GREENFIELD — U.S. Sen. Ed Markey visited Mayor Roxann Wedegartner and other community leaders Saturday afternoon to tour downtown Greenfield, talk about bringing federal resources to local efforts and to seal the mayor’s endorsement for his re-election this year.
Markey, a Democrat, has been a U.S. senator for Massachusetts since 2013, and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 37 years before that. This year he is up for re-election, and has been challenged for his party’s nomination by U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a Democrat.
Markey has now been endorsed by Wedegartner, who cited his good standing in the Senate, and noted that she has gotten to know him since she became mayor this past fall.
“He cares about Western Massachusetts and understands the unique needs of smaller communities in our region,” Wedegartner said.
The tour group on Saturday, led by Wedegartner and her staff, also included a handful of local business owners and Greenfield Community College President Yves Salomon-Fernández.
Passing a few restaurants in town, Markey asked the owners about their expectations for reopening as the state relaxes its public health restrictions, and how they have viewed recent federal support efforts.
Regarding the impact of the still-worsening economic recession on small businesses and workers, Markey said he supports extending the increased unemployment support at least through the end of 2020, rather than allowing it to expire in July; and continuing the federal government’s program of forgivable loans for small businesses.
“Obviously many of these businesses will need some assistance in order to make it through the pandemic economically,” Markey said. “We also have to keep the funding coming for individuals.”
GCC President Salomon-Fernández, Markey said, had asked about securing federal funding for proposed expansions to GCC’s downtown locations and to its nursing program. Markey noted that he expects community college funding will soon become a higher priority for the federal government.
“That will be at the top of the list for President (Joe) Biden and myself next year,” he said.
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