In the News
Alpena News: New legislation focuses on Great Lakes pipeline safety
by Jordan Spence
WASHINGTON - Michigan senators hope their new legislation strengthens protections of the Great Lakes from pipeline oil spills. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters introduced pipeline safety regulation legislation Wednesday. "With the oil spill experienced in the Kalamazoo River … we know how devastating these spills can be," Peters said. "Any sort of spill in the Great Lakes would be absolutely catastrophic." The bills would increase Great Lakes pipeline liability caps; give greate… Continue Reading
05.25.17
Traverse City Record-Eagle: Proposed regulations would impact Line 5
by Jordan Travis
TRAVERSE CITY - Michigan's U.S. Senators are championing legislation that would enact stricter standards for operators of pipelines that run under the Great Lakes, and create new authority to shut them down if operators don't meet those benchmarks. Operators, namely Enbridge, would have to prove they have the financial means to clean up a spill, said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation could shut down pipelines if a company can't meet that standard, if they violat… Continue Reading
05.24.17
Detroit Free Press: Peters, Stabenow want to raise liability caps on Great Lakes pipelines
by Todd Spangler
WASHINGTON - Michigan's U.S. senators proposed legislation today that they say would improve underwater pipeline safety in the Great Lakes by raising liability caps on pipeline owners and giving federal officials more authority to shut down pipelines if they deem it necessary. The proposals made by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, come as environmentalists continue to demand safeguards - if not a shutdown - of Canadian oil company Enbridge's Line 5, a pair of 64-year-… Continue Reading
05.24.17
Monroe News: Gary Peters cosponsors conservation legislation
by Monroe News Staff Reporter
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., cosponsored the bipartisan Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act. The act will permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a news release said. The LWCF uses revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling to fund the protection of everything from wildlife refuges and national parks to lakes, rivers and community parks. Michigan has received more than $320 million in funding from the LWCF during the 50 year lifes… Continue Reading
05.22.17
Holland Sentinel: Peters, Stabenow push for student loan refinancing
by Holland Sentinel Staff Reporter
U.S. Senators Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, joined their colleagues in introducing the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act. The legislation would allow those with outstanding student loan debt to refinance at the lower interest rates offered to new federal borrowers in the 2016-2017 school year. "Access to higher education can provide a pathway to economic opportunity, but too many young people are saddled with crushing debt after they leave school… Continue Reading
05.18.17
Detroit News: Mich. senators revive push for advanced car legislation
by Keith Laing
Washington - Michigan's U.S. senators are reviving a push to advance legislation aimed at boosting advanced technology vehicles. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, along with U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, said Thursday they are reintroducing the measure, which has been dubbed the Vehicle Innovation Act, "to encourage investments in research and development of clean vehicle and advanced safety technologies to increase fuel efficiency and redu… Continue Reading
05.16.17
Detroit Free Press: Peters favors federal funding to promote part-time firefighters
by Todd Spangler
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced legislation today that could help local fire departments promote part-time personnel with federal grant funding rather than being forced to hire new employees and train them. Peters introduced the legislation along with U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, as a way to help save money and hire and promote first responders who have already been trained. Under current law, fire departments may only use grants under the Staffing for Adequate Fire… Continue Reading
05.11.17
Congressional Quarterly: Michigan's Sen. Peters Sees Bill as On-Ramp for Driverless Cars
by Jacob Fischler
Sen. Gary Peters said Thursday that he and Sen. John Thune are working on a bill designed to provide a regulatory framework to encourage driverless car technology that would straddle the current regulations and those that would be needed if such cars become commonplace. Peters, D-Mich., said overhauling current regulations could take years and U.S. companies are competing with European and Asian rivals to develop the technology. They need regulatory flexibility, he said in an appearance at Mic… Continue Reading
04.26.17
Holland Sentinel: Gary Peters urges US Senate colleagues to support farm loans
by Holland Sentinel Staff Reporter
In 2016, farmers that counted on Farm Service Agency loans faced a crisis when funding fell short due to high demand. U.S. Senator Gary Peters is leading a bipartisan effort now to make sure that doesn't happen again. "Michigan's farmers - and farmers across our country - feed our country and people around the globe, and we must do what we can to support them," Peters, D-West Bloomfield, said. "Our agricultural businesses rely on the ability to access the resources they need to keep growing, cr… Continue Reading
04.17.17
Michigan Peninsula News: Sen. Peters announces bill to protect small businesses against fraud on federal bids
by Michigan Peninsula News Staff Reporter
During a visit to MessageMakers in Lansing this week, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) announced the introduction of legislation to protect small businesses against fraud when registering for federal contracts. "It is important business owners are equipped with tools and knowledge to protect their companies against scams while taking advantage of new business opportunities," Peters said. "I am pleased to be at MessageMakers today to see firsthand how Michigan businesses are benefitting from service… Continue Reading
04.11.17
Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive: Domestic violence victims and their pets would be protected by PAWS Act
by Madison Bennett
KALAMAZOO, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters is working to expand protection of victims of domestic violence and their pets. The Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, which Peters reintroduced in Congress earlier this year, would expand existing federal domestic violence protections to include threats or acts of violence against a victim's pet and force abusers to reimburse victims for any related veterinarian fees. "Most people don't realize how widespread domestic violence is in our communities," Pet… Continue Reading
04.10.17
Detroit Free Press: Stabenow, Peters press Trump for Asian carp report
by Todd Spangler
WASHINGTON - Michigan's U.S. senators and 10 others from Great Lakes states today again asked the Trump administration to release a report on potential proposals for dealing with the threat posed by invasive Asian carp. The Free Press first reported that the tentative plan to address the threat of Asian carp moving closer to Lake Michigan had been delayed in late February with sources saying the Trump administration wanted to review it, though it was not known why. The plan - which was expecte… Continue Reading
04.06.17
Detroit News: Peters presses Kelly on threats to Jewish centers
by Melissa Nann-Burke & Jonathan Oosting
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, on Wednesday pressed Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on why his department hasn't disclosed its plans for "swift action" in response to bomb threats made at Jewish community centers, day schools and synagogues. Last month, all 100 senators signed a letter, led by Peters and three others, asking Kelly, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey, to tell lawmakers what they plan to do to address threats against religious … Continue Reading
04.04.17
Washington Post: Concerns about hiring freeze’s disruption, costs spur request for audit
by Eric Yoder
Two Democratic senators active in overseeing management of the government want an audit of the Trump administration's general federal hiring freeze, raising concerns about the potential impact on service to the public and noting that prior freezes were found to be disruptive and expensive. "Across the board cuts and a shrinking of the total federal workforce are not the answer to making the federal government more efficient or effective," Sens. Gary Peters (Mich.) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) plan… Continue Reading
04.04.17
Detroit News: Peters, Ernst form Senate Motorcycle Caucus
by Melissa Nann-Burke
Washington - Longtime motorcycle riders Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan and Jodi Ernst of Iowa have created the first Senate Motorcycle Caucus, which they will co-chair. The lawmakers, who announced the caucus Tuesday, said it would advocate for issues on behalf of both motorcycle riders and manufacturers. Last summer, Peters rode 833 miles through 26 Michigan counties during a five-day motorcycle tour, stopping at small businesses as he cruised east to west across the state. He is planning anot… Continue Reading
03.31.17
Detroit Free Press: Stabenow, Peters call for strengthening Buy American laws
by Todd Spangler
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow said today she'll propose changes to strengthen laws intended to ensure that the federal government purchases items made in the U.S. Speaking in Grand Haven, Stabenow, D-Mich., said her legislation closes loopholes in long-standing Buy American laws, saying federal agencies need to be held accountable for instances in which taxpayer funds are used to purchase items made overseas. "It's common sense that American tax dollars be used to purchase products ma… Continue Reading
03.20.17
Detroit News: Peters: Michigan could be leader in autonomous vehicles
by Leonard N. Fleming
Detroit - Autonomous vehicles are definitely coming by 2021 and Michigan could be at the epicenter of the artificial intelligence if domestic automakers are first in making the technology successful, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said Monday. Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, said he's working on legislation with Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, to put out framework for self-driving vehicle regulations, which will promote safety, as he acknowledged an "apprehension on the part of people about having a sel… Continue Reading
03.20.17
Daily Mining Gazette: Peters supports expanding coverage for veterans harmed by agent orange
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today he is cosponsoring the bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act to help ensure that Vietnam veterans who served aboard deep-water naval vessels, known as "Blue Water" veterans, are eligible for the disability and health care benefits for illnesses linked to exposure to Agent Orange. Currently, care directly linked to Agent Orange exposure is only available to veterans who served… Continue Reading
03.20.17
Detroit News: Bill seeks dedicated aid for Ann Arbor lakes center
by Melissa Nann-Burke
Washington - Michigan Democratic Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow joined with Ohio's Rob Portman, a Republican, to introduce a bipartisan bill this week authorizing research and monitoring in support of binational fisheries within the Great Lakes basin. The Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization Act would authorize the U.S. Geological Survey to support the $7 billion Great Lakes sport and commercial fishery industry. It seeks to close a gap in funding authorization between the Great La… Continue Reading
03.17.17
MLive Lansing: Review of entire criminal justice system would take place under Peters bill
by Lauren Gibbons
The criminal justice system in the U.S. would undergo a top-to-bottom review under legislation introduced this month by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Twp. The legislation would create a 14-member, bipartisan National Criminal Justice Commission that would conduct an 18-month review of federal, state, local and tribal criminal justice systems. Commissioners would be made up of presidential and congressional appointees with expertise in law enforcement, victims' rights, civil liberties and… Continue Reading
