Peters to Serve as Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Peters to Focus on Secure Communities, Cutting Government Waste
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) will serve as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the U.S. Senate’s principal oversight committee, in the 116th Congress. The committee is responsible for ensuring all federal departments and agencies are operating effectively, and also oversees the Department of Homeland Security. Peters previously served as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management within the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“The committee plays a vital role in our nation’s security, and as Ranking Member I will work to promote the safety and security of all communities,” said Senator Peters. “Our country faces a number of challenges, whether it is securing our Northern and Southern borders, combatting cutting-edge threats like cyber attacks or ensuring local communities have the resources they need to respond to emergencies. I look forward to working with Senator Johnson and our colleagues to address these serious challenges and ensure that the communities our constituents call home are great places to live, work and raise a family.”
Peters helped introduce the Northern Border Security Review Act, which was signed into law in 2016, to strengthen security at the Northern Border with Canada, encourage the secure and smooth flow of international trade, protect Michigan’s ports and prevent human trafficking. To support local communities, he authored a bipartisan provision to help fire departments save money by hiring and promoting trained part-time first responders to full time positions using Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. Peters has also made cybersecurity a key focus, introducing bipartisan legislation to boost the federal government’s cybersecurity workforce, as well as help local governments and small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity practices.
“I will also be focused on using the committee’s oversight role to make government work more efficiently for taxpayers,” said Senator Peters. “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that tax dollars are being used wisely, and I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cut waste, reduce fraud and streamline government performance for hardworking families in Michigan and across the country.”
Peters has made good stewardship of federal dollars a priority in the U.S. Senate. He introduced the bipartisan Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act, which was signed into law in October 2015, requiring federal agencies to encourage the use of less expensive remanufactured parts in federal vehicle repairs. A provision based on Peters’ bipartisan Federal Acquisitions Savings Act was signed into law earlier this year to help cut costs on federal equipment by requiring agencies to consider leases or short-term rentals when those options are more cost effective than purchasing equipment. He also introduced the Federal Personal Property Management Act, bipartisan legislation to streamline the federal government’s efforts to sell or dispose of excess equipment that is being stored at taxpayer expense. Peters has also conducted oversight of Trump Administration officials’ excessive travel spending, and has asked 14 federal agencies to detail their fraudulent spending.
In addition to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters currently serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Joint Economic Committee.
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