In 118th Congress, Markey continues leadership of EPW Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety; takes on new post chairing HELP Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security

Washington (February 16, 2023) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced he will serve as Chair of two key Senate subcommittees in the 118th Congress, posts from which he will pursue an agenda of advancing meaningful, progressive change in combating the climate crisis and delivering quality health care to all Americans. The Senator will continue his leadership as Chair of the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), and he will take on a new post as Chair of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security as part of his recent appointment to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). Additionally, Senator Markey will also continue to serve on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Small Business Committee.

“We are living through dual and interrelated crises of climate change and public health,” said Senator Markey. “There has never been a more important time in our nation’s history to push for bold, aggressive action to counter the existential threat of climate change and to ensure that no American, regardless of their income, zip code, gender, sexuality, race, or disability, is ever denied access to high-quality health care. As the climate crisis worsens, so too does our health, especially for the communities who are at the frontlines of the fight against climate change–Indigenous, low-income, and Black and Brown Americans. I will leverage my subcommittee chairmanship on both HELP and EPW to shed light on the challenges facing communities in Massachusetts and across the nation, to advance legislative and policy solutions that prioritize the health of our people and our planet, and to demand accountability from big corporations, as well as from my colleagues in Congress and in the Biden administration for delivering a healthy, clean, just, and livable future for all.” 

Senator Markey is a longtime climate champion, co-author of the Green New Deal, and a key leader on the climate and clean energy victories secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, including the funding for national climate bank activities and historic investments in environmental justice. Throughout his career, Senator Markey has driven major federal investments in health care and research, including authoring key laws to combat the opioid epidemic; prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease; reform the Federal Drug Administration; and educate Americans about the impacts of climate change on public health.

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