U.S. Senator Gary Peters continues to fight for Michiganders. From introducing the National Institute of Manufacturing (NIM) Act to streamline dozens of federal manufacturing programs to fighting for Michiganders to have access to usable COVID-19 tests – Gary is working to get results.
Read below on how Gary is fighting for Michigan this week:
GARY INTRODUCES THE 1619 ACT
Gary introduced the 1619 Act, which would expand the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s education programming to public school teachers across the country to improve awareness and understanding about African American history.
WNEM CBS 5 Flint: Senator Introduces Bill To Increase Awareness, Understanding Of African American History In Schools
- U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced a bill to increase awareness and understanding of African American history across Michigan schools through expanded access to programming from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- “Black history should not only be recognized in our public schools as something that happens one month a year, each February but something that is a larger part of the curriculum throughout the year. I’m proud to introduce the 1619 Act, which would help educators overcome barriers to teaching about African American history by providing federal funding and promote awareness and understanding among students.”
- Peters said the funding will specifically be available to support high school teachers, middle school teachers, school administrators, and prospective teachers who engage with quality resources on African American history. He said this will help allow students in schools across the nation to learn more about African American history as well as teach valuable lessons from the African American experience along with the economic, political, social, cultural, and other contributions generations of African American leaders have made to our nation.
WKZO 106.9 FM Kalamazoo: Senator Peters Introduces Bill To Raise Understanding Of African American History In Schools
- The 1619 Act would provide federal funding to support African American History educational programs through workshops and professional development activities for educators. Peters’ bill is cosponsored by 15 Senators, including U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI).
- “Michiganders and Americans across the country are demanding we work together to address bigotry, hatred and systemic racism. While I know we can meet this moment by working together, a central part of that effort must include ensuring that this generation – and future generations – of students can learn about and fully understand American history, including the African American experience.”
- The 1619 Act would recognize the importance of African American history at the federal level, provide $10 million in funding over a five-year period and expand the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s education programming to teachers across the country.
GARY ROLLS OUT GRASSROOTS VETERANS FOR PETERS GROUP
Veterans from across the state formed a grassroots “Veterans for Peters” group this week, citing Gary’s effectiveness and willingness to work across the aisle for our veterans. The group is chaired by Retired Major General Greg Vadnais.
Click On Detroit: Retired Major General Greg Vadnais to lead group of veterans supporting re-election of Sen. Gary Peters
- “In the course of my career I’ve worked with people from all backgrounds, political affiliations, and elected officials from both parties — with the mission of serving my country and making sure those under my command are taken care of and have what they need to succeed,” Major General Greg Vadnais in a release from the campaign. “I can confidently say that the same can be said about Gary Peters”
- Military service has been a running theme during the race for Peters’ seat. Peters is a former Lt. Commander in the Navy Reserve and also sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
GARY ANNOUNCES PLAN TO STRENGTHEN AMERICAN MANUFACTURING, SUPPORT MI MANUFACTURERS
Gary introduced a bill to establish a National Institute of Manufacturing (NIM) that he developed with feedback from Michigan manufacturers. The NIM would streamline dozens of federal manufacturing programs spread across multiple agencies, enabling our country to better respond to rapid changes in global manufacturing.
Detroit News: Sen. Peters Introduces Legislation To Create National Institute Of Manufacturing
- Peters said there are federal 58 programs spread across 11 agencies that deal with manufacturing. “They’re not coordinated, it’s not efficient, taxpayer money is being wasted,” he said. “We need to be focused on the mission, which is to strengthen good-paying manufacturing jobs in America.”
- The National Institute of Manufacturing would “speak with one voice for manufacturing in the country,” he said, and allow a comprehensive strategy for enhancing manufacturing around the country.
- “We need to reverse that,” he said. “We need to make sure that we’re strengthening manufacturing, that we’re expanding manufacturing. And that means that we’re using taxpayer money much more efficiently in helping manufacturers.”
WJMN: U.S. Senator Gary Peters Speaks On Legislation To Establish National Institute Of Manufacturing
- “Really a broad recognition of the fact that we need to have a comprehensive [approach] of how we strengthen manufacturing,” said Peters. “Our global competitors do this. They do it successfully. When you think of the success from Korea and places like Germany, who understand that manufacturing is absolutely critical to the national economies, they work in a cooperative way with private industry to make that industry stronger and enhance employment in their country.”
- The program is modeled after the National Institutes of Health which is made of 27 different components. Each has its own specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems and each component works together.
- “It’ll provide a one-stop hub for those industries to provide feedback to the federal government as to what’s working, what’s not,” said Peters. “But also will be very helpful in terms of regulations as regulations are put forward by the federal government.”
Read more here:
- Holland Sentinel: Peters Introduces Plan to Create National Institute of Manufacturing
- WLUC NBC 6: Sen. Peters Announces Legislation To Create National Institute Of Manufacturing
- WBKB FOX 11: Senator Gary Peters Introduces Legislation To Streamline National Manufacturing Programs
- WWMT CBS 3: Sen. Peters Says New Legislation Would Support Federal Manufacturing Programs
GARY FIGHTS FOR COVID-19 TESTING
Gary is demanding answers from the Trump administration and is fighting to ensure that Michiganders have access to usable COVID-19 tests.
Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Test-Kit Maker Dissolves Amid Probes
- On Monday, Michigan’s Democratic U.S. senators, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, asked FEMA to explain how Fillakit got the contract. Michigan received more than 322,000 Fillakit tubes for transporting samples taken from patients to test for the virus.
- In Monday’s letter, the Michigan senators wrote to FEMA that the sudden loss of the test kits now jeopardizes the state’s ability to lift quarantine restrictions safely. “The State must be able to conduct widespread, reliable tests,” the lawmakers said. “The sudden and unexpected shortfall of hundreds of thousands of vials of transport media runs the risk of compromising the State’s ability to effectively detect and prevent the further spread of COVID-19.”
Law360.com: Mich. Sens. Demand Answers On Unusable COVID-19 Tests
- Michigan’s senators are taking two federal agencies to task after the state received 322,000 faulty COVID-19 test kits produced by upstart government contractor Fillakit, which received more than $10.5 million in federal contracts in May, just weeks after it was incorporated.
- In their letter, the senators said that Michigan had been instructed to set aside more than a quarter-million “tubes of transport media,” the small vials in which COVID-19 test swabs are packaged with a liquid that preserves the virus for the trip from the testing site to a laboratory for analysis, after the government learned that Fillakit’s products were dysfunctional.
- The senators gave FEMA and HHS until July 16 to respond to their questions, writing that “for states to have confidence in their ability to prevent the further spread of the virus, they must have confidence in their ability to test for the virus.”
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