Press Releases
VIDEO: Peters Commemorates Memorial Day
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released a video in advance of Memorial Day. "Memorial Day is a patriotic day of remembrance - a time to honor those who died in service to their fellow countrymen." said Senator Peters. "As Michiganders gather with friends and family to enjoy the holiday weekend, I encourage everyone to pause and reflect on the significance of this day." Cl… Continue Reading
05.24.19
Peters Provisions Supporting Servicemembers and Michigan Defense Interests Pass Senate Armed Services Committee
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee passed the annual national defense bill that includes provisions led and supported by U.S. Senator Gary Peters that will benefit servicemembers and their families as well as Michigan's defense interests that contribute to our national security. It will also help improve efforts to address PFAS and authorize investments in infrastructure, advanced technology and important defense systems that protect U.S. security interests and our allies,… Continue Reading
05.24.19
Peters Statement on Brandon Road Report on Asian Carp
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) issued the following statement on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Brandon Road Chief's Report being submitted to Congress, which outlines steps necessary to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes: "The Great Lakes are more than an economic engine and source of drinking water to 40 million people: they are part of who we are as Michiganders. We must take every step possible to prevent the spread of Asian Carp and invasive species.… Continue Reading
05.23.19
Peters’ PFAS Provisions Advance to Full Senate As Part of National Defense Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Provisions that U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) led to address the PFAS crisis in Michigan and across the country will advance to the full Senate, after the Senate Armed Services Committee passed the measures as part of the national defense bill. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets policy for the Department of Defense, has been enacted into law for more than 55 consecutive years. Peters secured a provision that would encourage the Department of Defense to fi… Continue Reading
05.23.19
Peters, Roberts, Duckworth Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Raise Awareness About Vaccines, Increase Vaccination Rates, Cut Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced they introduced the bipartisan VACCINES Act to increase vaccination rates by raising vaccine awareness through a national campaign to combat misinformation. "We've seen firsthand in Michigan the devastating impact of diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines. No one should have to experience the pain of seeing a loved one fall ill or even lose their life because of a vaccine-prev… Continue Reading
05.22.19
Peters, Young Introduce Bipartisan Stop for School Buses Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent motorists from passing school buses stopped at loading zones. The Stop for School Buses Act of 2019 commissions a comprehensive review of best practices to prevent vehicles from illegally passing school buses that are loading or unloading students. The legislation comes as a number of incidents have threatened students in Michigan and across the country. Last year in Montcalm Co… Continue Reading
05.21.19
Peters Statement on Iran
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement following an all-Senators briefing with the Trump Administration regarding Iran: "Iran is an oppressive authoritarian regime, a leading state sponsor of terrorism and a destabilizing force in the Middle East. The U.S. needs a plan that effectively counters Iran. This should focus on deterring Iran's illicit activities and preventing any effort to develop a nuclear … Continue Reading
05.21.19
VIDEO: Peters Helps Grand Rapids Resident Claim VA Benefits in Latest Installment of ‘On the Job for Michigan’
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters today released the latest installment of 'On the Job for Michigan,' a series highlighting the successful work of his office resolving cases involving federal agencies on behalf of Michiganders. Grand Rapids resident Kent Wesenberg shared how Peters' office assisted him in claiming benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Kent served at Takhli Air Base in Thailand during the Vietnam War era and his duties placed him in and around the pe… Continue Reading
05.21.19
Peters, Stabenow, Brown Raise Deep Concerns Over Decision to Halt Union Election at Volkswagen Plant in Chattanooga
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Sherrod Brown (OH) are expressing concerns and requesting more information from Volkswagen (VW) following the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) recent decision to grant Volkswagen's request to halt all election proceedings for workers petitioning to organize with the United Auto Workers (UAW) at a plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In their letter to VW CEO Scott Keogh, the Senators urge VW to ensure any election is fr… Continue Reading
05.20.19
Peters, Boozman Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-AR) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would direct federal agencies to set national standards for healthy aging and creating age-friendly communities. The Age-Friendly Communities Act would amend the Older Americans Act by requiring departments across the federal government to develop a national set of goals on healthy aging and age-friendly communities and establish a public-private coordinating body to provide rec… Continue Reading
