Press Releases
Peters Statement on Passing of Representative Conyers
DETROIT, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement following the passing of former U.S. Representative John Conyers: "From being in Selma, Alabama, on Freedom Day during the Civil Rights Movement - to co-founding the Congressional Black Caucus, chairing the House Judiciary Committee and becoming Dean of the House of Representatives - Congressman Conyers dedicated his life to fighting for civil rights. While serving in Congress with him, I saw firsthand his dedication a… Continue Reading
10.27.19
Peters Statement on ISIS and Operation in Syria
DETROIT, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following the President's announcement that the U.S. military operation in Syria killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: "I join the President and my colleagues in commending our intelligence community as well as military and servicemembers that carried out this significant operation. This is an important reminder that while t… Continue Reading
10.25.19
Peters Statement on Ratification of UAW-GM Agreement
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today released the following statement on the ratification of a labor contract agreement between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and General Motors: "Michigan autoworkers and their families sacrificed a lot over the past 40 days. I was proud to stand with these workers and join them at the picket lines as they fought for better wages and benefits." ###… Continue Reading
10.25.19
Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill to Protect America’s Domestic Food Supply and Agricultural Industries
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to address the shortage of agricultural inspectors who protect the nation's food supply and agricultural industries at the border. The Protecting America's Food & Agriculture Act of 2019 would ensure the safe and secure trade of agricultural goods across our nation's borders by authorizing U.S. Cu… Continue Reading
10.24.19
Peters, Duckworth Reintroduce Good Government Legislation to Increase Transparency on Trump Administration Travel Spending
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced legislation to safeguard taxpayer dollars and improve transparency and public disclosure of Administration travel spending. The Federal Travel Transparency Act would strengthen oversight of taxpayer-funded travel by making the air travel activities of cabinet secretaries and agency leaders available to the public online in a… Continue Reading
10.23.19
Peters, Colleagues View Demo of School Bus Safety Technology, Highlight STOP for School Buses Act
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) and U.S. Representatives Jackie Walorski (IN-02) and Julia Brownley (CA-26) attended a school bus safety technology showcase hosted by the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) to highlight their legislation to prevent motorists from passing school buses stopped at loading zones. The event, which helped mark School Bus Safety Week, featured a school bus equipped with examples of technology used to prevent stop-ar… Continue Reading
10.23.19
Peters Introduces Legislation to Award Judge Damon Keith Congressional Gold Medal
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced legislation to honor the life and legacy of Detroit native Judge Damon Keith by posthumously awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal. Judge Keith, who passed away on April 28th, 2019, overcame institutional barriers throughout the course of his over 50 year career to become an instrumental figure on the federal bench. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor award bestowed by Congress. "Judge Damon Keith was a trailbl… Continue Reading
10.22.19
Peters to Introduce Amendment to Increase Funding for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today announced that he will file an amendment to a government funding bill to increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The amendment, which will be filed to appropriations legislation the Senate is set to consider this week, would increase GLRI funding for Fiscal Year 2020 from the current proposed level of $301 million to $320 million. A similar bill that included the funding increase for the GLRI already passed the Hous… Continue Reading
10.21.19
Peters, Stabenow Urge Long-Term Funding for Community Health Centers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (NY) to prioritize long-term funding of community health centers (CHCs). In a bipartisan letter, which was cosigned by 25 senators, Stabenow and Peters calls for immediate passage of the Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence (CHIME) Act of 2019, which would reauthorize the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF) a… Continue Reading
10.18.19
Peters Statement on Passing of Governor Milliken
DETROIT, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement following the passing of former Michigan Governor Bill Milliken: "Governor Milliken's proud record of bipartisan problem-solving, exemplary public service and love for the Great Lakes defined a Michigan era, and his legacy will continue to inspire Michiganders for generations to come. Like so many, I sought his counsel and I was always grateful for his advice and support. Colleen and I send our deepest sympathies to th… Continue Reading
10.18.19
Peters, Colleagues Welcome House Passage of Outsourcing Accountability Act
