Markey on climate: ‘We can’t tell the rest of the world what to do if we’re not doing it ourselves’

BOSTON — As a major international climate conference continues in Scotland, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey is heading to Glasgow in an effort to communicate to world leaders that the U.S. will lead on climate action.

At COP26, world leaders from more than 100 countries have already agreed to reduce overall methane emissions worldwide by 30% by 2030. There’s also a commitment to end deforestation.

Markey says it’s vital that the United States is seen as an international leader on this issue. He told Boston 25 News anchor Kerry Kavanaugh the president’s domestic agenda ensures that.

“Inside of this reconciliation bill, this ‘Build Back Better’ bill is $555 billion for wind, solar, all-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, for new battery storage technologies, the tax incentives to create an industrial revolution that will create millions of new union jobs in the United States,” Markey said. “The United States cannot preach temperance from a barstool. We can’t tell the rest of the world what to do if we’re not doing it ourselves.”

“Is it at all worrisome to make that promise when that vote [on budget reconciliation] has not happened yet?” Kavanaugh asked.

“No, I’m very confident that we will be able to finish this package,” Markey said. “And the president is on strong ground in making a commitment to the world that we will finish this agenda. And on top of that, he’s also saying that he’s going to dramatically increase the fuel economy standards of the vehicles which we drive and efficiency of the appliances which we use and the buildings that we live in, which he can do administratively.”

Meanwhile, Republicans continue to say the climate change domestic agenda is a domestic job killer.

“We’re on the brink of being energy independent, but with the Biden Administration shutting down American jobs, but letting Putin have a new pipeline and asking OPEC to produce more but not America,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said.

Once again, Democrats have extended the deadline to pass the budget reconciliation. Senator Markey says the goal now is to have it on the president’s desk by Thanksgiving. The bi-partisan infrastructure deal also hinges on movement on reconciliation.

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