Press Releases
Senators Peters, Stabenow Urge President Obama To Raise Issue Of Nuclear Waste Storage at North American Leaders‘ Summit
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in calling on President Obama to address proposals to store nuclear waste near the Great Lakes basin during an upcoming meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the North American Leaders' Summit. "With trilateral energy and environmental issues likely on the agenda, we write to urge you to take this opportunity to discuss proposals tha… Continue Reading
05.26.16
Peters, Daines, Tillis & Gillibrand Introduce Amendment Ensuring Fairness for Veterans Erroneously Discharged from Military
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help veterans who may have been erroneously given a less than honorable discharge from the military due to negative behavior resulting from mental traumas such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The bipartisan amendment codifies the Hagel memo, ensuring Discharge… Continue Reading
05.26.16
Peters, Stabenow Introduce Student Tax Relief Act
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today joined six of their colleagues to introduce the Student Tax Relief Act, a bill that would protect defrauded student borrowers from being taxed on their forgiven loans. This legislation follows actions by the Department of Education to protect defrauded students at 100 Corinthian Colleges across the country, including five Everest Colleges in Michigan, and ensures that borrowers at any schools whose loans were forgiven receive t… Continue Reading
05.25.16
Peters, Stabenow Urge Action on Delayed VA Medical Leases
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow joined 13 of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter urging the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs to authorize leases for 18 major medical facilities across 12 states, including a new expanded outpatient facility in Ann Arbor, MI, that have been awaiting congressional authorization for over a year. An additional six leases for facilities, including a new outpatient clinic in Pontiac, MI, must be authorized this year. The … Continue Reading
05.23.16
Peters Tours Downtown Market Grand Rapids to Highlight Innovative Payments Technology for Small Businesses
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today toured the Downtown Market Grand Rapids and A Moveable Feast food truck to meet with business owners and see firsthand how small businesses in Grand Rapids are using innovative technology to accept electronic and mobile payments to help their businesses grow and create jobs. Peters was accompanied by Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and Downtown Market Grand Rapids' President and CEO Mimi Fritz. Peters is Co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate P… Continue Reading
05.20.16
Senators Stabenow, Peters Announce Support for Kingsford, Houghton Fire Departments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced over $122,000 for the Kingsford Public Safety Department and the Houghton Fire Department to help purchase equipment. This grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. "Our firefighters in Kingsford and Houghton put their lives on the line to protect our families and homes," said Senator Stabenow. "Thanks to these new resources, these brave men and women will… Continue Reading
05.20.16
Senators Stabenow, Peters Announce Support for Mt. Morris, Croswell Firefighters and First Responders
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced over $179,000 for the City of Mt. Morris Fire Department and the Croswell E.M.S. to help purchase equipment. This grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. "Our firefighters and first responders in Mt. Morris and Croswell put their lives on the line to protect our families and homes," said Senator Stabenow. "Thanks to these new resources, these brave men a… Continue Reading
05.20.16
Senators Stabenow, Peters Announce Support for Dearborn, Livonia Fire Departments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced over $310,000 for the City of Dearborn and the Livonia Fire & Rescue to help purchase equipment. This grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. "Our firefighters in Dearborn and Livonia put their lives on the line to protect our families and homes," said Senator Stabenow. "Thanks to these new resources, these brave men and women will have the equipment… Continue Reading
05.20.16
Senators Stabenow, Peters Announce Support for Otsego County Fire Department
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced almost $47,000 for the Otsego County Fire Department to help purchase equipment. This grant comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grants program. "Our firefighters in Otsego County put their lives on the line to protect our families and homes," said Senator Stabenow. "Thanks to these new resources, these brave men and women will have the equipment they need to help them do … Continue Reading
05.20.16
Peters Tours Fullerton Tool West & Highlights Bipartisan Bill to Support Small and Medium Manufacturers
THOMAS TOWNSHIP, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today toured Fullerton Tool West in Thomas Township, MI to highlight bipartisan legislation he recently introduced to strengthen and improve the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) - a public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. Michigan's MEP affiliate, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC), has been working with small and medium-sized businesses … Continue Reading
05.19.16
Peters, Stabenow Urge Quick Completion of Army Corps Study to Help Upgrade Soo Locks
