Takata will be fined maximum $200million in penalties for concealing information about deadly safety defect in airbags   (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), members of the Senate Commerce Committee, issued the following statement today on the Consent Order issued by the... Read More

Washington, DC – With more than 80 major corporations now signed onto the White House’s American Business Act on Climate Pledge, a group of U.S. Senators is writing to the CEOs of those companies to applaud their commitment, but to also deliver an important message: don’t forget about Congress.   “All of the... Read More

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered that VW SUVs contain ‘defeat device’ software to evade auto-emission rules:   “Volkswagen should be held accountable for... Read More

Senators Urge Interior Secretary Jewell to Use Existing Authority to Reform Federal Coal Program and End Coal Producers’ Fleecing of American Public   Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Edward J. Markey joined Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined with six other... Read More

Washington (October 30, 2015) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after the Senate voted to approve bipartisan budget legislation. Last night, Senator Markey spoke on the Senate floor about the bipartisan budget agreement.   “I am pleased that this budget will provide desperately needed relief... Read More

Impact of one missed payment on credit report can snowball while away from home (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Sherrod Brown, authors of the Military Families Credit Reporting Act, today led a letter from 19 Senate Democrats to the Secretary of Defense outlining their concerns over reports of significant harm to... Read More

Letter comes one day after more than 30 veterans groups applaud DOD action   [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In a letter to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, eleven U.S. Senators today commend the recent actions by the Department of Defense to enforce its Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Phoenix in order to protect servicemembers... Read More

Washington, D.C. – In recent weeks investigative reports from InsideClimate News and the Los Angeles Times have shown that ExxonMobil knew about the link between carbon pollution and climate change as far back as the 1970s, and not only failed to act on it, but actively funded a campaign into the mid-2000s to sow... Read More

VW’s defeat devices boosted fuel economy, allowed VW to profit from illegal activity   Washington (October 29, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and co-author of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFE) law enacted in 2007, requested that the... Read More

Letter from 54 Senators urges Senate leadership to take up and pass bill to reauthorize Perkins Loan Program Critical lifeline for low-income students expired on September 30 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Robert Casey (D-PA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) have sent... Read More

Washington (October 27, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following statement following the Senate’s approval of  S.754, The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA).   “I opposed CISA because the... Read More

  Washington (October 26, 2015)- Senator Edward J. Markey, member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation issued the following statement:     “Today, PHMSA took an important step toward protecting safety in our skies by prohibiting e-cigarettes from checked bags.  The 2014 fire at Logan... Read More

Department of Transportation Fully Funds Lowell’s Request   LOWELL, MA – October 26, 2015 – Congresswoman Niki Tsongas and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey today announced that the City of Lowell was awarded a $13.4 million TIGER grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation to help repair and take ownership... Read More

WASHINGTON - Senator Edward J. Markey joined Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), and 118 of their congressional colleagues in a letter to Acting Commissioner of Social Security Carolyn W. Colvin and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to make sure that the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality decisions are... Read More

Senators Recently Introduced Sweeping Auto Safety Legislation Washington (October 23, 2015) – Following reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will expand its recall of Takata’s deadly exploding air bags, Senator Edward J. Markey and Senator Richard Blumenthal released the following statement:... Read More

Senator had called for quick release of heating funds; Mass to receive $133 million   Washington (October 23, 2015) –Senator Edward J. Markey applauded the initial release of funds today to provide heating assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Under this initial release, Massachusetts will receive more... Read More

Climate Change Impacting Most Vulnerable Americans Washington (October 23, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and co-Chair of the Senate Climate Clearinghouse, released the following statement on and the Environmental Protection Agency and President Obama’s Clean Power... Read More

FTC Report Will Shed Light on How Companies Use Advertising Dollars to Attract Youth to Nicotine Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) today praised the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for their plans to begin a study of the sales and marketing of... Read More

Lawmaker applauds new Obama administration efforts to combat prescription drug abuse and heroin use   Washington (October 21, 2015) – On the same day the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced new data that shows the opioid overdose epidemic raging in Massachusetts without interruption in the first half of 2015, President... Read More

Washington (October 20, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement about the recent wave of deadly attacks in Israel.   “I am deeply concerned about the escalation of cruel and heinous attacks in Israel, including the use of inflammatory language to... Read More