Who?

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)

Bonus!

Throughout the 118th Congress, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo has repeatedly asked Sen. Ed Markey about the SAFER Banking Act — which would protect his state’s recreational marijuana marketplace — but the senator never had an answer as to whether he supports it or even knows what it is.

Scroll down to listen to two of those exclusives for FREE. Transcripts at bottom.

LISTEN: Laslo & Markey I (5-23-2024)

Ask a Pol asks (Interview I) — May 23, 2024

Why were you a sponsor of SAFE Banking Act but not listed as a sponsor for the SAFER Banking Act?

Key Markey (Interview I):

“[Need my] Banking staffer to bring me up to speed,” Sen. Ed Markey exclusively told Ask a Pol ahead of Congress’ Memorial Day recess.

Caught our ear (Interview I) — on DEA rescheduling

“Honestly, you can see that you’re testing my knowledge,” Markey told us. “You’re testing my staff work.”

LISTEN: Laslo & Markey II — June 12, 2024

Ask a Pol asks (Interview II):

Where are you on the SAFER Banking Act?

Key Markey (Interview II) —

“I don’t have a contemporary comment at this point in time,” Sen. Markey exclusively told Ask a Pol throughout the 118th Congress.

Below find two rough transcripts of Ask a Pol’s exclusive interviews with Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), slightly edited for clarity.

TRANSCRIPT II: Sen. Ed Markey (6-12-2024)

SCENE: Sen. Markey just exited the tram underneath the US Capitol when Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo follows up with the senator on their pre-Memorial Day cannabis chat (that transcript is below).

Matt Laslo: “Do you know where you are on SAFER? SAFER Banking Act?”

Ed Markey: “I don’t have — I don’t have a contemporary comment at this point in time. My apologies.”

ML: “Okay. No worries. Preciate ya.”

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TRANSCRIPT I: Sen. Ed Markey (5-23-2024)

SCENE: Just ahead of Congress’ Memorial Day recess, Ask a Pol’s Matt Laslo spotted Sen. Markey and his aides inside the Cups coffee shop in the basement of the Senate Russell Office Building, so he posted up in the drab hall outside for more than 30 minutes as he waited for them to finish.

Matt Laslo: “A potentially quick question for you…”

Sen. Markey laughs.

ML: “You were a sponsor of SAFE Banking Act but you’re not listed as a sponsor for SAFER Banking..?”

Ed Markey: “Honestly, right now, you’re, like, triggering…”

Laslo laughs as Markey points to the staffers with him.

ML: “Not flashbacks?”

EM: “…and the call he’s gonna make over to the Banking staffer to bring me up to speed on whatever…”

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ML: “Uh-ah. But you’re not…”

EM: “…whatever thinking, the cerebral mechanisms of our staff engagement or whatever oversights…”

ML: “Cerebral might be bad with this issue.”

EM: “Huh?”

ML: “Cerebral might be bad with this issue.”

Markey laughs.

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EM: “No, I’m just saying...”

ML: “What have you thought of the DEA moving to reschedule? Cause I’m curious if that takes away some of the leverage that some in your party want expungements.”

EM: “Honestly, you can see that you’re testing my knowledge.”

ML: “Cool. Hey, I will look for you after the holiday.”

EM: “You’re testing my staff work.”

ML: “No, I’ll contact your staff during the holidays.”

Both laugh.

ML: “Have a good one, sir.”

EM: “Thank you. By the way, have a good break. You still gotta produce 600 words a day, right?”

ML: “I’m heading out to California for a wedding tonight.”

EM: “Where do you go?”

ML: “Five-ish.”

EM: “Where to?”

ML: “Oh, right outside of LA — Simi Valley.”

EM: “Very nice.”

ML: “Is it? My cousin lives there. I don’t know. I just know it’s not gonna be this warm.”

EM: “This is ridiculous, how did we get to this?”

ML: “When did we stop getting spring?”

Sen. Markey laughs.

EM: “Well, right now — I’ll give you the number — in Boston it’s now five degrees warmer in the winter than it was in 1970.”

ML: “Really?”

EM: “So we now have Philadelphia’s weather from 1970.”

ML: “Yeah, really?”

EM: “We don’t have the sports teams but that five degrees — I have not seen a kid skate on a pond…”

ML: “Really?”

EM: “…in like 10 years. That used to be our whole life.”

ML: “Yeah, I’m from Midwest Chicago. We would always skate on ponds.”

EM: “And DC is getting — you can feel…”

(inaudible)

ML: “Feels like the gridlock.”

EM: “So, I’m sorry. Okay, SAFER — I got it.”

ML: “I know, I’m still looking at the differences. Have a good one, sir.”

Markey hops on the underground tram with his staff, as Laslo hops on with a colleague and vents…

Andrey Beregovskiy and Walken Whalen contributed to this report.

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