Edward J. Markey
Senator for Massachusetts · Democratic · United States
“Madam President, reserving the right to object, though this bill is primarily focused on addressing bycatch in the Northern Pacific fisheries, Alaska, we still have questions in Massachusetts about how this bill will affect fisheries that expand beyond the Northern Pacific.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“But since this bill includes language that would direct new regulations across fisheries, I owe it to my constituents in Massachusetts to talk directly with the fishermen and fishing organizations in Massachusetts that could be affected by any changes, and they will need the time just to make sure any modifications that are needed would b…”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“I support the establishment of a fund for bycatch mitigation and habitat protection, as well as for the reauthorization of the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. All of that, I think, we can agree on.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Reducing bycatch is an important issue in Alaska and in Massachusetts as well, and it is very much worth pursuing, so I hope to continue to work on this topic with my colleague. It is a very important subject.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“They are willing to start talking right now, to work on this issue with Senator Sullivan's staff in ensuring that we hear all of the concerns that come from the fishing communities in Massachusetts but then to come to the table to try to resolve any differences and to ultimately produce legislation.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, the objection we just heard is exactly why this law to protect Haiti TPS is necessary, and I am incredibly disappointed in my Republican colleagues for turning their backs on the Haitian TPS community in this dire time.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
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“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Colleen Brown, a fellow in my office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the year.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“They are willing to start talking right now, to work on this issue with Senator Sullivan's staff in ensuring that we hear all of the concerns that come from the fishing communities in Massachusetts but then to come to the table to try to resolve any differences and to ultimately produce legislation. So that is the reason I come out here, and I do so having reserved my right to object. But having made my statement, I must at this point object to the motion of the Senator from Alaska.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“I support the establishment of a fund for bycatch mitigation and habitat protection, as well as for the reauthorization of the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. All of that, I think, we can agree on. I think increased transparency and accountability in fisheries management is a critical goal, and I fundamentally believe in the aim of protecting our fisheries and habitats from unnecessary damage and harm. I want to continue to work with my colleague on that effort in the weeks ahead. We are still going to be in session for another couple of months. I have to respect, however, the ongoing questions posed by my constituents in Massachusetts regarding what this bill would mean to them. My staff is here with me--Jeremy D'Aloisio, Hannah Vogel, and Colleen Brown. They are here.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“But since this bill includes language that would direct new regulations across fisheries, I owe it to my constituents in Massachusetts to talk directly with the fishermen and fishing organizations in Massachusetts that could be affected by any changes, and they will need the time just to make sure any modifications that are needed would be included in the legislation. Unfortunately, this bill is moving rapidly. We haven't had enough time to tackle these questions and talk to those folks in Massachusetts, many of whom are out on their boats right now or are on the docks as we speak. We just need to give them the time to be able to fully consider the implications of this legislation just to make sure there is not an implication in the law of unintended consequences. We have areas of agreement, though--no question about it--to build upon.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Reducing bycatch is an important issue in Alaska and in Massachusetts as well, and it is very much worth pursuing, so I hope to continue to work on this topic with my colleague. It is a very important subject. When you are trying to catch one fish and now you start catching other fish as well, that is what we call bycatch, and you want to minimize that. You want to just focus on the primary fishing objective. So it is a very important subject, and it is something that all of the people in the Alaska delegation understand better than anyone else. It is a fishery issue that is essential in Alaska, but it affects other States, including Massachusetts, as well.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, reserving the right to object, though this bill is primarily focused on addressing bycatch in the Northern Pacific fisheries, Alaska, we still have questions in Massachusetts about how this bill will affect fisheries that expand beyond the Northern Pacific. Again, people sometimes don't follow fishing issues that closely. They might be amazed to know that the largest two fishing areas in the United States are Alaska and Massachusetts--New Bedford, Gloucester. You have seen the movies. You saw ``The Perfect Storm.'' You saw all of these incredible stories about Massachusetts and its fishing industry. The same thing is true for Alaska. So we share that designation, and we kind of debate over which one is the No. 1 fishing State in the Union. It is not a debate in Senator Sullivan's mind, I know, but it is important to us.”
