journal
generally gave him a "Composite Liberal
" score in the mid-90s. Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blog
ger at The Huffington Post
. In December 2007, Markey became the first US politician to utilize the medium of Second Life
, through which he addressed the delegates of the UNFCCC in Bali
as part of OneClimate
's Virtual Bali event. It was estimated that the carbon dioxide
saved in not flying Rep. Markey to Bali was around 5.5 tons. An example of his legislation is the Waxman-Markey bill (American Clean Energy and Security Act
).
Domestic policy
Markey's paramount issue is energy policy
. He is the former chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
and the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.
Markey signed the Accuracy in Fuel Economy Standards Act which requires the Department of Transportation to use realistic and rational gas price assumptions as it calculates the maximum feasible fuel economy standards for the coming years as required by the energy bill passed by Congress last year.
Pressure from Markey prompted BP
to provide a live underwater video feed showing the oil leaking out of a pipe in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
in 2010. Rep. Markey also signed the Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act in 2008 to compel Big Oil to utilize the 68 million acres (275,186.5 km²) onshore and offshore of public land that they are already leasing but not used to produce energy.
In March 2008, Markey signed the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Act to direct the President to seek to establish the International Renewable Energy Agency
to expand the availability and generating capacity of renewable energy to markets around the world in order to increase economic opportunity, drive technological innovation, enhance regional and global security, raise living standards, and reduce global warming pollution.
Markey has been a longtime critic of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
. He has been critical of the NRC's decision-making on the proposed Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design and the NRC response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
.
He is also responsible for introducing legislation to change the duration of daylight saving time
, starting in 2007, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
In May 2011, he drafted the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011 significantly increasing privacy controls over children online.
Defense
Markey is known for his advocacy against torture
and the practice of extraordinary rendition through the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act.
In 2003, he began to call attention to the lack of security surrounding air cargo placed on commercial passenger planes, arguing that if all passenger baggage is screened for explosive devices, air cargo on the same plane should be as well. In 2007, he succeeded in getting a 100 percent air cargo screening requirement signed into law, which must be implemented within three years. Rep. Markey authored the mandate requiring all cargo on passenger planes to be screened by August 2010, in the law implementing the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. In light of the recent cargo scare, Rep. Markey continues to press that the requirement be enforced and plans to explore legislation mandating screening for air carriers that transport only cargo.
He was one of the 31 members of the House who voted not to count the electoral votes from Ohio
in the 2004 Presidential election
.
|}
's seat in the United States Senate
if Kerry were to be elected President of the United States
. Although Kerry lost the election, Markey was easily reelected in 2004 over Republican Kenneth Chase and Independent Jim Hall
. Markey was considered a leading contender to run in the January 19, 2010 special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward M. Kennedy
. On September 12, 2009, however, he announced his decision to remain in the U.S. House, and instead endorsed U.S. Representative Michael Capuano. Markey is speculated to be one of the leading Democratic candidates to challenge Brown in the 2012 election
.
. He played an Irish Brigade officer.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 1976. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district includes most of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's northern and western suburbs, such as Medford
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
and Framingham. Markey is the Dean
Dean of the United States House of Representatives
The Dean of the United States House of Representatives is the longest continuously serving member of the House. The present Dean is John Dingell, a Democrat of Michigan....
of both the Massachusetts and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
House delegations. He is the second longest-serving member of Congress from New England, behind Senator Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
Markey was born and raised in Malden, Massachusetts
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
. He graduated from Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School is one of the six professional graduate schools at Boston College. Located approximately 1.5 miles from the main Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Boston College Law School is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts.With approximately 800 students and...
. He worked as an attorney and served in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
for five years before being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, where he served two terms as a state representative. In 1976 he won a crowded special election to succeed deceased incumbent Torbert Macdonald
Torbert Macdonald
Torbert Hart Macdonald , nicknamed Torby, was a politician from Massachusetts. He served as aDemocratic member of the United States House of Representatives....
, and took office in November 1976.
In the U.S. House, Markey is a Progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
representative who has made energy policy
Energy policy of the United States
The energy policy of the United States is determined by federal, state and local public entities in the United States, which address issues of energy production, distribution, and consumption, such as building codes and gas mileage standards...
his top priority. He sits on several energy committees and subcommittees, and is the former chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
United States House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was a select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was established March 8, 2007 through adoption of a resolution by a 269–150 vote of the full House...
.
Early life, education, and early career
Markey was born and raised in MaldenMalden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, the son of Christina M. (née Courtney) and John E. Markey, a milkman. He was raised in an Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
family and educated at Immaculate Conception Grammar School and Malden Catholic High School
Malden Catholic High School
Malden Catholic High School, founded in 1932, is a private, Catholic secondary school for young men located in Malden, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The school was founded by the Congregation of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier , an international...
. He graduated from Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in 1968 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and from Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School is one of the six professional graduate schools at Boston College. Located approximately 1.5 miles from the main Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Boston College Law School is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts.With approximately 800 students and...
in 1972 with a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
After graduating, he worked as a lawyer in private practice, and served in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
from 1968 to 1973.
He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, where he represented the 16th Middlesex district (Malden and Melrose
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
) from 1973 to 1976.
