Edward J. Markey has constructed an extraordinary legislative record since his first election to the United States Congress in 1976. As the highest Ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, he has shaped more than 20 years of telecommunications policy while championing consumer rights, health reform, the elimination of large monopolies, the conservation of environmental resources and the reduction of nuclear threats. As a leading consumer advocate in Congress, Rep. Markey continues his legislative efforts to protect consumers from fatal fires through the establishment of the first federal standard for cigarette fire safety.
Rep. Markey’s legislative record spans the breadth of Congressional policymaking reflecting his position as a senior member of three key committees, including the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the Resources Committee. He is the ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, the co chair of bipartisan Caucuses on Privacy, on Alzheimer’s disease, and on Nonproliferation. He is a fighter for the welfare of his constituents in the blue-collar and high-tech communities of his district north and west of downtown Boston and, as the dean of the Massachusetts delegation in the House, he also works to harness the energy and influence of his colleagues on behalf of the entire Commonwealth.
Competition remains Rep. Markey’s economic mantra–in his words, “ruthless Darwinian competition that would bring a smile to Adam Smith.” Accordingly, he has been instrumental in breaking up anti-consumer, anti-innovative monopolies in electricity, long-distance and local telephone service, cable television, and international satellite services. He was one of the only members of the Commerce Committee to fight AT&T’s monopoly in the early 80s and is a principal author of the requirement that the Bell Operating companies accept local telephone service in the 90s. His pro-competition policies have directly benefited job creation in Eastern Massachusetts and throughout the country.
Rep. Markey remains very active on telecommunications issues, working to ensure new sources of effective competition to cable TV franchises, local telephone operators, and satellite services. Moreover, he is leading the effort to improve our aviation and port security. He is a key Congressional policymaker on energy issues, a leader in providing privacy protections for personal information such as medical records, financial records, and purchases on-line, and a champion for environmental initiatives to preserve our wildlife refuges, and national parks, clean air and clean water. As a leader of energy policy, he has led the fight for higher fuel economy standards for our cars and SUVs and against drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. His amendment to extend daylight savings time passed as part of the Energy Bill of 2005.
As the third most senior Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, he has emerged as a leader in both legislative and oversight activities in the areas of nuclear, aviation, rail, liquefied natural gas and chemical security. National Journal named Rep. Markey to its “Homeland Security 100”, a list of the top leaders influencing homeland security policy, identifying him as “a tenacious watchdog, relentlessly prodding the Bush Administration to crack down on what he sees as critical gaps in the nation’s security. Rep. Markey has used his position on the Homeland Security Committee to push for legislation to ensure the screening of all cargo on passenger planes.
In addition, he is the author of the House bill to ban the outsourcing of torture using the illegal practice of “extraordinary rendition.”
PERSONAL
Ed Markey was born in Malden, Massachusetts, on July 11, 1946. He attended Boston College (B.A., 1968) and Boston College Law School (J.D., 1972). He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and was elected to the Massachusetts State House where he served two terms representing Malden and Melrose. He is married to Dr. Susan Blumenthal.
About Ed 