Senate23 September 2026Source ↗
“To every person who did everything right, who followed the rules, who believed in the promise of America: We will continue to fight for you. We are not done. This administration and Senate Republicans cannot take away your humanity, your dignity, your future. We are going to continue to fight, and it is my honor to be able to partner with the great Senator from Delaware, my partner in this effort, the great Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“If the State Department says it is too dangerous for Americans to go to Haiti, then Haitians who are given TPS protections are also living with a danger that is too great for them and their families to be returned to a State Department- designated country too dangerous to visit. They only ask for something that is just so clear, so decent, so obvious--just the stability of preserving their status, the dignity to live without fear, the security of not being returned to danger. It is the least we owe to them. But this fight to protect Haiti and its TPS protections is not over. To the families lying awake tonight afraid of what comes next: We will continue to fight for you. To the children asking if their parents will be here in the morning: We will continue to fight for you.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, the objection we just heard is exactly why this law to protect Haiti TPS is necessary, and I am incredibly disappointed in my Republican colleagues for turning their backs on the Haitian TPS community in this dire time. TPS represents America's longstanding commitment to serve as a beacon of hope and refuge for the vulnerable. To honor and to protect Haitian TPS holders is a moral duty. It is also an acknowledgment of the immense contributions TPS holders make to our families, to our neighborhoods. And for years, TPS holders have reliably, patiently, and emphatically offered stability and dignity and security to so many. The Senator from Missouri said the keyword is ``temporary''; no, the keyword is ``protection.'' The duration of how long it should be extended to give people protection is what we are debating here today.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“That is the choice which we have to confront right now. And, again, I thank Senator Blunt Rochester for her leadership on this issue as well. And if you would like to be recognized now, or I will make the motion right now and then we will continue the debate. So as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 374, H.R. 1689; further, I ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Congresswoman Pressley's success in passing the Haiti TPS bill in the House of Representatives is an inspiration. And now the Senate must pass the bill, which I introduced alongside Senator Blunt Rochester, to designate Haiti for TPS until after the next Presidential election. I have called on every recent administration to designate, extend, and redesignate TPS for Haiti. I have also supported legislation to provide a legal pathway to residency for TPS holders. I will keep supporting this community. The narrative of TPS holders in the United States is a story of resilience, of hope, and of an enduring spirit. Despite facing adversity, TPS holders have continued to contribute to build lives and set down roots. Haitian TPS holders deserve our full protection. We cannot turn our backs on them now.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“We have a moral duty to protect TPS holders and provide them with protections and a permanent pathway to citizenship. Let's help them make America home. For generations, Massachusetts has been shaped by our immigrant communities. It was one of our own, Congressman Joe Moakley, who served as one of the architects of the TPS statute and who understood both the moral clarity and the practical necessity of providing refuge in times of crisis. In defending his provision for TPS protection on the House of Representatives floor in 1990, Congressman Moakley emphasized our ``deep moral obligation'' to protect innocent victims fleeing violence abroad. His words remain as urgent and relevant today as they were when he spoke them. Protecting the vulnerable is not a political choice; it is a moral duty.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“A Haitian TPS holder is a coworker and a construction worker that has helped build homes in our neighborhoods. A Haitian TPS holder is a neighbor and a small business owner on Blue Hill Avenue who helps support the livelihoods of others. Haitian TPS holders are essential workers. They are nurses. They are home health aides, educators, grocery store workers. They keep us safe. They keep us fed. They keep us healthy. They have followed the rules. They have committed no crimes at all, and yet they are now being told they are going to be sent home. And these are the same people who have made our seniors smile, that have been in homes all across our country, in homes taking care of our loved ones, in hospitals taking care of our loved ones. That is who they are. They have protected our babies. They soothe our sick. They are us.