Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-Mass.) welcomed newly-installed Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to the Commerce Committee with a signal he expects him to be a strong ally on privacy and high-speed broadband to schools and libraries.
Markey, who is taking the seat of former Senator and now Secretary of State John Kerry, has supported both as a House member.
"I'm thrilled to welcome Senator Markey to the Commerce Committee. He brings 37 years of experience in the House, where he became renowned for his tough but fair approach to consumer protection issues," said Rockefeller in advance of the E-Rate hearing Wednesday, Markey's first communications related hearing as a Senator. "Senator Markey shares my commitment to making sure consumers have more control over their personal information. And he shares my deep commitment to bring the power of technology to all students through E-Rate. We know this is one of the best chances they have to compete in the growing global economy. I look forward to partnering with Senator Markey to advance these issues, and so many more, that will make life better for millions of Americans now and in the future."
