Press Releases
Key House Democrats Assail Attacks on Regulation of Oil Speculation
WASHINGTON (February 29, 2012) - Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) today assailed efforts by financial trade organizations to undermine current law which, if fully implemented, would help to restrict speculation in oil prices. Most economists agree that speculation in oil markets is part of the reason for spikes in the price of oil. Meanwhile, American families and businesses are paying record prices for gas for this time of ye… Continue Reading
02.26.12
Markey to NRC: Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station Re-Licensing Must Comply with Endangered Species Act
WASHINGTON (February 27, 2012) - Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and dean of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, today sent letters to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) asserting that NRC has not complied with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station re-license extension, and called for NRC and NOAA to comply with all the legal require… Continue Reading
02.23.12
Markey Asks Heartland for Climate Denial Documents
02.21.12
Markey, DeLauro, Welch Urge President Obama to Devise “Aggressive Strategy” to Use Strategic Oil Reserve
WASHINGTON (February 22, 2012) - Citing Wall Street speculators' use of Iranian posturing to drive gas prices higher than ever for this time of year, three top House Democrats today wrote President Barack Obama to encourage him to devise an "aggressive strategy" to use the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to protect the American economic recovery. Last year, at the urging of Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Ct.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and others, President Obama … Continue Reading
02.15.12
House Republicans Pass Phantom Drilling Revenue Bill for Sham of Transportation Legislation
WASHINGTON (February 16, 2012) - With their transportation bill floundering, House Republicans went to the standard playbook and voted to open up more areas to drilling to appease Big Oil. The much-touted "revenue portion" of the House Republican transportation bill passed today, even though it would provide about 1 percent of the total funding for the bill. One of the bills promoting failed oil shale technology wouldn't even produce any revenue at all. In exchange for this paltry… Continue Reading
02.15.12
New Report Details Republican “War on Water” in California’s San Joaquin Valley
WASHINGTON (February 16, 2012) - Today the Natural Resources Committee will vote on legislation that would wrest control of state water rights away from California, undo a local settlement over water rights that was decades in the making, and revert back to mid-1990s endangered species analysis to allow all of this to happen. In response to this latest attack in the ongoing "Republican War on Water", the Democratic staff of the Natural Resources Committee today released a report detail… Continue Reading
02.15.12
Markey Praises New Obama Climate Initiative
WASHINGTON (February 16, 2012) - Speaking today at the launch of "A New Climate Change and Clean Air Initiative," Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, outlined a program that partners the United States with Ghana, Mexico, Bangladesh, Canada and Sweden aimed at reducing short-lived climate pollutants. These climate pollutants include methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons which account for 30-40 percent of current global warming. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) commended Secr… Continue Reading
02.14.12
Markey Statement at Interior Department Budget Hearing Featuring Secretary Ken Salazar
WASHINGTON (February 15, 2012) - Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar is appearing this morning before the Natural Resources Committee to discuss his agency's budget and other issues. Below please find the prepared remarks of Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Ranking Democratic Member on the committee: "Earlier this week, the Obama administration released a budget proposal for the Department of the Interior that lays out a balanced approach to energy production on public lands. Despi… Continue Reading
02.13.12
Markey Introduces Legislation to Keep American Natural Gas in America
WASHINGTON (February 14, 2012) - To protect consumers and businesses from increasing natural gas prices and keep America's natural gas here in the United States, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced two bills that would stem the flow of natural gas to foreign markets. One bill would require that any natural gas extracted from taxpayer-owned federal lands would have to be resold to American consumers. The other bill would prevent the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from approving ne… Continue Reading
02.12.12
Markey: Interior, Energy Dept. Budgets Reflect America’s Priorities to Increase Jobs, Protect Environment
WASHINGTON (February 13, 2012) - The Obama administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 and beyond includes key provisions that will protect our parks and forests and increase the amount of clean energy produced here in the United States, creating jobs, reducing America's dependence on foreign oil, and protecting our environment. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee today praised P… Continue Reading
02.07.12
New Markey-Holt Report Reveals “Drilling Dysfunction” on Federal Lands