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“And no one should have to live through that constant fear of a sudden knock on the door or the panic of a random traffic stop. To strip Haitians of their status of protection, which we have given them because of the catastrophic conditions that still exist in Haiti, is to strip them of their agency, of their safety, of their peace of mind. Haitian TPS holders are Massachusetts. They are the United States. They are hard working. They are kind. They are resilient. They are strong in the face adversity and deeply committed to the communities in which they live, whether it is Mattpan or Brockton or Malden. And the same thing is true for all across our country. A Haitian TPS holder is a friend and home-health aide who has taken care of grandma or grandpa for years.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“And this brings us to the dangerous and politically cruel reality that Haitian TPS holders face today in our country. For families with children born here--American children--it may mean a choice no parent should ever be forced to make: tearing their family apart or taking a child who has never stepped foot outside of the United States into danger in a country that child has never lived in and that the State Department is telling every American is too dangerous to go to. But parents may have to take children into that situation. Imagine a mother or a father sitting at their kitchen table tonight, looking across at their child and trying to decide if that child has a better chance of survival returning to Haiti, a country consumed by violence, or staying in the United States, separated from the loving care of their parents.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“And, ultimately, I led the effort to get the United Nations to apologize to Haiti for what the U.N. had done to that country. And, finally, the United Nations did that. I came away from that trip knowing that Haiti would continue to hurt and that the United States should do everything in its power to help the Haitian people. Sadly, Haiti is still hurting. Haiti's security crisis is eroding the promise and future of an entire nation. Armed groups now exert control over much of Port-au-Prince. Kidnappings, targeted violence, and blockades have made it difficult for people to reach hospitals, attend school, and access basic services. At the same time, natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, and recurrent flooding have further damaged infrastructure that was already stretched to its limits.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“The Trump administration plans to force Haitian TPS holders to return to dangerous and life-threatening conditions. But Haiti continues to confront overlapping crisis, political instability, widespread violence, and a humanitarian emergency that has strained every single facet of daily life. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, in September of 2016, I traveled to Haiti to deliver relief goods and meet with aid providers, even amidst devastation. The resilience of the Haitian people was palpable. At the time, the country was still battling the cholera epidemic caused by the U.N. peacekeepers after the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed thousands and thousands and thousands of Haitians. Haiti faced this crisis without sufficient international support.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“The far-right Justices green-lit the Trump administration's unlawful, racist termination of TPS for Haiti and for Syria. The Court failed a test of morality. It slammed the doors of justice in the face of more than a million TPS holders, including 45,000 Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts. It is an outrage; it is a travesty. For years, Donald Trump has demonized and attacked Haitian TPS holders. Trump has spewed racist, cruel lies about Haitians. We know that Trump does not want to make America great again. Trump wants to make America hate again. That is what these policies represent--to make America White again. And to do so, he is terminating the critical TPS protections that nearly hundreds of thousands of Haitians rely on.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“I would really like to thank Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley for leading the successful effort in the House of Representatives to extend Haiti's TPS designation. I am also thankful to Congresswoman Pressley for her partnership, not only today but in her yearslong fight to advocate for our Haitian-American communities. In January of this year, we cohosted a field hearing in Massachusetts to hear from Haitian TPS holders, business and union leaders, and advocates about the importance of Haiti TPS. And in April, alongside Senator Van Hollen and Congresswoman Wassermann Schultz, we led an amicus brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of 180 Members of Congress in support of Haiti and Syria TPS. But last month, the Supreme Court delivered a devastating ruling in the case.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to underscore the critical importance of maintaining temporary protected status, or TPS, for Haiti. TPS allows nationals from designated countries facing ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or extraordinary conditions to live and to work legally in the United States until it is safe to return to their homeland. First of all, I would like to thank my colleague Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware for leading this effort in the U.S. Senate. Thank you. I want to thank the Senator from New York, Mr. Schumer, for his statement today, which is basically reflecting the views of millions of Americans who are outraged at what is transpiring and affecting dramatically the Haitian community in the United States.”
