Press Releases
Peters Floor Remarks on Need to Find Bipartisan Solutions for Long Term Spending Goals
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) spoke on the Senate floor today on the need for Congress to come together to find bipartisan, commonsense solutions to the nation's long-term spending goals. Below is video and text of his remarks as prepared for delivery: Watch the full video "I believe that every campaign for elected office in this great nation is essentially a months-long job interview with the voters. Or perhaps more accurately, it is thousands and thousands of interviews. A… Continue Reading
01.25.18
Peters Calls For Investigations, Congressional Oversight in Wake of Nassar Abuse Scandal
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) issued the statement below calling for congressional hearings and investigation into sexual abuse of collegiate and amateur athletes. He also called on Michigan State University to commission an independent, outside investigation. "Yesterday, Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison, and Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon submitted her resignation to the MSU Board of Trustees. But yesterday does not mark the end of … Continue Reading
01.24.18
Peters Calls for Resignation of MSU President Simon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement calling on Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon to resign in the wake of Larry Nassar's sexual abuse scandal: "We will never be able to fully account for the damage that Larry Nassar has done to his victims. In the past week, the survivors have fully awoken us to the evil he perpetrated, and now the judicial system has delivered the justice it can provide. However, it has become clear that the lead… Continue Reading
01.24.18
Peters, Stabenow Statements on Trump Administration’s Tariff Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today released statements on the Trump Administration's decision to impose tariffs on foreign-made washing machines. This follows calls from Stabenow and Peters for the International Trade Commission to recommend that the Trump Administration take strong action against these imports that harm domestic manufacturers. "For too long Michigan's workers have been negatively impacted by Chinese and South Korean companies… Continue Reading
01.23.18
Peters, Stabenow Lead Bipartisan Call to Fund Testing and Development of Self-Driving Cars in Government Spending Deal
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today led a bipartisan call to fund the testing and development of connected and self-driving cars as part of any government spending deal that is negotiated for 2018. The Senators made their request in a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI), respectively. U.… Continue Reading
01.18.18
Peters, Stabenow Lead Bipartisan Push to Fund Critical Strategy to Protect Great Lakes Coastline in Next Year’s Budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), member of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today led a bipartisan push to provide funding for the Great Lakes Coastline Resiliency Study, a critical strategy to protect coastlines across the state, in the fiscal year 2019 budget. Following recent hurricanes that have caused massive flooding across the country, this study would help Great Lakes states to b… Continue Reading
01.15.18
Peters Statement on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: "Today we celebrate the legacy of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by honoring his call to take action to secure a better and brighter future for our nation. Dr. King was deeply committed to pursuing equal opportunity, but he taught us that progress comes from the hard work of everyday Americans striving to make our society better. "Over the last year, we… Continue Reading
01.04.18
Peters, Collins Provision Boosting Fire Departments Signed into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Trump signed into law the AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act that included a provision authored by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to help fire departments save money by hiring and promoting trained first responders. The provision gives local fire departments around the country the flexibility to use Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grants to transition part-time or paid-on-call personnel who are already tra… Continue Reading
12.27.17
Peters Statement on Mayor Tom Baldini
WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement about Mayor Tom Baldini: "I was shocked and saddened to learn of Tom's death, and Colleen and I extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. From his time in the classroom to service in Governor Blanchard's Administration and his recent election as Mayor of Marquette, Tom Baldini has been a pillar of the Upper Peninsula for decades, and his passion for Marquette and the UP were evident in all that he did.… Continue Reading
12.22.17
Peters, Stabenow, Upton Lead Michigan Delegation in Letter Supporting Fort Custer as a Missile Defense Site
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) led the Michigan Congressional delegation in a letter to the Director of Missile Defense Agency this week to reiterate strong support for full and thorough consideration of Fort Custer Training Center as a ground-based midcourse missile defense site. The letter comes as new defense legislation was signed into law earlier this month requiring the Secretary of Defense to designate a … Continue Reading
12.21.17
Peters Statement on Selfridge Maintaining A-10 Mission
