U.S. Senator Ed Markey visited Western Massachusetts over the weekend to receive endorsements as he seeks to extended his 50-plus-year career in politics with a third term in Congress’ upper chamber. The 79-year-old Democrat spoke with WAMC Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes, arguing he continues to be an effective representative for his constituents, despite challengers framing this election as a moment of generational turnover.
WAMC: Let's start with the war in Iran. Senator, you've been an outspoken critic of the war in Iran. You've described it as illegal, and you've brought a lot of attention to the sheer cost of the thing. Estimates have it over $11 billion through the first dozen or so days- What are you trying to communicate to Americans about the impact of the war domestically?
The war in Iran is illegal. It is unconstitutional. Trump did not have a plan going in. He did not have a plan to evacuate tens of thousands of Americans from that region. He did not have a plan to deal with the spike in gasoline prices. He does not have a plan to end this war. He doesn't have a plan for who will be running Iran after this war is over. He does not have a plan. And as a result, there is a cost in taxpayer dollars, which is now $2 billion a day. There was a cost in gasoline at the pump. It's now a billion dollars a week for consumers. And there's a cost in the loss of human life as well. And it's time for Donald Trump to end this war.
Looking at that cost of human life, we're getting reports that the US military is likely at fault for this horrific strike on a school in Iran. What was your reaction to hearing about that? I mean, 175 dead, many of them children, a pretty chilling thing to read.
My first reaction was, why did it take a week and a half for the military and Trump to just admit that they made a mistake, that these children had died because of a US action? And the reason is that Trump does not want to own up to the consequences of this war which he began without a plan, and this targeting of a school which killed these kids is all part of the of the comprehensive lack of planning. And it's very sad. It's very sad to see those children die. But again, it's just a part of what happens when Trump and Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio begin a war without a plan. So, while it's heartbreaking to see the children killed, but it's also heartbreaking to see lies emanating from the White House and the President on a daily basis.
We're hearing claims from the President that he believes the war will be over soon. Do you have any faith in that claim? Do you think that the war is in fact going to be wrapping up soon?
Well, Donald Trump has been lying since day one about this war. Trump lies and people die. Trump can end this war today. He can end this war tomorrow. When he says this war is going to end soon, only he knows. He might be talking about a week, he might be talking about a month, he might be talking about six months that this war continues. So only he knows, and thus far, it's pretty clear he's been making it up as every day goes by, and the price is being paid by the chaos in the Middle East and the price that's being paid by Americans here at home, with this skyrocketing price for gasoline, for home heating oil, for natural gas, that is all a part of the side effects of launching this misbegotten war.
Given your party's outspoken criticism of the war and the fact that the Trump administration has worked very closely with Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel, on this conflict, do you see this as a sort of before and after point or a watershed moment in American relationships with Israel? There's been a lot of back and forth from the Trump administration about how closely involved Israel was in this conflict from their perspective- Do you feel like for your party, this is a new thing, a new sort of articulation point in response to the Republican Party?
Well, again, the war must end. Trump and Netanyahu are waging this war and, it's obvious there is no plan that Trump can articulate. And ultimately, in my opinion, gasoline prices are going to force Trump's hand, because the pain at the pump is going to so anger the American people that notwithstanding what Netanyahu and Trump want, that the American public is going to demand an end to the war, not just because of gasoline prices, but also because of the loss of life, which they are seeing on a nightly basis.
Now, turning to Massachusetts. You're running for reelection, of course, you swung out through Western Massachusetts recently- I'm interested in hearing about sort of what your experience was like out here in Western Mass, what you're hearing from constituents in this part of the state, and what you want to bring forward to Washington from the 413, should you get reelected.
Well, I was just out in 413, last Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, doing a swing through the 413, through Western Massachusetts. And what I saw there from Springfield to Amherst to Pittsfield, Holyoke, all across the region, no matter where I went, that that's the true America, and we have to protect the true America. And I stood with hundreds of union leaders at the Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation to say, we won't let Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans tear away the rights and livelihoods of union working families. I announced $5 million in congressionally-directed spending to build the Hope Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield. I did that with [Congressman] Richie Neal, and that's going to transform an abandoned theater into a free arts program for Springfield young people. I visited the town of Munson to announce a million dollars to renovate and expand their aging fire headquarters. I visited with residents and leaders in Holyoke to be alongside Mayor Josh Garcia. I announced $3.5 billion in congressionally-directed spending on CitySpace at Old Town Hall in downtown Easthampton, transforming a stranded municipal asset into a catalyst for economic opportunity. And I talked with again, families in Amherst, in Ludlow, in Pittsfield about what is at stake in the midterm elections.
