Press Releases
Markey Statement at Natural Resources Gas Price Hearing
WASHINGTON (March 21, 2012) - Today at a hearing on gas prices in the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the committee, delivered the following statement: "It's March and the NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing. Yet, Republicans are trying to create a new special kind of March Madness, where the oil industry and Wall Street speculators are guaranteed a spot in the final four and American consumers are seeded last and given insurmountable odds. "F… Continue Reading
03.20.12
Markey Denounces Reported Exxon/BP/Conoco Scheme to Export American Natural Gas to China
Companies Planning $40b Alaskan Pipeline; Markey Bills Would Prevent Export of American Natural Gas WASHINGTON (March 21, 2012) - In response to reports that oil and natural gas giants BP, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil are planning to build an export pipeline in Alaska to allow for the export of American natural gas to China, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today decried the plans as a threat to American manufacturers, farmers and families. "When we bought Alaska from the Russians for only $7 million… Continue Reading
03.15.12
Markey Praises Regional Approach to Building America’s Renewable Backbone
WASHINGTON (March 16, 2012) - Today, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu sent a memorandum to the administrators of the nation's four regional Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) that lays the foundation to use federally-owned electrical systems to lead in modernizing America's power system. "When it comes to modernizing our nation's electric grid, our nation's Power Marketing Administrations can play an important role in moving our nation towards a cleaner, smarter, and more effic… Continue Reading
03.15.12
Markey, DeLauro, Welch Push for Congressional Support to Deploy SPR
WASHINGTON (March 16, 2012) - The three House Democrats who were first to call for President Obama to develop an "aggressive strategy" to deploy America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve are today continuing their push to use the tactic, starting a push to garner signatures on a letter to be sent to the president in the coming days reiterating the need to push for rapid deployment of the reserves. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) cite in… Continue Reading
03.14.12
Markey: Reports of U.S.-British Cooperation on Strategic Oil Reserve Release Heartening for Consumers
Congressman Was First to Call for SPR Release WASHINGTON (March 15, 2012) - According to a new report by Reuters, the U.S. and British governments are in talks to reach an agreement to release oil from American and international strategic oil reserves to battle back against Iranian diplomatic brinkmanship that has increased oil prices worldwide. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who was first to call for the release of America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve and has encouraged international cooperation … Continue Reading
03.14.12
Markey Asks CFTC About Possible Iranian Manipulation of Oil Prices
False Rumor Reported by Iranian State TV Sent Oil Prices Upward WASHINGTON (March 14, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Gary Gensler, asking about a false rumor of a Saudi Arabian pipeline explosion that was first reported on Iranian state television and caused a $3 spike in the price of a barrel of oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Commodity analysts have questioned whether this was a deliberate attempt by t… Continue Reading
03.11.12
Markey Statement on Obama Administration ‘Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future’ Progress Report
Markey Statement on Obama Administration 'Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future' Progress Report WASHINGTON(March 12, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement upon release of the one-year progress report of the Obama administration's "Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future". "Today's release by the Obama administration of its progress report for securing America's energy… Continue Reading
03.06.12
Markey Applauds Obama’s Long-term Vision to Get America Off Foreign Oil
Markey Applauds Obama's Long-term Vision to Get America Off Foreign Oil Obama Plan Tracks Bi-partisan Legislation Co-authored by Markey WASHINGTON (March 7, 2012) - Today President Obama laid out another piece of an "All of the Above" energy plan to address the pain consumers are currently feeling at the pump. The plan calls for incentives to deploy electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure through a community-centered strategy similar to the bi-partisan vision la… Continue Reading
03.05.12
Markey, Holt Release Report on Baseless Republican Investigation on Mountaintop Removal Rulemaking
WASHINGTON (March 6, 2012) - Republican allegations that the Department of Interior has acted improperly in preparing a new rule to protect streams from mountaintop removal mining are without merit, according to a report released today by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. The report, which was prepared by the Committee's Democratic staff at the request… Continue Reading
03.04.12
Markey Statement on BP’s Settlement with Gulf Families and Businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-6065 WASHINGTON (March 3, 2012) - Following the announcement that a settlement was reached between BP and the lawyers for the families and businesses affected by the company's 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Rep. Ed Markey, the leading Congressional investigator into the spill, issued the following statement: "This is a victory for the people of the Gulf, and hopefully indicates BP's willingness to accept financial responsib… Continue Reading
02.29.12
Markey Releases Report on Natural Gas Exports, Sec. Chu Response on LNG Export Terminal Review
WASHINGTON (March 1, 2012) - Concerned that the wholesale export of American-made natural gas could raise prices for consumers and businesses, Rep. Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) today released a report, prepared at his request by the House Natural Resources Committee's Democratic staff, exposing the perils of large-scale natural gas exports for the U.S. economy. Included in the report is new information from the Department of Energy Secretary indicating that the agency will not approve any new e… Continue Reading
02.28.12
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