WASHINGTON (February 8, 2012) - For safety and environmental infractions that occurred over a thirteen year period starting in the late 1990s, the Interior Department collected less than $300,000 in fines from oil and gas companies that violated regulations for hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, as well as other oil and gas drilling on federal lands, according to a report released today by the House Natural Resources Committee's Democratic staff. The committee staff report shows that the Int… Continue Reading
02.06.12
Markey: It’s Time for a Hearing on Alaska Native Corporations
WASHINGTON (February 7, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is calling on the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), to immediately schedule a hearing around a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that recommends reforms in federal contracting with Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). Rep. Markey, who requested the report with other members of Congress, has been examining federal contracting with ANCs after the recent exposure of an alleged… Continue Reading
02.01.12
Markey: While Obama Admin. Winds Up Wind Energy Off Atlantic Coast, Congressional Republicans Slashing Clean Energy Funding
WASHINGTON (February 2, 2012) - Proving their continued dedication to wind energy, the Obama administration's Interior Department today announced that the path is now clear to begin leasing areas for offshore wind farms in the Mid-Atlantic region. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said this administrative action must be combined with congressional moves to continue important tax credits for renewable energy that will prevent layoffs of thousands of American workers. "Offshore wind energy has th… Continue Reading
02.01.12
Markey: While Obama Admin. Winds Up Wind Energy Off Atlantic Coast, Congressional Republicans Slashing Clean Energy Funding
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01.31.12
Natural Resources Republicans Enact "Drill Here, Sell There, Pay More" Policies
"Revenue Portion" of Transportation Bill Comes Up Short on Funding, Long on Oil Company Giveaways WASHINGTON (February 1, 2012) - Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee today passed several bills that won't provide sufficient funds for a transportation bill needed to rebuild America's infrastructure, but will give away America's coasts and the pristine Arctic Refuge to oil companies already swimming in profits and access to resources. Natural Resources Republ… Continue Reading
01.30.12
Markey: Exxon's $41 Billion Reasons to End Tax Breaks, Pay for Infrastructure Jobs
Ending Old Oil Subsidies, Not Allowing New Oil Drilling, Should Pay for Transportation Shortfall WASHINGTON (January 31, 2012) - 2011 was a very good year for Exxon Mobil, as the oil giant posted a $41 billion profit for the period. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), today cited these new profit numbers as yet another example of the misplaced priorities of House Republicans, and called for the repeal of oil company tax breaks instead of allowing new drilling off America's coasts and in the Arctic Na… Continue Reading
01.29.12
Markey: House Republicans Leaving No Keystone Unturned in Fruitless Search for Transportation Funding
Wednesday Markup of Drilling Bills, Threatened Inclusion of Foreign Oil Pipeline Won't Rebuild America's Infrastructure, Says Congressman WASHINGTON (January 30, 2012) - America's aging infrastructure is in need of rebuilding. The current funding shortfall to just keep our bridges, roads, airports and other existing transportation elements running is $12 billion for the next two years, and more than $75 billion over the next six years. Faced with this pressing national problem, Hou… Continue Reading
01.27.12
Markey: Latest Email Confirms BP Actively Hid Spill Rate Information, BP Should Drop Challenge to Size of Gulf Oil Spill
Washington (January 28, 2012) - With release of previously secret internal emails that indicate BP recognized that the amount of oil that could spill into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Deepwater Horizon explosion could have been up to 81,000 barrels a day - an amount much higher than what even the federal government believes spilled into Gulf waters - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called on the company to stop challenging the size of the spill in an effort to avoid paying what could be billio… Continue Reading
01.26.12
Markey: Under Proposed Endangered Species Act Changes, Bald Eagle Would Have Gone Extinct In Most Of The Nation
Lawmaker Sends Letter to Fish and Wildlife Service Criticizing Proposed Changes to ESA WASHINGTON D.C. (January 27, 2012) -Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, is challenging proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Markey's letter sent late yesterday to Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe argues that the proposed new policy sets too high a threshold for species listing. "The… Continue Reading
01.25.12
Markey: Republicans, Conservative Think Tanks Use Flawed Data To Draw Flawed Conclusions About American Oil Production
EIA Data Vastly Underrepresents How Much Oil and Gas Produced on Federal Lands Washington (January 26, 2012) - In this week's State of the Union address, President Obama highlighted that American oil production is at an eight year high and is projected the grow another 22 percent this decade. But data presented by the Energy Information Agency (EIA) has led others to incorrectly claim otherwise. House Republicans and conservative think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the Institute… Continue Reading