Senate22 July 2026Source ↗
“Furthermore, the 2026 Notices cannot fall under this exception because they have a substantial effect on non- agency parties. In the federal funding context, we have previously determined that rules amending or clarifying the requirements of existing financial assistance programs for non-agency parties substantially affect those parties' rights or obligations. Where a rule modifies an existing financial assistance program through actions such as defining eligibility requirements and selection criteria, it has a substantial effect on non-agency parties who participate in the program. Here, the 2026 Notices modify the eligibility and selection criteria for 7(a) and 504 loans.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“10, 2018, we found that updates to a Social Security Administration (SSA) hearing manual governing SSA adjudicators' use of information from the internet qualified as a rule of agency organization, procedure, or practice. There, the manual outlined procedures for SSA employees to follow in processing and adjudicating benefits claims. Because the manual was directed to and binding only on SSA officials without imposing new burdens on claimants, we concluded that the manual met CRA's third exception. Similarly, in B-337895, Mar. 24, 2026, we determined that a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manual was a rule of agency organization, procedure, or practice, because it was also directed at agency personnel and identified and delineated procedures for agency staff to follow.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice are ``limited to an agency's methods of operation or how the agency organizes its internal operations,'' including the way that regulated entities submit information to an agency, how the agency reviews that information, and rules that affect the type or timing of actions the agency will take based on that submission. Following this principle in the CRA context, we have only applied CRA's third exception to rules that primarily focus on the internal operations of an agency. In contrast, rules that are directed at and primarily concerned with the behavior of non-agency parties do not fall under the exception. For instance, in B-329926, Sept.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“We have previously explained that this exception was modeled on the APA exception to notice-and- comment rulemaking requirements for ``rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice.'' Some courts have limited the APA exception to rules that do not have a substantial impact on non-agency parties, which is incorporated into the language of the CRA exception. Therefore, we look to caselaw concerning the APA exception for guidance. The purpose of the APA exception is to ensure ``that agencies retain latitude in organizing their internal operations,'' so long as such rules do not alter the rights or interests of parties. First, we must first determine whether the 2026 Notices are a rule of agency organization, procedure, or practice.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“SBA's regulations state that ``[l]enders, CDCs and their contractors are independent contractors that are responsible for their own actions with respect to a 7(a) or 504 loan.'' Additionally, the 2026 Notices do not address the kind of management or personnel issues we have previously determined fall under this exception. Unlike in B-335115, Sept. 26, 2023, the 2026 Notices are not concerned primarily with the internal operations of the agency or management of its personnel. Rather, the 2026 Notices are intended to provide new criteria that lenders must adhere to in the administration of the 7(a) and 504 loan programs--including what kinds of applications should no longer be accepted.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“We have previously held that rules that fall into this category relate to purely internal matters, such as controlling, directing, or supervising internal management issues. We have previously noted that these rules include ``rules as to leaves of absence, vacation, travel, etc.'' For example, in B-335115, Sept. 26, 2023, we concluded that Department of Defense (DOD) memoranda implementing changes to DOD's policies regarding service members' healthcare ``address matters that clearly and directly implicate agency personnel matters'' and ``concern communications between employees and managers, leave, and benefits.'' Here, the 2026 Notices do not concern purely internal matters. While both the Policy Notice and the Procedural Notice are addressed in part to SBA employees, they are also addressed to 7(a) lenders and CDCs.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Together, the 2026 Notices therefore prescribe and implement policy determinations made by SBA relating to the eligibility requirements for its loan programs. CRA Exceptions Having concluded that the 2026 Notices satisfy the APA definition of a rule, we must next determine whether any of CRA's three exceptions apply. CRA provides for three types of rules that are not subject to its requirements: (1) rules of particular applicability; (2) rules relating to agency management or personnel; and (3) rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice that do not substantially affect the rights or obligations of non-agency parties. (1) Rule of Particular Applicability First, the 2026 Notices are a rule of general applicability, rather than particular applicability.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“discussion At issue here is whether the 2026 Notices meet CRA's definition of a rule, which adopts APA's definition of a rule with three exceptions. As explained below, we conclude that the 2026 Notices meet the APA definition, and no exceptions apply. Therefore, the 2026 Notices are a rule subject to CRA's submission requirements. The 2026 Notices are a Rule Under APA Applying APA's definition of a rule, the 2026 Notices satisfy all three elements. First, the 2026 Notices are agency statements because they were issued by SBA, an independent agency of the federal government.a Second, the 2026 Notices are of future effect because they adopt new criteria for 7(a) and 504 loan applications moving forward. As SBA noted, beginning March 1, 2026, only applications from businesses with 100% ownership by U.S. citizens or U.S.