VIDEO: Amid Potential Army Budget Cuts, Senator Peters Presses Army Undersecretary Nominee on the Impact to Michigan’s Defense Facilities

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) underscored the importance of Michigan’s defense production assets during a confirmation hearing in the Armed Services Committee for Michael A. Obadal, President Trump’s nominee to be Under Secretary of the Army. Obadal’s nomination comes as the Army has begun to implement its “Army Transformation Initiative” – an effort to reduce its top-line budget. During the hearing, Peters emphasized the significance of the work carried out at the Detroit Arsenal and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) in Warren, and raised concerns about the impact of potential cuts to these critical defense and economic assets. 

“I enjoyed our conversation in my office prior to today’s hearing. As we were sitting in the office, the Army Transformation Initiative had just come out. We had an opportunity to talk about that some in the office. But I wanted to follow up because I know you needed more time to take a look at that,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Armed Services Committee and former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “We talked, if you recall, about the Detroit Arsenal and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center, which are really the center and the heart of the Army’s research and development acquisition and supply chain issues. So, I’m concerned about what impact this could have, and I want to reach out to you again and ask if you’ve had a chance to review it? And what sort of impact do you think it will have on the Detroit Arsenal and GVSC? And is it something we can certainly work on together?”

In his response, Obadal acknowledged Michigan’s key role as a vehicle hub for the Army and committed to working with Peters on the issue moving forward. 

To watch the full video of Senator Peters’ questioning, click here.

Through his role on the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, Peters has strongly advocated for the Detroit Arsenal and the GVSC as a hub for the development of new cutting-edge technologies that will continue to play a critical role in our national defense and help create good paying jobs in Michigan. 

Last year, Peters secured $37 million for the construction of a manned/unmanned tactical vehicle lab in Macomb County in the annual defense bill that was signed into law. This builds on funding Peters previously secured for the planning and design of this lab. This space will allow for more efficient testing of these technologies in a System Integration Lab at the Detroit Arsenal located on Macomb County’s Defense Industrial Corridor. The work of this new center will be critical to the Army’s efforts to develop the next generation of unmanned ground vehicle technologies. In recent government funding legislation that was signed into law, Peters also secured $72 million in funding to create research and development laboratory space at the Detroit Arsenal to support its advanced tactical and combat system mission functions.

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