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 speak to local officials during the MMA’s Annual Business Meeting on Jan. 24 in Boston.
Health care costs, federal funding sources, infrastructure, and concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts were the key topics of addresses from U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey during the MMA’s Connect 351 conference on Jan. 24.
Both senators thanked municipal officials for their partnership in working for the residents of Massachusetts, while underscoring the importance of local government.
“At a time when people across this country are … unconvinced that government can still work for them, you are the people who are on the front lines, giving this Commonwealth hope, and showing people what good government looks like,” Warren said.
She noted that the costs associated with running a city or town have increased across the board, and “your municipal budgets have been stretched to the breaking point.” She said federal funding cuts have adversely impacted schools and health care.
“It’s tough, but tough doesn’t mean that we don’t fight back,” Warren said. “And we are fighting back.”
She said she wouldn’t vote for a federal budget bill that doesn’t decrease health care costs, nor one that increases funding for the Department of Homeland Security, until “there are some meaningful restrictions in place” related to immigration enforcement.
“We have got to make a stand on the budget,” she said. “You want to understand the values of the country, take a look at [the Trump administration’s] budget.”
Warren emphasized the need for housing of all types, pointing to a bipartisan bill with 40 provisions aimed at increasing housing supply, including faster environmental approvals and pre-approved building plans.
Markey noted that the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts “strain local public safety resources.”
“It hurts small businesses, it hurts places of worship, and it hurts community centers, and it sends shock waves through our public schools,” he said.
He underscored the importance of public service and government, discussing recent legislative victories such as the Social Security Fairness Act, which restores benefits for public employees, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that secured $1.7 billion for the Sagamore Bridge and $150 million for West-East Rail in Massachusetts.
Such efforts, he said, “demonstrate that when we organize, when we advocate together, government can still deliver for our constituents.”
Markey stressed the importance of advocacy, and pointed to ongoing efforts to retain federal funding for community health, transportation, sustainability, infrastructure, and veterans care. He also listed ongoing efforts to increase funding for cities and towns, including proposals for $2 billion for community health centers, $5 billion for public works projects, $4 billion for home energy assistance, and $20 million for Massachusetts fire departments.
“We are going to fight to get us back up to the levels we need to help us run our cities, and to help save lives,” Markey said.
He acknowledged that communities are facing significant challenges and that, “the duty to protect, to care, for our constituents is heavier, and it seems to grow heavier every single day.”
Evoking the country’s 250th anniversary, Markey said: “Today, we are knocked down, but we are not knocked out,” said Markey. “We’re going to fight, and we’re going to win, and it’s going to come out of the cities and towns of Massachusetts that started the [American] Revolution.”