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“The 2026 Notices modified SBA's standard operating procedure (SOP) 50 10, Lender and Development Company Loan Programs, which contains SBA's loan origination policies and procedures governing its 7(a) and 504 loan programs. After the 2026 Notices took effect on March 1, 2026, 100 percent of all direct and/or indirect owners of a small business applicant were required to be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals who have their principal residence in the United States, its territories, or possessions. We received a request for a decision as to whether the 2026 Notices are a rule for purposes of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). Our practice when rendering decisions is to contact the relevant agencies to obtain factual information and their legal views on the subject of the request. Accordingly, we reached out to SBA on March 3, 2026.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Government Accountability Office's determination letter on the matter of ``U.S. Small Business Administration--Applicability of the Congressional Review Act to Policy and Procedural Notices Updating Citizenship and Residency Requirements for 7(a) and 504 Loans,'' dated July 1, 2026, be printed in the Congressional Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Decision Matter of: U.S.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“95, suspended food safety inspections after firing the Food and Drug Administration workers--food safety inspections, suspended in our country in 2025. No. 96, terminated $400 million in grants for AmeriCorps. No. 97, suspended refugee resettlement in our country for the first time. No. 98, arrested Judge Hannah Dugan, alleged that she helped an undocumented man avoid immigration enforcement. No. 99, increased funding for the Sentinel ICBM program, which, as it increases the risk of accidental launch, makes nuclear war more likely on our planet. And No. 100, deported children who are United States citizens. 100 days, 100 damages. This is where our country is right now, and this is what we must stand up and fight to prevent from becoming any worse. I yield the floor. ____________________”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“88, moved to sunset critical environmental regulations. No. 89, blocked $2.2 billion in Federal grant funding to Harvard. No. 90, froze public safety grants for public broadcasters in our country. No. 91, halted Federal leasing and permitting for wind projects in our country as they open our public lands for coal mining. No. 92, gutted permitting processes in order to fast-track dirty energy projects to reward his Big Oil and Gas and Coal cronies. No. 93, canceled $90 million in disaster prevention funding to Massachusetts alone. No. 94, put all staff on the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness on administrative leave, essentially shutting down the Agency that works on homelessness in our Nation. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“That is occupational safety and health. No. 80, cut funding for the Head Start program. There are 800,000 young people in Head Start. Slashed that funding. No. 81, canceled more than 1,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grants totaling more than $363 million. No. 82, delayed broadband grant funding. No. 83, allowed a measles epidemic to spread uncontrolled across our country--a measles epidemic in 2025. No. 84, eliminated more than $880 million in Federal climate resilience aid that helps communities build disaster-resilient infrastructure. No. 85, opened America's public lands to new coal mining. No. 86, targeted State and local laws aimed at tackling the climate crisis. No. 87, moved to end lifesaving parole programs for Afghans and Ukrainians and Cubans and Haitians and Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“The Trump administration has not charged her with a crime, has presented no evidence. The Trump administration must release Rumeysa now. No. 73, cut funding to help kids get vaccinated. No. 74, terminated collective bargaining for tens of thousands of Federal workers. No. 75, called to end funding for the broadcasters of the public broadcasting system of our country. No. 76, cut off $106 million in education funds for Massachusetts. No. 77, threatened a military attack against Iran, which could have set off a full-blown regional war in the Middle East. No. 78, fired nearly everyone who works on the low-income heating assistance program and their Federal staff--fired nearly everyone. No. 79, fired 870 workers at the National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health, approximately two-thirds of their workforce.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“64, wiped the Surgeon General's advisory calling gun violence a public health crisis--wiped. No. 65, called for the firing of judges who have disagreed with him, which clearly would violate the U.S. Constitution. No. 66, illegally fired the Democratic Commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission. No. 67, cut off legal representation for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings. No. 68, cut funding to fight the opioid epidemic in our country. It is still an epidemic. No. 69, threatened to block a media merger if CBS didn't change its reporting. No. 70, gave DOGE access to sensitive Small Business Administration data. No. 71, Signalgate. No. 72, abducted Rumeysa Ozturk off the streets of Somerville, MA--a graduate student whom I just visited in prison in Louisiana.