WASHINGTON (July 16, 2013) - Today on the floor of the United States Senate, Edward J. Markey was sworn in as the nation's 100 ^th Senator by Vice President Joseph Biden. Senator Markey was elected on June 25 in a special election to fill the vacant seat of John Kerry after he was appointed Secretary of State. Shortly after his swearing in, Senator Markey cast his first vote in support of moving forward on President Obama's nomination of Richard Cordray to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"I am honored and ready to get to work on the big issues in front of the Senate, and I am humbled by the trust and confidence given to me by the people of Massachusetts,"said Markey. "We all should be grateful for the excellent service of Mo Cowan over these last few months. And I am excited to partner with Elizabeth Warren to provide the strongest, most effective leadership possible for Massachusetts."

A link to video of Senator Markey's swearingin can be found HERE.

A photo of the ceremonial swearingin can be found HERE.

Senator Markey was elected in 1976 to the U.S. House of Representatives and served 18 terms in the House. During his career in the House, Markey authored many pieces of significant bipartisan legislation. He has become a national leader on energy and environmental issues, working successfully to pass comprehensive climate legislation in the House, increase fuel economy standards and hold BP accountable after the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Senator Markey has strengthened homeland security in the areas of nuclear, air and maritime cargo, liquified natural gas and chemical security. He is regarded as an expert in telecommunications and technology policy and has worked to ensure openness and competition, including breaking down monopolies in the cable television and telephone markets.