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Sherrod Brown (OH) and Jack Reed (RI) today welcomed House of Representatives passage of a companion to their Outsourcing Accountability Act. The legislation, which they reintroduced earlier this year, would identify businesses that are sending jobs to foreign countries and require publicly traded companies to publish reports detailing the number of employees per location, including by state and by coun… Continue Reading
10.18.19
Peters, Wyden & Brown Question White House Decision to Host G-7 Summit at Trump Doral Resort in Miami
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) are raising the alarm over the Administration's decision to host the 2020 G-7 Summit at the President's Trump National Doral Miami property. The Senators are pressing for answers on how Doral was selected to host the summit, and whether this decision is a misuse of the President's public office to steer money from American taxpayers and foreign sources to private businesses that benefit him financially. … Continue Reading
10.17.19
Peters Raises National Security Concerns after Reported Misuse of White House Classified Systems for Presidential Conversations with Foreign Leaders
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is raising concerns following multiple reports that the White House has misused high level national security computer systems in an effort to conceal the details of the President's conversations with foreign leaders. Peters, who is a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is pressing for information on how the co… Continue Reading
10.16.19
Peters, Graham, Cornyn Announce Reintroduction of Bipartisan National Criminal Justice Commission Act
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today announced the reintroduction of the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, bipartisan legislation that would task a National Criminal Justice Commission to assess the entire system and propose reforms to address the most pressing issues facing the nation's criminal justice system. "Our criminal justice system is built on equality and fairness under the law, but too many Michiganders and Amer… Continue Reading
10.15.19
Peters, Stabenow Call on Secretary DeVos to Undo Rule that Guts Protections for Defrauded Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) last week called on the Trump Administration to undo a newly-proposed rule that guts protections for defrauded students seeking debt relief. In a letter to Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Peters and Stabenow urged Secretary DeVos to abandon the proposed rule and resolve the backlog of current "borrower defense" claims. Borrower defense is a long-standing authority that is supposed to provide cheated and def… Continue Reading
10.11.19
Peters Hears From Michigan Families Impacted by High Prescription Drug Costs During Listening Tour Across Michigan
FLINT, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) held a series of roundtable discussions during his listening touron lowering the cost of prescription drugs for Michiganders, which included stops in Grand Rapids, Southgate and Flint over three days. At each stop, Peters spoke with local health providers and medical professionals as well as families impacted by high prescription drug costs. "No one should ever have to face the decision of whether to pay their bills or pay for the medication they or the… Continue Reading
10.04.19
Peters, Stabenow Urge Trump Administration to Protect Michiganders with Preexisting Health Conditions
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) urged the Trump Administration to protect Americans from health insurance plans that discriminate against people with preexisting medical conditions, including 4.1 million Michiganders. In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Medicare & Medicaid Administrator Seema Verma, Peters, Stabenow and their Senate colleagues highlighted the need to reverse the Administration's rule on… Continue Reading
10.03.19
Peters Encouraged by New Pipeline Safety Rules Finalized as a Result of Legislation He Authored
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today welcomed new rules announced by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to enhance pipeline safety that are being implemented as a result of his provisions that were signed into law. The rules - which Peters pressed for and helped enact as part of the PIPES Act in 2016 - include requiring stricter inspection standards for hazardous liquid pipelines like Line 5 and provide for emergency authority for PHMSA to take act… Continue Reading
09.26.19
VIDEO: Peters Delivers Remarks on Combatting Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacist Violence
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, helped convene the committee's first ever hearing on domestic terrorism with a focus on countering white supremacist violence. At the hearing, Peters discussed how hateful ideologies like white supremacy have motivated deadly domestic terror attacks in recent years, and how the federal government must address this evolving threat to protect our national security and … Continue Reading
09.25.19
VIDEO: Senate Passes Peters Resolution Calling for Final National Defense Bill to Address PFAS Crisis
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today spoke on the Senate floor and the Senate unanimously passed his resolution calling for the final national defense bill that is sent to the President to include a provision prohibiting the Department of Defense (DoD) from using firefighting foams containing PFAS by the end of 2023. Peters' resolution reaffirms support for previously Senate-approved bipartisan provisions requiring DoD to discontinue the purchase and use of firefighting foams tha… Continue Reading