Now you're facing opposition in this primary. Perhaps the strongest opponent you face is Congressman Seth Moulton. As with the last challenger you faced in a reelection bid, he has made this a generational campaign, and has sort of said, at this point, it's time for you to essentially turn in your badge at 79 and let a new generation take over in the Senate. You managed to sort of push back against that narrative from [then Congressman] Joe Kennedy a few years ago- What's your response to those claims now?
Well, I grew up in Malden, which is a blue-collar community, just like Holyoke, Springfield, Ludlow, and my father drove a truck for the Hood milk company. And I know that I have had the opportunity to become a United States Senator because of all of the opportunities that were given to me. And what really angers me is Donald Trump trying to destroy Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, federal funding for education for kids with learning disabilities, destroying environmental justice programs, destroying the ladder of opportunity for this next generation of young people coming up. And Donald Trump is bringing out the Malden in me every single day for this fight, because I was a part of building that ladder that has made it possible for kids to be able to maximize their God-given abilities. And that's what this race is going to be all about, fighting for those opportunities, for all those kids who are just like I was, and I take it very personal, what he's trying to do to those kids. And I'm going to be on the Senate floor, fighting those fights and making those enemies that families all across Western Massachusetts would make if they could be there because of their anger at what Donald Trump is trying to do to that ladder of opportunity.
So essentially, you're rejecting the generational framing that rep Moulton is trying to bring to this.
This is the most energized I have ever been in my life. I get up and I fight Donald Trump with a passion that reflects how much harm I know he is doing, especially to the most vulnerable, to those who are the sickest, to those who are most in need, and yes, yes, there is a nostalgia that some MAGA supporters of Trump have for a time that never existed, instead of the idealism which we need in order to fight for the poor and the sick and the elderly and the disabled and the immigrant communities. Because for them, the past is just a memory. The future is their hard reality. And I know that, and I'm going to be there insistently and persistently and consistently fighting every single day, as I always have, for those most in need.
Now the third candidate in the race, the outsider Alex Rikleen, he says that neither you nor Rep. Moulton or any other Democrats are doing enough to resist the Trump administration. He feels like there's still more that could be brought to this fight against the Trump agenda from Massachusetts’ federal delegation. What do you make of that charge?
Well, as I said, I was out in Western Massachusetts just last week making announcements about programs that I've been able to secure for Springfield, for Easthampton, for communities all across Western Massachusetts, which is why the mayors of those communities are endorsing me in this race, why the state senators and state representatives in those districts are endorsing me, because I deliver for those communities. And that's really what it's all about, listening to what the leaders of these communities need, and then I go to Washington and fight to return it. And over this past weekend, we just made announcement after announcement of programs that are going back to Western Massachusetts in order to help them have a brighter, healthier, more secure future for every person.
Lastly, Senator, I wanted to ask you about this new legislation you've introduced alongside Chuck Schumer, your colleague from New York, the Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act. Talk to me about that- This is related to, as you framed it, shielding small businesses from costs related to the Trump tariffs. Can you break it down for us? What are you trying to accomplish with this, with this legislation?
Well, Massachusetts has 7 million people in it, and there are 730,000 small businesses. And if you look at Western Massachusetts, almost all the businesses are small businesses out there. They're entrepreneurial, they're hard working, they're Main Street businesses, and Trump's tariffs are hurting those small businesses every single day. And so, my bill just says, eliminate any tariff that affects a small business, because those taxes -- which is what a tariff is -- really harms a small business, because they work week to week and month to month, they don't have the capacity a big business does ride out this tariff price which has been created. And so that's my bill, and I brought it out twice on the Senate floor, and twice the Republicans came out to kill that bill. And I'm not going to stop because small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are what makes Western Massachusetts great, and Trump is turning Main Street into Pain Street by having those taxes be imposed upon them. In fact, of the 22 million Americans who just saw a dramatic spike in their healthcare, 10 million of the 22 million are small business owners or people who work at a small business. They're all-over Western Massachusetts. So, healthcare costs, gasoline prices, home heating, oil prices, food prices, all of it skyrocketing, and ultimately, my bill will just say, at least take away that tax that's being imposed upon small businesses every single day, and I'm going to continue to work until we are able to pass it.
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey. Senator, thank you so much for joining us.
No, great to be with you. Thank you.
