Senator Markey Statement on Permitting Reform Deal

Washington (November 9, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on the Senate’s vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) of 2026 . “We need to stop the Trump administration’s weaponization of our government against clean, affordable, and ready-to-go energy sources, and we need to build an energy grid that works for Americans now and into the future—that means cutting emissions and cutting costs. But as currently drafted, this bill attempts to address these goals by asking communities to trade the benefits of interstate transmission and the ability to make data centers pay more for grid power for the sacrifices of weakened clean water protections, intrusion on sovereign Tribal rights, and limits on the ability to be heard and considered during federal approval of projects ranging from hyperscale data centers to petrochemical plants. Legal experts have also raised serious concerns about the potential unintended effects of provisions that are meant to prevent Trump’s misuse of the permitting process but could impair environmental protections into the future at taxpayers’ expense. And without a committee process and sufficient time to work through and resolve these tradeoffs and questions, we do not have the answers we need. “Voters sent a clear message last week that they want better deals than the ones they’ve gotten under unified Republican leadership. I believe we owe it to them to fight to win a better deal that delivers clean energy megawatts and jobs, near- and long-term savings on energy bills, and real climate benefits without leaving so many important members of our community on the losing side of the ledger. “Because of these issues on timing, transparency, and threats to our clean air, water, and Tribes, I will vote against the motion to invoke cloture on this legislation. I will continue to discuss all these issues with my colleagues, both in the coming days and into the next Congress, and hope to work toward a better deal in the future.” ###