Press Releases
Markey Releases Massive Safety Violations for Shell’s Arctic Drilling Ship, Showing Company May Have Sent Unsafe Ship to Drill
Noble Discoverer Has Engine, Fire, Other Safety Hazards, According to Coast Guard; Congressman Asks Shell for Plans to Fix Ship, Prospects of Arctic Drilling WASHINGTON (February 22, 2013) - One of two Arctic drilling ships employed by Shell Oil does not have proper propulsion to handle all expected weather conditions, has engine trouble, and multiple fire hazards on board the ship, according to sixteen violations identified by the Coast Guard, which were made public today by Rep. Ed Markey (D-… Continue Reading
02.21.13
Markey: Consumers, Fishermen Need Swift Federal Action to Stop Seafood Fraud
Oceana Report Shows Rampant Seafood Substitution; Congressman to Introduce Bill to Stop Fraud, Empower Consumers WASHINGTON (February 21, 2013) - As the conservation group Oceana released a report documenting high levels of seafood substitution in restaurants and grocery stores across the country, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today pledged to introduce legislation in the coming weeks in Congress to improve seafood traceability. "This report proves that this problem is not going away unless we take… Continue Reading
02.20.13
Markey Asks BP to Settle Up with Congress on Information Requests
As BP Approaches Trial with Government, Oil Co. Still Hasn't Turned Over All Information to Congress; Congressman Asks EPA to Sustain Bar on Federal Contracts WASHINGTON (February 20, 2013) - As BP and the Department of Justice barrel towards trial -- or a last-ditch settlement -- to determine the fines levied against the oil giant for their 2010 oil spill, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today asked BP to settle their own debt to Congress in the form of documents withheld for nearly three years. Rep.… Continue Reading
02.19.13
Markey: GOP Sequester Threatens Energy Development, Safety and the Environment
Releases Analysis Showing Crushing Budget Cuts in Store for Oil and Gas Drilling, Exposing GOP Hypocrisy on Oil Production WASHINGTON (February 19, 2013) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today called on Republicans to end their hypocrisy on the sequester and oil and gas development, pointing to looming budget cuts that will decimate the Interior Department's ability to lease public land, issue permits for drilling, and enforce safety regulations to protect the environment. Rep. Markey released an ana… Continue Reading
02.15.13
Markey, Blumenauer Reintroduce Legislation to Close Tar Sands Tax Loophole
Legislation would save taxpayers nearly $2 billion. WASHINGTON (February 15, 2013) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) today reintroduced legislation to close a special tax loophole for oil companies that import tar sands oil into the United States. In May 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a ruling that tar sands oil was not crude oil or petroleum product and therefore oil companies importing it are not subject to the same tax imposed on the oil industry t… Continue Reading
02.15.13
Reps. Markey & DeLauro Again Go After Wall Street Oil Investment Products
Legislation Would Disallow Speculation in Energy Commodity Index Funds WASHINGTON (February 15, 2013) - Two top House Democrats are again introducing legislation that would help hand back control of investments in oil and other energy commodities to airlines, trucking companies and other legitimate investors, and help dull the expensive impacts speculators are having on our oil and other energy prices. The legislation would tell Wall Street speculators that they can no longer invest in these fi… Continue Reading
02.13.13
Markey, Hanabusa Introduce Bill to Restore Federal Authority to Place Land into Trust for All Indian Tribes
WASHINGTON (February 13, 2013) -- Representatives Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation today that would restore the authority of the Department of Interior to put land into trust for all Indian tribes, regardless of when they were federally recognized by the United States. The bill corrects a 2009 Supreme Court case, Carcieri v. Salazar, which broadly held that the Secretary of the Interior's authority to place land into trust under the Indian Reorganizati… Continue Reading
02.12.13
Markey: Chinese State-Owned CNOOC Should not be Allowed to Acquire Nexen's Royalty-Free U.S. Oil Leases
Congressman will introduce legislation to close foreign driller loophole WASHINGTON (February 12, 2013) - Today, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' (CFIUS) approved the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) takeover of Nexen Inc., which could potentially include Nexen's royalty-free drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the deal. In response to the potential transfer of royalty-free drilling of American resources to a Chinese national corporation… Continue Reading
02.07.13
Markey Applauds New Northeast Global Warming Pollution Cap
Leadership from Gov. Patrick, New England Shows that National Emission Cuts Are Possible, Positive WASHINGTON (February 7, 2013) -- Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the co-author of the only climate change bill to pass a chamber of Congress, today praised the announcement that the carbon pollution cap for states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will be strengthened considerably - going from 165 million tons down to 91 million tons. The new cap level locks in emission redu… Continue Reading
02.06.13
Helium Reserve Bill Rises Above Partisanship
Congressmen Markey and Holt Work with Republicans, Introduce Bill to Avert National Helium Crisis WASHINGTON (February 6, 2013) - Bi-partisan leadership of the House Committee on Natural Resources today jointly introduced legislation that will address an impending national helium crisis as supplies of the resource dwindle. Democratic Ranking Member Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rush Holt (D-N.J.) joined fellow Republicans on the Committee--Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) a… Continue Reading
02.06.13
Markey to Commerce: Don’t Push Fish Farms at the Expense of Fishermen
Senior Lawmaker Airs Concerns about Offshore Aquaculture WASHINGTON (February 6, 2013) - Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today asked acting Secretary of Commerce Dr. Rebecca Blank to consider the potential impact of offshore aquaculture on wild fisheries before accepting a plan to permit such operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is expected to vote to approve an Offshore Aquaculture Fishery Management Plan at its meeting tomorrow. The letter sen… Continue Reading
02.06.13
Markey Statement on Nomination of Sally Jewell for Interior Secretary
Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-2836 WASHINGTON (February 6, 2013) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Interior Department, today released the following statement on the nomination of Sally Jewell to succeed Ken Salazar as the Secretary of Interior: "Sally Jewel has combined her business acumen with her love of the outdoors to become one of America's top CEOs. She is proof positive that com… Continue Reading
02.05.13
Markey Asks Big Oil a $119 Billion Question: Profits Over People?
Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-2836 Congressman Announces Legislation to End Oil Subsidies, Demands Oil Subsidy Repeal Included in Sequester Deal WASHINGTON (February 5, 2013) -- Today, BP announced a 2012 profit of nearly $12 billion, pushing total profits for the five largest oil companies to $119 billion for the year. As oil company profits approach record levels, drivers across America are facing gas prices that have surged 17 cents per gallon in just the last week, … Continue Reading
01.25.13
Mass. Lawmakers Ask Fishing Regulators to Reconsider Rejection of Relief for Fishermen
Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-2836Alec Gerlach, Sen. John Kerry, 202-224-4159Kathryn Prael, Rep. John Tierney, 202-225-8020Lauren Amendolara, Rep. Bill Keating, 202-225-3111 Call on Fishery Managers to Address Groundfish Disaster WASHINGTON (January 25, 2013) - Massachusetts Democratic Reps. Edward J. Markey, Bill Keating, and John Tierney, joined by U.S. Senators John Kerry and Elizabeth Warren, today sent a letter to John Bullard, the Northeast Regional Administrat… Continue Reading
01.24.13
Markey: Climate Task Force Must Accelerate Action
Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-2836 Clock is Ticking for More Climatic Catastrophes WASHINGTON (January 24, 2013) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today praised the formation of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change. Rep. Markey, who was the Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming from 2007-2010, and now an original member of the task force, reinforced the goals of the panel to speed up action to cut the carbon emissions that are heatin… Continue Reading
01.23.13
Natural Resources Democrats Announce Subcommittee Members
WASHINGTON (January 23, 2013) - Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), who was selected to lead the Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee in December, today announced subcommittee leaders and members in the 113th session of Congress. Rep. Markey welcomed back and commended those members returning to the committee for their efforts during the 112th Congress in opposing the Republican effort to roll back environmental protections, provide giveaways to Big Oil and special interests at the… Continue Reading
01.16.13
Markey: Salazar is a Public Lands Patriot
Secretary Protected Grand Canyon, Produced American Clean Energy Including Cape Wind, Resolved Long Standing Challenges for Indian Tribes WASHINGTON (January 16, 2013) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the committee that oversees the Interior Department, today praised the leadership of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar following his announcement that he will be leaving the department in March. Under Secretary Salazar's leadership, more renewable energy was permitted on public lands,… Continue Reading
01.16.13
House Members File Amicus Brief Opposing Industry Attack on Resource Extraction Rule
House Members File Amicus Brief Opposing Industry Attack on Resource Extraction Rule WASHINGTON (January 16, 2013) - A contingent of 12 Members of the House of Representatives today filed an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in support of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Resource Extraction Rule. The rule is based on a provision in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The rule is designed to help investors … Continue Reading
01.15.13
Markey, Tierney, Keating: Congressional Republicans Cut Lifeline for New England Fishermen
Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-2836 Kathryn Prael, Rep. John Tierney, 202-225-8020 Lauren Amendolara, Rep. Bill Keating, 202-225-3111 House Republicans Refuse to Vote on Fishing Aid in Sandy Bill WASHINGTON (January 15, 2013) - Late last night, House Republicans dealt another blow to New England fishermen and to fishing communities around the country, rejecting all amendments offered to a Sandy relief bill that would have provided disaster funding for fishermen. Rep. E… Continue Reading
01.14.13
Markey: Climate Change Induced Dust Storms Evoke “Dust Bowl” Era
Questions USDA, NOAA about Devastating U.S. Drought WASHINGTON (January 14, 2013) - 2012 was the hottest year on record for the continental United States and sixty percent of the country is currently experiencing moderate to severe drought. Devastating dust storms have ripped across the Great Plains damaging crops and endangering the lives of millions of Americans. In mid-December a dust storm tore through West Texas killing one person, injuring others and closed large portions of a major highw… Continue Reading