Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, left, and Ed Markey, address MMA members via video during the MMA’s Annual Business Meeting on Jan. 25 at Connect 351. The senators typically attend the MMA conference in person, but had to stay in Washington for confirmation hearings and votes for presidential appointees.
Urgency, local impact and commitment were the themes of messages from U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey during the MMA’s Annual Business Meeting on Jan. 25 at Connect 351.
The senators spoke to local leaders via recorded videos, as both were held up in Washington for confirmation hearings and votes for presidential appointees.
Both senators thanked municipal officials for their partnership in working for Massachusetts residents, while underscoring the importance of local government in light of recent executive orders coming from the Trump administration.
“People see you solving problems every day in their neighborhoods,” Warren said. “Now, more than ever, people across the Commonwealth are counting on their mayors and municipal leaders to deliver for them.”
Warren applauded the efforts of local and state officials in Massachusetts, pointing to more than $100 billion in federal funds awarded to the state in the last four years.
“Those are investments that will be felt for decades,” she said.
She promised that the state’s federal delegation will “keep fighting tooth and nail for those dollars that were pledged for important projects across our state.” Warren emphasized investments in housing, infrastructure, and “the kinds of changes that make our communities even better places to live.”
She asked local leaders to “be by my side” in efforts to fight for Massachusetts families.
“We know that even when public trust in the federal government is low,” she said, “people still trust their local officials. … Your work, serving our people, shaping our democracy at the local level, is as important now as it has ever been,” said Warren.
Markey discussed legislative victories such as the Social Security Fairness Act, which restores benefits for public employees, including 130,000 employees in Massachusetts.
“We delivered for them because they deliver for us,” he said.
He also discussed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act — “the largest transportation bill in a generation, and the largest climate bill in history” — adding that the laws are funding more than 1,300 projects within Massachusetts. Markey listed $1.1 billion for drinking water protection and infrastructure, $2.4 billion to fund the MBTA, and $146 million for west-east passenger rail in Massachusetts.
“And of course,” he said, “it means $1.7 billion in federal funding to fully replace the Sagamore Bridge. The Sagamore Bridge will sag no more.”
A staunch climate advocate, Markey also discussed the $156 million in funding for Solar for All, “which could cut energy costs by 20% for 31,000 low-income households in the Commonwealth,” as well as expansion of residential and municipal tax credits to promote renewal energy investment. This expansion, he said, features tax rebates for clean energy projects like heat pumps, fleet electrification, and energy storage systems.
“If you dream it, and if you design it, these laws can help all 351 [Massachusetts] cities and towns to deliver it,” said Markey.
He also pledged to defend critical federal funding programs for Massachusetts.
“SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, reimbursements, and the Affordable Care Act aren’t just budget lines,” he said. “They are the lifelines for our local communities.”
Markey said that Massachusetts “will weather the [President Donald] Trump storm once again,” adding that, “No one manages a storm better than town and city administrators with a snow removal budget.”
“Your effort is what helps us see a better tomorrow for everyone,” he said. “We are not just served by the government, we are the government, and you bring the light.”