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) sent a letter urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to swiftly complete their Economic Reevaluation Report in order to begin the process of upgrading the Soo Locks. At the urging of Stabenow and Peters, the Obama Administration last year approved $1.35 million for Army Corps of Engineer's request to review upgrades for the Soo Locks and help replace the Davis and Sabin Locks with a lock of similar size to the Poe Lock. … Continue Reading
05.17.16
Peters, Stabenow Call for Stricter Standards, Stronger Oversight of Great Lakes Pipelines
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Great Lakes Task Force, and Debbie Stabenow (MI), Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, sent a letter to Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx urging DOT to hold pipelines that cross the Great Lakes to the same standards as other offshore pipelines given the potential for significant economic and ecological harm from an oil spill in the Great Lakes. Pipelines crossing the Great Lakes, including Enbridge's Lin… Continue Reading
05.16.16
Peters, Carper and Coons Urge GAO to Study How Innovative Payments Providers are Regulated
WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), Tom Carper (DE) and Chris Coons (DE) today sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting additional information on innovative payment provider regulations and ongoing efforts at the state and federal levels related to mobile payments. "The financial services industry has seen significant developments in recent years as technological advancement and adoption have created opportunities for both established firms and n… Continue Reading
05.16.16
Peters Presents Congressional Gold Medal to Montford Point Marine
FARMINGTON, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today presented Mr. John Willie Jordan a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Montford Point Marines in 2012. Corporal Jordan, who served in Hawaii during World War II and is a long-time resident of Metro Detroit, was among the first African Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Senator Peters' office worked to secure the medal for Mr. Jordan and ensure his contributions to our nation were properly honored. Peters' office also secured the … Continue Reading
05.11.16
Peters Small Business Provisions Advance in Senate
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship today approved three provisions introduced by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) to strengthen small businesses. Peters' provisions improve Small Business Administration (SBA) outreach to women and minority-owned small businesses, strengthen the ability for small businesses to protect intellectual property, and support small businesses that are assisted by the SBA's Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) pr… Continue Reading
05.06.16
Peters Statement on Treasury Department Rejection of Central States Pension Fund Plan
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Treasury Department's rejection of an application from the Board of Trustees of the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Plan (Central States Plan) to enact drastic pension cuts for thousands of retirees: "The deep pension cuts proposed by the Central States Plan would have caused devastating financial hardship for thousands of retirees in Michigan and across the countr… Continue Reading
05.05.16
Peters Makes First Visit to Soo Locks
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today toured the Soo Locks for the first time as U.S. Senator, where he saw firsthand lock operations and discussed the critical importance of the Soo Locks to Michigan's economy and national security. During the visit, Peters toured the control room and the MacArthur and Poe Locks and received a briefing from the Army Corps of Engineers on the current state of operations. Last year, the Obama Administration approved $1.35 million to review up… Continue Reading
05.05.16
Peters, Stabenow Announce Support for Southeast Michigan Fire Departments
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today announced that the Southgate Fire Department, the Wayne Fire Department, and the Grosse Pointe Woods Department of Public Safety will be awarded assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). The funding will be used to purchase equipment and improve safety operations. "It is critical that first responders and firefighters have the tools and resources needed to keep th… Continue Reading
05.04.16
Senators Peters, Stabenow Applaud $1.3 Million Investment for Great Lakes Protection in West Michigan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today applauded the announcement of over $1.3 million in federal funds to help four projects in West Michigan focus on: controlling and combatting invasive species, restoring wildlife habitats, implementing new conservation measures, and conducting on-farm educational research. The funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. "The Great Lakes are part of our way of life in Mi… Continue Reading
05.04.16
Senators Peters, Stabenow Applaud $1.1 Million for Michigan Technological University to Combat Invasive Species in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, today applauded the announcement of a $1.1 million grant to help Michigan Technological University control and combat invasive species in the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. This funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. "The Great Lakes are part of our way of life in Michigan, driving economic growth and providing safe drinking water for over 40 million people," said Senator… Continue Reading