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“59, canceled the Local Food for Schools and Local Purchase Assistance Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ending subsidies that go directly to farmers for schools and costing Massachusetts alone and our farmers $18 million. No. 60, ordered the closure of the environmental justice offices at the Environmental Protection Agency and not just at headquarters but at all the regional EPA offices as well. No. 61, froze and announced the termination of the climate bank, the green bank funding. No. 62, froze $20 million in community change grant funding to improve air quality in Springfield, MA, the former asthma capital of the United States; and cut another $1 million from Massachusetts Department of Public Health to combat asthma rates in Western Massachusetts. No. 63, eliminated the Institute of Museum and Library Services. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“50, fired more--this is unbelievable--than 2,400 National Park Service workers nationwide, including at Minute Man National Park, Springfield Armory, and Cape Cod National Seashore. No. 51, called to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, jeopardizing jobs and the fast, safe, and efficient delivery of our mail. No. 52, fired workers responsible for answering the Veterans' Administration Crisis Line. No. 53, worked with Republicans in Congress to gut Medicaid. No. 54, terminated hundreds of VA contracts, including those in cancer research and suicide prevention. No. 55, fired more than 1,000 NOAA employees nationwide. No. 56, gutted USAID and halted global humanitarian assistance. No. 57, fired 2,400 VA employees, with plans to cut 80,000 additional VA employees. No. 58, froze funding and canceled classes at the National Fire Academy. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“29, froze $10 billion in disaster funding as part of a bogus investigation into nonprofit support for undocumented immigrants. No. 30, cut cancer research funding. No. 31, cut diabetes research funding. No. 32, cut HIV-AIDS research funding. No. 33, cut heart disease research funding. No. 34, cut mental health research funding. No. 35, cut family caregiving research funding. No. 36, cut funding to recruit the next generation of health researchers, putting years of innovation at risk. No. 37, withdrew grant opportunities with the Office on Violence Against Women. No. 38, threatened providers, hospitals, and community health centers because of the type of care which they provide. No. 39, froze funding for community health centers in our country. No. 40, ordered the suspension of EV charging funding. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“20, he froze the Clean School Bus Rebate funding, standing in the way of keeping our air clean for kids on buses in our country. No. 21, spread misinformation about vaccines and risked the health of millions of Americans. No. 22, he blamed a plane crash on DEI--irresponsible. No. 23, eliminated the public records office at the Centers for Disease Control. No. 24, scrubbed health data related to HIV from the CDC website. No. 25, allowed DOGE access to sensitive Treasury Department information about all Americans. No. 26, fired the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau because he favors the interests of his billionaire buddies over those of American consumers. No. 27, gutted Federal protections for worker safety. No. 28, scrubbed the mention of climate change from any Federal Agency in our country. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“10, disbanded the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which championed the first Federal gun safety legislation in more than 30 years. No. 11, repealed the Biden administration's AI protections for minority communities in our country. No. 12, he helped States refuse abortion care in life-threatening emergencies. No. 13, threatened to take over the Panama Canal. No. 14, he fired 18 inspectors general who work to eliminate government waste and fraud and abuse. No. 15, threatened to hold California wildlife aid hostage. No. 16, threatened to use military action against Greenland to take it by force and violate its sovereignty. No. 17, illegally fired two National Labor Relations Board officials. No. 18, banned transgender Americans from serving in the U.S. military. No. 19, restricted access to gender-affirming care. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“3, pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement to save our planet. No. 4, created DOGE. No. 5, called to end birthright citizenship through an Executive order, which is unlawful because it cannot override the Constitution of the United States. No. 6, canceled nearly $400 million in funding to support communities' efforts to eliminate or reduce flood damage. No. 7, eliminated the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, which addresses greenhouse gas emissions from the health sector and facilitates interagency coordination to address climate change impacts on the public health of all 330 million Americans. No. 8, he attacked clean car regulations that save drivers money at the pump. No. 9, unleashed ICE at schools and hospitals and churches to threaten children and families. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“He is hoping you don't notice that, every day, costs are rising, retirement savings are sinking, and families are living paycheck to paycheck and they are bearing the burden of the Trump world. He is relying on all of us to roll over, accept his absolute rule, and let him and his caviar Cabinet enjoy the circus while they pass a massive tax break for their billionaire buddies out of all of the programs that would serve every family in our country. So to help us all keep track here on the 100th day of the Trump Presidency, here are the 100 damages from Trump's 100 days: In his first 100 days, Donald Trump, No. 1, propped up Big Tech billionaires at his inauguration, right here in this building. No. 2, withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization. No.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. President, 100 days ago, Donald Trump proclaimed ``the golden age of America begins now.'' But in 100 days, since Inauguration Day, ``King'' Donald has shown us that he sits on a throne of fool's gold--one built on empty votes, unfulfilled promises, and lie after lie after lie. In just over 3 months, ``King'' Donald's reign has rained down chaos and corruption and cuts and crisis on the American people. And he is counting on you not to pay attention.