Ed Markey currently holds a U.S. Senate seat representing my home state: Massachusetts. Markey is a liberal democrat who has served in congress for over 20 years. Prior to his election into Senate, Markey had served as a Representative on two different occasions: once, 1975-2012, and then again in 2013. After taking a look on his website and at his most recent media appearances, he has a strong interest in environmental and energy related policy. He is currently serving with Elizabeth Warren who is a democrat that tends to gear her focus more towards economic issues and has been seen in the media even more recently than Markey dealing with financial matters that directly effect Massachusetts like: financial assistance for the State Fishing Industry on August 19th and a federal grant to the Adams Fire Department on August 28th. Interestingly enough, Markey too tends to vote in concurrence with Warren on many economically charged bills (and many bills concerning and representing their constituents in Massachusetts), yet he did not post about it on his website.
Markey serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. His commitment to serve and promote change in the discourse of climate change is undeniable according to the press and he is recognized as a leader on the matter by many of his constituents. In a recent article posted by the Boston Globe, "Ed Markey's optimism for climate change consensus", Scot Lehigh writes: "Markey has spent years in the trenches on this cause. His commitment is laudable, his optimism infectious. Let’s hope his prediction of real progress this year comes true." Despite the media's praise for his environmental agenda, when I take a look at the facts (govtrack.com), Ed Markey is not overwhelmingly active in the senate. The percentage median for missed votes is 1.6%, and Markey falls behind with 2.4% missed votes.
Ill be interested to follow Markey in December when the "nations of the world come together to forge an international climate agreement in Paris this December" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-ed-markey/us-must-take-the-lead-on_b_7664542.html). After the popes call for environmental reform earlier this summer, Markey has been speaking out about the importance of America's involvement in this international agreement. America, being one of the leading countries for pollution emission, has a certain "moral obligation", as Markey puts it, to get involved and make change.
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