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters today issued the following statement on the U.S. Air Force (USAF) announcement that Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township will continue to host its A-10 fighter mission. The USAF decision to convert two F-16 units demonstrates a continued commitment to the A-10 aircraft and its role in the U.S. military's current conflicts. "The men and women of the 127th Wing have gone over and beyond in demonstrating their skill and utility on the bat… Continue Reading
12.14.17
Peters Floor Remarks on Need to Reauthorize Children's Health Insurance Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) spoke on the Senate floor on the need to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The CHIP program provides health care coverage to over 100,000 children in Michigan and more than 9 million children nationally. Below is video and text of his remarks as prepared for delivery: Watch the full video "Over two months ago I stood here in this chamber urging my colleagues to pass legislation that will prevent kids enrolled in the Chi… Continue Reading
12.14.17
Peters Blasts FCC Vote to Dismantle Net Neutrality Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement on today's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) vote to roll back net neutrality protections that ensure all consumers and small businesses have access to a free and open internet: "Today's FCC vote to scrap net neutrality protections is an anti-consumer decision that disadvantages small businesses and everyday internet users. This action could usher in a two-tiered internet, where large corporations that can p… Continue Reading
12.13.17
Peters Floor Remarks on Need to Protect Net Neutrality
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) spoke on the Senate floor today in opposition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to roll back net neutrality protections that keep the internet open and free for consumers and small businesses. Below is video and text of his remarks as prepared for delivery: Watch the full video "There are a handful of innovations in recent centuries that have redefined the United States, and the world. The cotton gin, railroads, electricity an… Continue Reading
12.12.17
Peters, Klobuchar Oppose FCC Plan to Eliminate Net Neutrality Protections
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), members of the Senate Commerce Committee, sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai expressing their strong opposition to the recently released draft order to eliminate net neutrality protections. The senators also called on the FCC to focus its efforts on closing the digital divide rather than limiting net neutrality protections that help small businesses and consumers compete and succee… Continue Reading
12.12.17
Peters Provisions in Defense Bill Signed into Law
WASHINGTON, DC - President Trump today signed into law major defense legislation that includes over a dozen provisions from U.S. Senator Gary Peters supporting Michigan's growing defense industry and boosting America's military preparedness. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets Department of Defense (DoD) policy, was passed with bipartisan support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate last month. Peters is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a f… Continue Reading
12.06.17
Peters, Capito Student Loan Rehabilitation Bill Advances in the Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee today approved a provision based on bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to help private student loan borrowers rehabilitate their credit after a default on their loans. Currently, federal student loan borrowers are able to remove a default from their credit report, yet private student loan borrowers are not. The provision was approved as part of a lar… Continue Reading
12.05.17
Peters Leads Colleagues to Call for Strong Consumer Protection Advocate at CFPB
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) led 43 of his colleagues in a letter urging President Donald Trump to swiftly nominate a strong consumer protection advocate to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who will put working families ahead of Wall Street. The Senators also expressed serious concerns with the White House decision to install Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney as part-time acting director of the agency. Mulvaney has a clear record o… Continue Reading
12.04.17
Peters, Colleagues Urge FCC to Delay Net Neutrality Vote
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today joined 27 of his colleagues in a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, calling for a delay to the planned December 14th vote to roll back net neutrality rules. In the letter, Peters and his colleagues express alarm over reports that bots filed hundreds of thousands of comments to the FCC during the net neutrality policymaking process. Peters and his colleagues are requesting a delay until an investigation of the … Continue Reading
12.02.17
Peters Statement on Retirement of Rep. Sandy Levin
WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement on the retirement of U.S. Representative Sandy Levin: "Sandy Levin is someone who has been a mentor and role model for me, and his dedication to public service will be missed in the halls of Congress and across Southeast Michigan. If there is one lasting legacy Sandy will leave behind, it is his steadfast commitment to improving the lives of working people. Whether it was fighting for workers affected by trade deals… Continue Reading