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“My mother would always say that the planet is running a fever, and there are no emergency rooms for planets. That is where we are. It is the young generation who is leading us. It is the young generation who is saying: You must do something about climate change. It is the young generation who is saying: We must figure out a way of reducing this pollution that we are sending up into the atmosphere. Once again, the Republicans are bringing up another bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate that is going to dramatically increase pollution, and that is going into the lungs of every child, of every pregnant mother in our country, and it is absolutely irresponsible and absolutely unnecessary, except for the role that the oil and gas industry plays in the politics of the Republican Party. With that, I yield the floor.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“Once again, the Republicans are going to side with the oil and gas industry, and they are going to say: America can't figure out how to improve the efficiency of appliances in our Nation. That is what they are saying, but they are also saying the same thing about our automobiles: No, we can't figure out how to make them more efficient. That is what they are saying about wind and solar: No, we can't figure out how to deploy it in our country as an alternative to oil and gas. By the way, the story always comes back to that one issue--oil and gas and their money inside of this system--but the price is being paid by consumers who have to pay higher bills, and it is going to be a price that is paid by our planet, as it gets more and more dangerously hotter.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“That is what energy efficiency is. It is working smarter, not harder. It is making the refrigerator, it is making the air conditioner, and it is making everything that we use more efficient so we need less electricity, because that is all our nuclear powerplants, our coal- burning plants, and wind and solar are. They are just ways of providing electricity for the air-conditioning, for the lighting, and for the heating. That is all it is. If we make it 25 percent more efficient, then, all of a sudden, we need 25 percent less electricity which is being generated and 25 percent less pollution that goes up into the air and into the lungs of the children in our Nation. That is what we are debating here today.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“It locks in dirty fossil fuel use. It worsens pollution in frontline communities that are already burdened by asthma, heat, and high energy bills. We cannot slam the brakes on progress just for fossil fuel profits. A vote on this next resolution to overturn the updated standards for refrigerators and freezers is a vote against lower bills, against climate progress, and against consumer choice. We need to be investing in the future, not resurrecting the past. When my mother got disappointed in me when I was a boy--when I was 10 years old--my mother would just say: Eddy, you have to learn how to work smarter, not harder. Otherwise, your father and I are going to donate your brain to Harvard Medical School as a completely unused human organ. Ah, and what did she mean? She meant that you just had to be smarter and think the problem through.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“This rule alone--the one we are going to vote on--would save businesses up to $4.6 billion over 30 years. These are savings that restaurants and grocery stores could pass on to their customers. And if you have ever worked in a kitchen, you know the importance of reliability and cost savings. Eliminating this rule would only inject further uncertainty into the market, punish forward-thinking manufacturers, and raise prices on the very businesses--especially small businesses--we say that we want to support. Energy efficiency isn't just an environmental solution; it is an economic one. It cuts costs for renters, for seniors, for small businesses, for schools, and municipal buildings. Make no mistake about it. Eliminating these standards is climate sabotage. Overturning even a few of them jeopardizes that future.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“These appliance standards have also driven progress in States like Massachusetts, where strong State-level appliance efficiency programs are projected to cut energy costs by $13 million each year by 2044 for families and small businesses, while fighting climate change. Let's not forget that these rules have support from industry, but now they are the target of political theater out here on the Senate floor. It is not too late to act. We have one more appliance efficiency Congressional Review Act vote ahead of us. This is why I am urging my colleagues to vote no to overturn the Department of Energy's efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators and freezers. These standards update the minimum efficiency levels for new refrigerators and freezers at restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores that run 24/7, 365 days a year.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗
“These updates were estimated to save households nearly $1 trillion annually over 30 years and save the average family at least $100 per year in lower utility bills. They were also estimated to cut approximately 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon emissions over 30 years. That is the equivalent of taking over 18 million gasoline- powered automobiles off the road each year for 30 years. That is bad, by the way. That is bad for the oil and gas industry, with fewer greenhouse gases going up, and less oil and gas being consumed. All of that is part of a very bad equation for the oil and gas industry, but it is catastrophic for families. It is catastrophic for our planet that the industries are allowed to dictate policies here on the floor of the U.S. Senate.”
Senate30 April 2025Source ↗