Washington (June 1, 2023) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement today after voting against the debt deal:

“I was obligated by my commitment to our planet and to the everyday families across the Commonwealth and nation struggling to make ends meet to vote against the debt limit deal. This package will fast-track dirty fossil fuel projects at the expense of environmental justice and local communities, and will give Big Oil and Big Gas a Get Out of Jail Free card.

“This legislation will keep seniors and young families who rely on SNAP and TANF from keeping the lights on and putting food on the table. This legislation undermines bedrock environmental law and creates major new exemptions to the environmental permitting process, which will leave local, state, and Tribal leaders vulnerable and voiceless on polluting projects in their backyards. And this legislation fails entirely to address the transmission and staffing issues that are real blockades to bringing affordable clean energy onto our grid, adding a new yearslong delay to our effort to ensure our regional electric grids are resilient and interconnected in case of emergencies. Meanwhile, Americans face higher energy costs from fossil fuel profiteering, and corporate executives get bigger bonuses.

“Republicans racked up trillions in debt under Donald Trump, giving tax breaks to corporations and billionaires, and now would rather deprive struggling families of food and financial security than ask the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes. It’s despicable that the GOP held our economy hostage, and I could not vote for legislation that put pipelines over lifelines. We must abolish the debt ceiling to bring an end to the Republicans’ hostage-taking—for good.”

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