Press Releases
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
09.24.19
Peters Applauds Tariff Decision to Protect Michigan Cherry Growers
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today applauded a preliminary decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to institute tariffs against Turkish tart cherry exporters, which has used unfair trade practices to undermine Michigan cherry growers. Earlier this year, the Dried Tart Cherry Trade Committee filed anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions with the ITC and U.S. Department of Commerce. "Michigan cherry growers are being regularly undercut by unfair competit… Continue Reading
09.24.19
Peters Announces $1 Million in Federal Funding for PFAS Study in Western Michigan
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today announced a $1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to conduct a PFAS health study examining contaminated sites in western Michigan. The grant will be awarded to the Michigan State Department of Health and Human Services to conduct experiments at sites in Parchment, Cooper Township and North Kent County. The study aims to help researchers gain a… Continue Reading
09.23.19
Peters Urges President Trump to Take ‘All Appropriate’ Action to Advocate for Release of Michigander Paul Whelan from Russia
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) is urging President Donald J. Trump to take action to secure the release of Michigander Paul Whelan, who was arrested by Russia in December 2018 and imprisoned since then without evidence brought forward. Specifically, Peters called on the President to direct new National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, who served as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), to work on securing Whelan's release. In O'Brien's previous role for the Admi… Continue Reading
09.20.19
VIDEO: Peters Helps Veteran of Afghanistan in Warren Claim GI Bill Benefits in Latest Installment of ‘On the Job for Michigan’
WARREN, 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. Warren resident and veteran Jeff Chene shared how Peters' office assisted him in claiming benefits from the post-9/11 GI Bill through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Jeff served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012, including a tour in Afghanistan. Jeff… Continue Reading
09.13.19
Peters, Stabenow Announce Over $343,000 in Support of Fire Departments in Flushing, Albee Twp.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) today announced $274,727 for the Flushing Fire Department and $69,047 for the Albee Township Fire Department to purchase new equipment and improve services. These grants comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. "Michigan's first responders help make our communities safe places to live, work and raise a family," said Senator Peters. "I'm pleased to announce this fundi… Continue Reading
09.13.19
Peters Presses for Full Funding for 2020 Census as Congress Finalizes Spending Bills
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, this week urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to include full funding for the 2020 Census in any government funding bill passed before the end of the fiscal year. Peters explained to his colleagues that, without its full operating budget of $7.5 billion, the Census could be compromised in its mission of effectively reaching every community to achieve a full and accu… Continue Reading
09.13.19
Peters, Portman Reintroduce Historic Vehicle Preservation Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to establish a national register to preserve records of historic vehicles that have made a significant impact on American history and culture. The National Historic Vehicle Register Act would require the Department of Interior to create a register administered by the Library of Congress to safeguard the innovative feats of American engineering by documenting historically significant auto… Continue Reading
09.13.19
Senate Passes Peters, Kennedy Resolution Designating Patriot Week
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) applauded Senate passage of a bipartisan resolution they introduced designating September 11th through September 17th as Patriot Week. Cofounded by Judge Michael Warren of Oakland County, Michigan, Patriot Week would honor the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, celebrate Constitution Day on the 17th and encourage students to learn more about the history of the United States. "I'm pleased that the Senate pass… Continue Reading
09.12.19
VIDEO: Peters, Stabenow, Stevens, Walberg, Kildee, Elizabeth Whelan Call on Russian Government to Release Michigander Paul Whelan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Representatives Haley Stevens (MI-11), Tim Walberg (MI-07) and Dan Kildee (MI-05) today called on the Russian government to release Michigan native Paul Whelan, who has been detained without evidence presented-despite repeatedly extending his pre-trial detention. Paul's sister Elizabeth Whelan joined the Members, who also urged Congress to pass their bipartisan, bicameral resolution introduced this week condemning the… Continue Reading
09.12.19
Peters, Dingell, Stabenow Announce $7.5 Million Federal Grant for Michigan’s Mobility Ecosystem
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) and U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today announced a $7.5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for partnership between the City of Detroit, the State of Michigan, the University of Michigan, and the American Center for Mobility (ACM). The funding will go towards the research, development and testing of self-driving technologies in both the world-class facilities at the University of M… Continue Reading
09.11.19
Peters Urges Inclusion of Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Fentanyl Trafficking in Final Defense Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is urging Senate Armed Services Committee leaders to include a provision that would crack down on international manufacturers and traffickers of fentanyl in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report. The bipartisan Fentanyl Sanctions Act, which Peters cosponsored, would help curb the production and distribution of illicit synthetic opioids - such as … Continue Reading
09.11.19
Peters, Kennedy Introduce Patriot Week Resolution
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Kennedy (R-LA) today introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate September 11th through September 17th as Patriot Week. Cofounded by Judge Michael Warren of Oakland County, Michigan, Patriot Week would honor the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, celebrate Constitution Day on the 17th and encourage students to learn more about the history of the United States. "As we pause to remember those we lost on 9/11 and pay tri… Continue Reading
09.10.19
Peters Calls for Department of Defense Inspector General to Investigate Air Force Travel Following Use of Taxpayer Funds at Trump Turnberry
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today called on the Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General to conduct an independent investigation of whether the U.S. Air Force violated any laws, regulations, or policies related to taxpayer-funded travel to Prestwick Airport and President Trump's Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. Peters expressed concern that the Air Force's patronage of the Trump Turnberry gol… Continue Reading
09.09.19
VIDEO: Peters Delivers Remarks at 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today helped lead a hearing to discuss how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has secured the U.S. in the years since the September 11, 2001 attacks and how the Department must adapt to evolving and emerging national security threats in a rapidly changing world. The committee members were joined by former DHS Secretaries Michael Chertoff (2005-2009), Janet A. … Continue Reading
09.06.19
Peters Blasts White House Objections to Bipartisan PFAS Provisions in Defense Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today released the following statement after the White House detailed numerous objections to the Senate-approved National Defense Authorization Act of 2020. Among their concerns were bipartisan provisions Peters authored and supported to address the PFAS crisis in Michigan and across the country, including requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to phase out the use of firefighting foams containing PFAS at military installations. "Taking decisive… Continue Reading
09.05.19
Peters Statement on Federal Investigation into Michigan State University
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today released the following statement in response to the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights concluding that Michigan State University violated Title IX during its handling of the Larry Nassar and William Strampel cases: "The toxic environment that allowed Larry Nassar and William Strampel to get away with their abuses needs to be eliminated. University leadership must be held accountable so that what happened at MSU can never happen … Continue Reading
09.05.19
Peters Presses VP Pence on Taxpayer-Funded Travel to Trump Property in Ireland
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is pressing for answers following a decision by Vice President Mike Pence to stay at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg during his official visit to Ireland. The President's golf club is located more than 180 miles away from Dublin, where the Vice President attended meetings during his visit. Peters expressed concerns that the Vice President wasted … Continue Reading
