Washington (March 2, 2021) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced he will serve as Chairman of two key Senate Subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Clean Energy, Climate, and Nuclear Safety on the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy. Senator Markey is the co-author of the Green New Deal resolution and co-author of the Waxman-Markey bill, the only comprehensive climate legislation to ever pass a chamber of Congress.

 

“Our future as a country and a civilization depends on what we do in the next two years on the climate crisis,” said Senator Markey. “It presents some of the gravest threats in modern history, but also some of its greatest opportunities. Should we choose to act boldly and with urgency, we can protect public health, create good-paying jobs, address racial and economic inequity, and secure a livable future for all. And throughout the COVID pandemic, the importance of clean air has become more evident than ever—just as it has become starkly obvious that so many communities lack that fundamental right. We must enshrine environmental justice as a central tenet within our work, hearing directly from communities affected by these crises and working together to create effective solutions. We must reduce air pollution from all sectors—including carbon and methane pollution—and improve air quality monitoring. We must ensure big polluters cannot violate environmental laws with impunity. And we must continue to strengthen and support our nuclear safety laws to protect communities across the country from harm.

 

“I look forward to partnering with Chairman Carper on this important agenda, and I thank the chairman and Ranking Member Capito for this opportunity to serve,” continued Senator Markey. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Ranking Member Inhofe as we lead this important subcommittee, and I am ready to get to work. We have no time to waste in delivering these opportunities for the American people.”

 

“I’m proud to work on the Environment and Public Works Committee with my friend Senator Markey,” said Chairman Carper. “He is a steadfast, dedicated champion for our environment, leading the fight for cleaner air and water for the American people. As chair of this subcommittee, I know he’ll continue that effort and work to lead our country to a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.”

Senator Markey has already introduced a slate of climate bills focused on environmental justice, public health, and green infrastructure. Last week, Senator Markey announced a number of green transportation bills, including the GREEN Streets Act, the Complete Streets Act, the FREEZER Trucks Act, and the Connecting America’s Active Transportation System Act to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector, ensure our streets are accessible to multiple modes of transit, and require climate considerations to be included in transportation and highway planning. Last month, he re-introduced legislation that would create a national climate bank or “Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator,” which would leverage public and private funds to invest in clean energy technologies and infrastructure. 

 

This January, Senator Markey introduced the Environmental Justice Mapping and Data Collection Act of 2021, legislation that would take ground-breaking steps toward identifying and connecting environmental justice communities with policy outcomes. He also reintroduced the Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy (THRIVE) Agenda to outline a framework for a bold economic renewal plan that addresses the four current ongoing and intersecting crises: the public health disaster, racial injustice, the climate crisis, and economic inequity.