05.16.19
Peters, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Deploy Advanced Computing in Addressing PFAS Contaminations
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop best practices for deploying advanced computing to address the risks associated with PFAS exposure. The PFAS Quantum Evaluation Act instructs the Secretary of Defense to complete an assessment of how quantum computing can be best used to address problems associated with exposure to PFAS. According to the National Academy of Sciences,… Continue Reading
05.16.19
Peters Leads Bipartisan Inquiry into Federal Response to Domestic Terrorism and Rise of White Supremacist Violence
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is leading a bipartisan inquiry into the federal government's response to evolving domestic terrorism threats and the rise of white supremacist violence. Peters' request is seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on how effectively they have tracked acts of domest… Continue Reading
05.14.19
Peters, Grassley Reintroduce Bill to Address Needs of At-Risk Youth
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help states identify and meet the needs of children who come into contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, also known as dual status youth. The Childhood Outcomes Need New Efficient Community Teams (CONNECT) Act would authorize competitive grants to improve data collection on dual status youth and encourage better cooperation between state agencies o… Continue Reading
05.14.19
Peters, Lankford, Klobuchar & Johnson Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Cybersecurity for Voting Systems
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, James Lankford (R-OK), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today introduced bipartisan legislation to add the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a member of the Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) committee that d… Continue Reading
05.14.19
Peters Launches ‘On the Job for Michigan,’ Highlighting Success Resolving Cases for Michiganders
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today launched "On the Job for Michigan," a series highlighting the successful work of his office resolving cases involving federal agencies on behalf of Michiganders. In the first installment of the series, Grosse Pointe resident Tom Koenig and Vietnam War veteran shared how Peters' office assisted him in claiming benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Tom served in the Brown Water Navy in the Vietnam War. His duties placed him in the… Continue Reading
05.13.19
Peters, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Curb Federal Improper Payments to Deceased People
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined his colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that would save millions of taxpayer dollars by preventing improper or fraudulent payments to deceased individuals. The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains the most thorough federal database of individuals who are reported to have died, but only a small number of federal agencies have access to this officia… Continue Reading
05.10.19
Senate Passes Peters, Stabenow Resolution Honoring Judge Damon Keith
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) today announced Senate passage of a resolution they introduced celebrating the life and legacy of Detroit native Judge Damon Keith, who passed away on April 28th, 2019. Despite having to overcome countless institutional barriers over the course of his more than 50- year career, Judge Keith became an instrumental figure on the federal bench. Through his rulings on numerous landmark civil rights cases, he served as a role mo… Continue Reading
05.09.19
Peters, Stabenow, Rubio Announce Bipartisan PFAS Accountability Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today led eight other Senators in announcing the introduction of the PFAS Accountability Act. This legislation would hold federal agencies accountable for addressing contamination for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at military bases across the country. It comes just days after the release of a new report showing that Michigan has the most PFAS-contaminated sites in the nation. "Too man… Continue Reading
05.08.19
Peters, Lankford Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Issue Impacting Military Reservists & National Guard Members Seeking to Access Benefits After Their Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced bipartisan legislation to help reserve component members of the United States Armed Forces - including members of the Reserves and National Guard - receive the benefits they have earned following their retirement or completion of service. Currently, Reservists do not receive a separation document detailing their service and Guardsmen do not receive the same forms as Active Duty servicemembers after com… Continue Reading
05.07.19
Peters, Young, Kildee, Dingell, Huizenga, Joyce Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Update Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps for Great Lakes
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) along with Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and David Joyce (OH-14) today reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to update the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps in the Great Lakes. The legislation would direct the Great Lakes Region ESI maps to be updated for the first time in over twenty years, joining maps for the East coast, West coast, and Gulf coast that… Continue Reading
