Press Releases
Peters Cosponsors Legislation to Establish National Registry for Firefighters Suffering from Cancer
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) today announced he is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to establish a national registry that would better monitor cancer diagnoses in firefighters. The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act would also improve voluntary data collection to track and respond to firefighters' unique health care needs. Firefighters are exposed to hazardous toxins and carcinogens in the line of duty and have a higher risk for cancer, which is a leading cause of death for ca… Continue Reading
04.19.17
Peters Cosponsors Legislation to Improve Access to Care for Women Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, today announced he is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide better access to services to help meet the unique health care needs of women veterans. The Deborah Sampson Act, named for a woman who disguised herself to serve in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, would … Continue Reading
04.18.17
Senators Peters, Stabenow Announce Support for Cheboygan Life Support Systems Inc.
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today announced $159,773 for the Cheboygan Life Support Systems Inc. This grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program and will equip ambulances with a power-load cot system to further assist first responders in the line of duty. "Our first responders work hard to keep us safe every day, we owe it to them to make sure they are kept safe on the job as well" said Senator Peters. … Continue Reading
04.18.17
Peters, Colleagues to Urge Trump to Quickly Nominate Government Watchdogs
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to send a letter urging President Donald Trump to quickly nominate qualified candidates for Inspectors General (IGs), who serve as watchdogs at federal agencies. According to a 2014 report from the Council of the Inspectors General on Int… Continue Reading
04.18.17
Peters Cosponsors Bill to Help More Veterans Suffering from PTSD Receive Mental Health Treatment
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, announced today he is cosponsoring legislation to require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide mental and behavioral health services to certain former servicemembers who received less than honorable discharges, also known as "bad paper" discharges. The Honor Our Commitment Act of 2017 would extend eligibility for VA mental health b… Continue Reading
04.17.17
Peters Cosponsors Bill to Promote Investments in Short Line Railroads
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, announced today he is cosponsoring legislation to encourage greater investments in short line railroads. The Building Rail Access for the Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, which was introduced by U.S Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) would make permanent a tax credit used to repair and upgrade short line railroads, which are regional railroad lines that often … Continue Reading
04.17.17
Peters Statement on Reported Potential Closure of EPA Region 5 Office
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today released the following statement on reports that President Trump's Administration may close the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 Office in Chicago that serves Michigan and other Great Lakes states: "While these reports have yet to be confirmed, I am gravely concerned with any effort to potentially close the Environmental Protection Agency's regional office, which would be a disaster for the Great Lakes. Not only are the Great La… Continue Reading
04.17.17
Peters, Stabenow Announce Support for Michigan Bureau of Fire Services
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today announced $434,783 for the Michigan Bureau of Fire Services Fire Fighter Training Academy. This grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. "We rely on our firefighters to protect our communities every day, and we must provide them with the right training so they can do their jobs safely and effectively," said Senator Peters. "I'm pleased to announce this award that wil… Continue Reading
04.13.17
Peters Presents Flint Area Vietnam Veterans with 50th Anniversary Commemorative Lapel Pins
FLINT, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees and a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, today presented Vietnam veterans from Flint and the surrounding area with commemorative lapel pins to honor their service in the Vietnam War. The ceremony, which was held at the American Legion Post #294 in Swartz Creek, is part of a national effort to honor the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. "The men and women who served … Continue Reading
04.12.17
Peters Statement on President Trump’s Refusal to Label China as a Currency Manipulator
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, released the following statement after President Trump refused to label China as a currency manipulator: "China has a proven history of manipulating their currency and engaging in illegal trade practices to deliberately undermine America's economic competitiveness, and they are likely to resume these practices in the future. Currency manipulation prevents the American auto industry from expanding into n… Continue Reading
04.12.17
Peters Announces Bill to Help Small Businesses Applying for Federal Contracts
LANSING, MI - Today, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) visited MessageMakers in Lansing to announce that he will be introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to help protect small businesses from falling victim to fraud when they register to procure federal contracts. The Procurement Fraud Prevention Act would require small businesses to be notified that free assistance is available for help in procuring government contracts through federal programs, including Procuremen… Continue Reading
04.11.17
Peters Visits YWCA in Kalamazoo, Highlights Legislation to Protect Domestic Violence Victims and Pets
KALAMAZOO, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters today toured the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Kalamazoo to learn more about their programs to assist domestic and sexual assault victims. While there, he discussed the Pets and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, bipartisan legislation Peters introduced to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence from trauma caused by violence against their pets. Multiple studies have shown that domestic abusers often seek t… Continue Reading
04.10.17
Peters Statement on Palm Sunday Attacks on Coptic Christian Churches in Egypt
DETROIT, MI - Below is a statement from U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) on recent bombing attacks against two Coptic Christian churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday: "I am saddened by the horrific attacks in Egypt against Coptic Christians. Everyone deserves the right to worship in peace and safety, but Copts in Egypt have suffered persecution and attacks on their churches for too long. The Egyptian Government must take action to both address the threat of violent extremism and ensure the protection… Continue Reading
04.10.17
Peters, Stabenow Urge Trump Administration to Release Army Corps Brandon Road Study to Stop Spread of Asian Carp
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) together with 10 other Great Lakes Senators called on the Trump Administration to release a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that recommends specific measures to prevent Asian Carp from getting beyond the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, a crucial chokepoint in the Chicago waterway system. The study, which is critical to stopping the flow of Asian Carp and other invasive species, was supposed to be released at the end of… Continue Reading
04.10.17
Peters, Gardner Call For Increase in U.S. Science Funding
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter today to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging the Committee to support a substantial increase in federal funding for science, research, and development at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). "Ongoing federal initiatives in research and development are already respons… Continue Reading
04.07.17
Peters, Gardner Introduce Resolution to Eliminate Duplicative Government Programs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) today introduced the Congressional Oversight to Start Taxpayer Savings Resolution (COST Savings Resolution), bipartisan legislation that would require Congressional committees to hold oversight hearings on the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Annual Report of Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap and Duplication and the GAO High Risk List. "Congress is responsible for ensuring taxpayer dollars are being… Continue Reading
04.07.17
Peters, Tillis Lead Colleagues in Calling for Funding to Advance Self-Driving Vehicles
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today led a bipartisan group of their Senate colleagues in a letter calling for increased funding to support the advancement of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies. The letter specifically calls for Congress to appropriate funding for the safe development and testing of CAV technologies at U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) federally-designated proving grounds. The letter was sent to Senate Transportatio… Continue Reading
04.07.17
Peters Statement on Missile Strikes in Syria
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, released the following statement on U.S. military missile strikes in Syria: "Bashar Al-Assad's ruthless use of chemical weapons to kill innocent men, women, and children is abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. Our ultimate goals in resolving the crisis in Syria should be restoring stability to the region and providing safety and security for the Syrian people, who have endured… Continue Reading
04.06.17
Peters Leads Colleagues in Calling for Continued Funding of Essential Air Service Program
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) led 20 of his Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter calling for robust funding for the Essential Air Service Program (EAS). The EAS Program, funded through the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT), provides critical air service that connects rural and remote areas to major hubs, helping to grow area businesses and support economic growth. President Trump's FY2018 budget proposal would eliminate funding for the program, which could force rur… Continue Reading
04.05.17
Peters, Stabenow Urge President Trump to Keep Promise to Michigan Workers in Meeting with Chinese President Xi
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In advance of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), joined by Senators Robert Casey Jr. (D-PA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) wrote to President Trump asking him to keep his promise to American workers by calling on China to stop its harmful t… Continue Reading
