Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wasted little time after Democrats seized control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, suggesting that technology executives should expect a wave of subpoenas once the new majority is in place.
Responding to a social media post that asked, "Live televised trials of Big Tech executives when?" Markey wrote, "They are going to need to plant new forests for all of the subpoenas we'll be printing."
Markey serves as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and also holds a seat on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. His ranking member status positions him to take the gavel as chairman of the small business committee once the Senate Democrats who won on Tuesday are sworn in this January.
The Massachusetts senator won re-election Tuesday by a wide margin over Republican challenger John Deaton, securing a third Senate term after spending 37 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Widely regarded as a progressive, Markey has built a reputation as one of the most vocal critics of the technology industry in Congress.
In July, Markey unveiled what he called an "AI Accountability Agenda," a legislative package designed to rein in the influence of technology companies in the United States. He has likened the tech sector to oil companies and frequently points to major corporations in the industry as obstacles to his climate agenda, a signature policy priority. He has also backed tighter restrictions on data center construction, arguing that Congress needs "to make sure these data centers don't turn into pollution bombs."
Markey has additionally been a prominent supporter of the Green New Deal, the policy framework aimed at combating climate change. Speaking in 2021, he declared, "The Green New Deal isn't just a resolution, it is a revolution," adding that the country had the technology, economic imperative and moral obligation to act and needed only the political will.
Markey was not the only Democrat appearing to anticipate an aggressive oversight posture. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., posted the single word "subpoenas" in a late-night X post Tuesday, while Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, wrote "LAWYER UP" in his own post on the platform.
The comments came as Democrats completed a sweep of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, flipping control of Congress.
Markey's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
