Peters Has Passed Nine Bills in Senate, Most by a Single Senator This Congress

DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) recently passed his ninth bill through the full Senate with bipartisan support. With the passage of his legislation better predicting extreme space weather events, the U.S. Senate in this session of Congress has approved more Peters-led bills than any other Senator in the chamber. The distinction comes despite Peters still serving in his first term and being a member of the minority party. Peters has passed bipartisan legislation in this session of the Senate addressing a number of issues facing Michigan families from expanding apprenticeship opportunities for veterans – to improving border security by increasing the number of agricultural inspectors hired at ports of entry – to strengthening cybersecurity and improving government efficiency.

For his efforts, Peters has been recognized as one of the most bipartisan and effective lawmakers in the Senate. This year, the non-partisan Lugar Center ranked him as the 3rd-most bipartisan Democrat and 12th-most bipartisan Senator. This follows Peters being named the 4th-most bipartisan Democrat by the Lugar Center last year and the 4th-most effective Democratic senator in the 115th Senate (2017-2018) by the non-partisan Center for Effective Lawmaking.

“Part of being an effective lawmaker means working with Republicans and Democrats to get things done. I’m proud to work on a bipartisan basis to pass legislation to address challenges Michiganders face on a daily basis,” said Senator Peters. “Michigan families expect their lawmakers to cut through gridlock and work with anyone to achieve results. I’m proud of my work to expand skills trainings and apprenticeship opportunities, support our servicemembers both during their mission and when they return home, and save Michigan taxpayer dollars by cutting red tape. My focus will continue to be on delivering results for Michigan families and advancing practical, commonsense solutions.”

This session of Congress, the Senate has passed the following Peters-led bills:

• The Support for Veterans in Effective Apprenticeships Act of 2019, introduced with U.S. Senator Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), will increase veterans’ access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) financial assistance that they can use toward a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program. The bipartisan measure was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in December 2019 and signed into law this past March.

• The Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019, introduced with U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX), will help address the shortage of agricultural inspectors who protect the nation’s food supply and agricultural industries at the border. It will help ensure the safe and secure trade of agricultural goods across our nation’s borders by authorizing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire additional inspectors, support staff and canine fully staff America’s airports, seaports and land ports of entry. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate in October of 2019 and signed into law this past March.

• The Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act, introduced with Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), would strengthen the nation’s ability to predict severe space weather events and mitigate their harmful impacts on Earth. The bipartisan bill was passed by the U.S. Senate last month.

• The Secure Federal LEASEs Act, introduced with U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), would determine if office space leased by the federal government is owned by foreign entities – including China. The bipartisan legislation was drafted in response to a 2017 Government Accountability Office report that several federal agencies were leasing high-security office space in foreign-owned properties, including six Federal Bureau of Investigation and three Drug Enforcement Administration field offices. The bill would specifically task the General Services Administration (GSA) with designing a system that identifies property owners if the space would be used for high-security purposes, and was passed by the U.S. Senate this past March.

• The State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act, introduced with Senator Portman, would promote stronger cybersecurity coordination between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state and local governments. Specifically, the measure would direct the DHS to share information regarding cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and breaches as well as resources to prevent and recover from cyber-attacks with states and localities who are increasingly targeted by bad actors. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate this past November.

• The Charging Helps Agencies Realize General Efficiencies Act, introduced with Senator Portman, would save taxpayer dollars by updating policies to help federal agencies adopt electric vehicles, which are more fuel efficient than traditional gas-powered vehicles. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate this past December.

• The One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act, introduced with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), would permanently protect the Apollo landing sites on the moon. Specifically, the measure would enact first-of-its-kind legal protections for these historic sites from intentional and unintentional disturbances by codifying into law existing NASA preservation recommendations. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate in July 2019.

• The Supply Chain Counterintelligence Training Act of 2019, introduced with U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), would address cybersecurity vulnerabilities while purchasing information technology equipment for the government. Specifically, the legislation would establish a government-wide approach to securing information and communications technology by ensuring that all executive agency officials with supply chain risk management responsibilities know how to identify and mitigate counterintelligence threats posed by foreign nations. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate in May 2019.

• The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2019, introduced with U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), would develop and retain highly-skilled cybersecurity professionals in the federal workforce by creating a civilian personnel rotation program for cybersecurity professionals at federal agencies. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the U.S. Senate in May 2019.

In the 116th Congress, Peters serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee.

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