Ed Markey

Infobox_Congressman
name =Ed Markey


date of birth=birth date and age|1946|07|11
place of birth =Malden, Massachusetts
state = Massachusetts
district = 7th
term_start = November 2, 1976
preceded = Torbert Macdonald
succeeded = Incumbent
party =Democrat
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Susan Blumenthal
alma_mater= Boston College
occupation= attorney
residence= Malden, Massachusetts
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=1968-1973
unit=Reserves

Edward John "Ed" Markey (born July 11, 1946) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1976, representing the 7th District of Massachusetts. Markey is the Dean of the Massachusetts House delegation and the New England House delegation as well. He is also the third longest serving member of Congress from New England, behind Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy.

Early Life and career

Markey was born in Malden, Massachusetts, and was educated at Malden Catholic High School, Boston College and Boston College Law School. He served in the United States Army Reserve, and was a lawyer and member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing Malden and Melrose before entering the House in 1976.

He is well known for his advocacy for ending torture and the practice of extraordinary rendition, through the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act.

He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The "National Journal" generally gave him a "Composite Liberal" score in the mid-90s. [ [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H1780103&type=category&category=National%20Journal vote-smart.org] ] Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blogger at "The Huffington Post".

In 2004, he announced that he would run for John Kerry's seat in the United States Senate if Kerry were to be elected President of the United States. Although Kerry lost the election, Markey was easily reelected in 2004 over Republican Kenneth Chase and Independent Jim Hall.

He was one of the 31 who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 Presidential election. [http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml]

He is responsible for introducing legislation to change daylight saving time to begin on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November starting in 2007.

In 2003, he began to call attention to the lack of security surrounding air cargo placed on commercial passenger planes, arguing that if all passenger baggage is screened for explosive devices, air cargo on the same plane should be as well. In 2007, he succeeded in getting a 100 percent air cargo screening requirement signed into law, which must be implemented within three years.

In a December 23, 2006 letter to "The Boston Globe", Markey addressed the controversy over former President Jimmy Carter's book, "". Markey wrote that while Carter "raises some legitimate concerns about Israel's current settlement policy," Israel should not be called an apartheid state. Markey argued that Israeli policy often reacts to the threats posed by neighboring countries and that the Israeli government has in the past attempted to work out peace deals by giving up land (including the 1978 Camp David Accords that Carter helped negotiate).

Committee Assignments

*Energy and Commerce Committee
**Chair of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance
**Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
**Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
*Committee on Homeland Security
**Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection
*Natural Resources Committee
*Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (Chairman)
*Co-chair of bipartisan Caucus on Nonproliferation
*Co-chair of bipartisan Caucus on Privacy
*Co-chair of bipartisan Caucus on Alzheimer’s disease
*Co-chair of bipartisan Caucus on Cystic Fibrosis

Personal life

Markey is married to Dr. Susan Blumenthal. He was one of several politicians who appeared in a cameo in the 2003 film "Gods and Generals". He played an Irish Brigade officer. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279111/fullcredits Full Cast and Crew for "Gods and Generals" (2003)] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.house.gov/markey/ Congressman Ed Markey] official U.S. House site
* [http://www.edmarkey.org/ The Markey Committee] official campaign site
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ed_Markey Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://www.ccnr.org/nucaware_foam_pr.html Markey's Statements on the use of flammable silicone foam firestops in US nuclear power plants] , May 14, 1997
* [http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/07/27/bipartisan-group-of-house-reps-calls-for-35-mpg-standard-in-fina/ Bipartisan group of House Reps calls for 35 mpg standard in final CAFE bill] , July 27, 2007