Elections
In May 1976, longtime 7th District Congressman Torbert MacdonaldTorbert Macdonald
Torbert Hart Macdonald , nicknamed Torby, was a politician from Massachusetts. He served as aDemocratic member of the United States House of Representatives....
died in office. Markey won a crowded seven-way primary for the seat, which was tantamount to election
Tantamount to election
"Tantamount to election" is a phrase to describe a situation in which one political party so dominates the demographics of a voting district, that the person winning the party nomination for a race will virtually be assured of winning the general election...
in this heavily Democratic district. He has been re-elected 16 times with no substantive opposition and never won re-election with less than 62% of the vote.
Tenure
Markey is a member of the Congressional Progressive CaucusCongressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is the largest caucus within the Democratic caucus in the United States Congress with 83 declared members, and works to advance progressive issues and positions....
. The National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
generally gave him a "Composite Liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
" score in the mid-90s. Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger at The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
. In December 2007, Markey became the first US politician to utilize the medium of Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
, through which he addressed the delegates of the UNFCCC in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
as part of OneClimate
OneClimate
OneClimate is a nonprofit internet climate news, social activism and social networking site, and part of internet portal uk.OneWorld.net. It received international media attention during the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference for its 'Virtual Bali' initiative, and also during the COP15...
's Virtual Bali event. It was estimated that the carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
saved in not flying Rep. Markey to Bali was around 5.5 tons. An example of his legislation is the Waxman-Markey bill (American Clean Energy and Security Act
American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...
).
Domestic policy
Markey's paramount issue is energy policy
Energy policy of the United States
The energy policy of the United States is determined by federal, state and local public entities in the United States, which address issues of energy production, distribution, and consumption, such as building codes and gas mileage standards...
. He is the former chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
United States House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was a select committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was established March 8, 2007 through adoption of a resolution by a 269–150 vote of the full House...
and the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.
Markey signed the Accuracy in Fuel Economy Standards Act which requires the Department of Transportation to use realistic and rational gas price assumptions as it calculates the maximum feasible fuel economy standards for the coming years as required by the energy bill passed by Congress last year.
Pressure from Markey prompted BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
to provide a live underwater video feed showing the oil leaking out of a pipe in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
in 2010. Rep. Markey also signed the Responsible Ownership of Public Lands Act in 2008 to compel Big Oil to utilize the 68 million acres (275,186.5 km²) onshore and offshore of public land that they are already leasing but not used to produce energy.
In March 2008, Markey signed the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Act to direct the President to seek to establish the International Renewable Energy Agency
International Renewable Energy Agency
The International Renewable Energy Agency was founded in 2009 to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. IRENA facilitates access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data...
to expand the availability and generating capacity of renewable energy to markets around the world in order to increase economic opportunity, drive technological innovation, enhance regional and global security, raise living standards, and reduce global warming pollution.
Markey has been a longtime critic of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
. He has been critical of the NRC's decision-making on the proposed Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design and the NRC response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
.
He is also responsible for introducing legislation to change the duration of daylight saving time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
, starting in 2007, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
In May 2011, he drafted the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011 significantly increasing privacy controls over children online.
Defense
Markey is known for his advocacy against torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and the practice of extraordinary rendition through the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act.
In 2003, he began to call attention to the lack of security surrounding air cargo placed on commercial passenger planes, arguing that if all passenger baggage is screened for explosive devices, air cargo on the same plane should be as well. In 2007, he succeeded in getting a 100 percent air cargo screening requirement signed into law, which must be implemented within three years. Rep. Markey authored the mandate requiring all cargo on passenger planes to be screened by August 2010, in the law implementing the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. In light of the recent cargo scare, Rep. Markey continues to press that the requirement be enforced and plans to explore legislation mandating screening for air carriers that transport only cargo.
He was one of the 31 members of the House who voted not to count the electoral votes from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in the 2004 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
.
Committee assignments
- Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Communications and Technology
- Energy and Power
- Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
- Natural Resources (Ranking Member)
- As ranking member of the full committee, Rep. Markey may sit as an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
Caucus memberships
- Bipartisan Caucus on Nonproliferation (Co-chair)
- Bipartisan Caucus on Privacy (Co-chair)
- Bipartisan Caucus on Alzheimer's Disease (Co-chair)
- Bipartisan Caucus on Cystic Fibrosis (Co-chair)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
|}
U.S. Senate elections
In 2004, Markey announced that he would run for John KerryJohn Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's seat in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
if Kerry were to be elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Although Kerry lost the election, Markey was easily reelected in 2004 over Republican Kenneth Chase and Independent Jim Hall
Jim Hall
Jim Hall is the name of:* Jim Hall , jazz guitarist and composer* Jim Hall , Australian boxer in the late 19th century* Jim Hall , race car driver and founder of Chaparral Cars...
. Markey was considered a leading contender to run in the January 19, 2010 special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward M. Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
. On September 12, 2009, however, he announced his decision to remain in the U.S. House, and instead endorsed U.S. Representative Michael Capuano. Markey is speculated to be one of the leading Democratic candidates to challenge Brown in the 2012 election
United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Massachusetts will take place on November 6, 2012 concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S....
.
Personal life
Markey is married to Dr. Susan Blumenthal. He was one of several politicians who appeared in a cameo in the 2003 film Gods and GeneralsGods and Generals (film)
Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
. He played an Irish Brigade officer.
External links
- Congressman Ed Markey official U.S. House website
- The Markey Committee official campaign website
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Ed Markey speaks on Second Life to delegates during OneClimate's Virtual Bali event in December 2007