{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-led-provisions-to-support-michigans-defense-sector-included-in-national-defense-bill-headed-to-presidents-desk", "Peters-Led Provisions to Support Michigan\u2019s Defense Sector Included in National Defense Bill Headed to President\u2019s Desk", "2022-12-15", "2022", "2022-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Gary C. Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", "garypeters", "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped pass the bipartisan annual national defense bill out of the full Senate and send it to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. Peters successfully led or supported provisions in the bill to invest in Michigan\u2019s military facilities, strengthen our national security, bolster troop preparedness, combat PFAS contamination and give our servicemembers a pay raise.\n\n\u201cMichiganders play a key role in our national defense and I was proud to secure critical investments in Michigan\u2019s defense sector. From efforts to combat PFAS contamination \u2013 to ensuring our troops are well-prepared \u2013 to bolstering Michigan\u2019s military installations \u2013 this legislation takes important steps to support those who courageously serve our nation,\u201d said Senator Peters, a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cI\u2019m pleased this bill that will soon be law also includes a well-deserved pay raise for our troops and strengthens our national security.\u201d\n\n\u201cSenator Peters continues to be a champion for the Michigan National Guard who fights to ensure our Soldiers and Airmen have the federal support they need to perform their mission,\u201d said Major General Paul D. Rogers, Adjutant General and Director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. \u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA contains many wins for Michigan that will keep our installations and facilities at the forefront of Department of Defense training and ensure Michigan remains a vital enabler of our National Defense Strategy.\u201d\n\nThe National Defense Authorization Act sets annual policy for the Department of Defense (DOD). The defense bill has been signed into law for more than 60 straight years.\n\nThe following provisions Peters led or supported, including the authorization of more than $40 million in funding for Michigan\u2019s military facilities, were secured in the Senate-approved bill, which now heads to the President\u2019s desk for signature:\n\nInvesting in Michigan Military Facilities:\n\n$1.6 Million for Army Reserve Center at Southfield: Peters included an authorization of $1.6 million to complete the construction of maintenance facilities at the Army Reserve Center in Southfield. This builds on Peters\u2019 efforts in last year\u2019s national defense bill to secure a $12 million authorization to help construct new maintenance facilities at the Army Reserve unit in Southfield, which allows servicemembers who serve as mechanics to maintain and extend the lifespan of military vehicles and enable them to utilize the latest equipment and facilities.\n\n$16 Million for National Guard Armory at Camp Grayling: Peters secured an authorization of $16 million for a National Guard armory at Camp Grayling. This funding authorization aligns with the President\u2019s budget calling for funding the armory and helps ensure the Armory can receive full appropriations. This follows Peters\u2019 efforts in last year\u2019s national defense bill to secure the authorization of $5.7 million for the construction of a power generation system.\n\n$24 Million for Marine Corps Reserve Unit at Battle Creek: Peters included an authorization of $24 million for new supply and storage facilities for the Marine Corps Reserve Unit in Battle Creek. This builds on Peters\u2019 efforts in last year\u2019s national defense bill to secure the authorization of $10 million to construct a new main gate and entrance facility to Battle Creek Air National Guard Base.\n\nAddressing PFAS Contamination:\n\nTackling PFAS Contamination: Peters has led the charge in the Senate addressing PFAS contamination. Peters supported provisions in the defense bill to phase out the military purchase of firefighting equipment containing PFAS, support the development of PFAS-free protective gear, require the DoD to regularly provide updates on PFAS research, study the health impact PFAS has on defense communities, and authorize significant funding to clean up PFAS contaminated military sites.\n\nSupporting Michigan\u2019s Defense Sector and Advanced Technology:\n\nFunding Electrification Technology for Army Vehicles: Peters secured a $5 million authorization to help fund the continued development of Next Generation Electrified Transmission, as well as a provision encouraging continued Army funding towards the project to reduce fossil fuel reliance and meet climate strategy goals. This funding will ensure that vital work to develop next-generation, hybrid engines can continue being done in Michigan.\n\nEnsuring Appropriate Use and Recycling of Federal Electric Vehicle Batteries: The bipartisan package includes a provision, based on Peters\u2019 Strategic EV Management Act, that would ensure government agencies are properly using and recycling batteries from the federal fleet of electric vehicles (EVs). The provision will help the federal government provide American manufacturers with a domestic supply of reusable EV batteries and the rare metals needed to make them, while reducing our nation\u2019s dependence on foreign suppliers for these limited, but critical resources.\n\nSupport for Ground Combat Vehicles: Peters supported an increase in authorization of funding for ground combat vehicles \u2013 including the Abrams tanks, Stryker vehicle upgrades, and Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) systems. General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights is the prime contractor for the Stryker armored vehicle and many Michigan companies serve as suppliers for each of these platforms.\n\nBolstering Cybersecurity Efforts: Peters supported a provision to establish the DoD Cyber and Digital Service Academy as a scholarship-for-service program partnered with universities and colleges in the United States, with a DOD service requirement for participants. As Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters is leading the charge to strengthen our cybersecurity and has passed into law significant cybersecurity reforms.\n\nEnsuring Agencies Can Quickly Adopt Cloud-Based Technology: Peters secured a provision, based on his bipartisan bill, to ensure federal agencies are able to quickly adopt cloud-based technologies that improve government operations and efficiently provide services to Americans. The provision will also make sure federal cloud systems \u2013 which store a considerable amount of personal and sensitive information \u2013 are secure from cyber-attacks.\n\nSecuring and Preventing Misuse of Data Collected By Artificial Intelligence: The package includes a provision, based on bipartisan legislation authored by Peters, that would ensure that government contractors are securing and using data collected by artificial intelligence technology, such as biometric data from facial recognition scans, in a way that protects protect national security and in ensures the privacy and rights of all Americans.\n\nSupporting Our Troops, Their Families, and Their Communities:\n\nPay Raise for Troops: Peters supported a 4.6 percent pay raise for both military servicemembers and the DoD civilian workforce.\n\nSupporting Troop Preparedness: Peters secured a provision highlighting the importance of cold weather training and mandating that DoD provide a report detailing existing all-domain warfighting centers that are able to support artic like training exercises. Also included was provision supported by Peters that authorizes $32.5 million in funding for female/small stature body armor.\n\nPromoting STEM Education through STARBASE: Peters supported efforts to authorize significant funding for STARBASE, a DoD Youth Program that promotes STEM education. Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township is home to the first STARBASE program, which specifically provides K-12 students unique experiences in experiential learning, simulations and experiments in aviation and space-related fields.\n\nSupporting Defense Community Infrastructure Projects: Peters secured language altering the requirement for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) by allowing for land which is community owned but DoD leased to be eligible for DCIP project funding \u2013 allowing for the possibility of communities near Selfridge Air National Guard Base to apply for DCIP funds. Historically, DCIP projects have been used to improve access to and from military facilities, build more resilient infrastructure, enhance quality of life among servicemembers and their families, and bridge the gap between defense installations and the communities they serve.\n\nSafeguarding Houses of Worship: Peters helped secure a provision to reauthorize the Nonprofit Security Grant Program at $360 million. Peters has long championed and supported increased funding for this program, which provides grants to help houses of worship and at-risk nonprofits plan for and safeguard their facilities against potential attacks.\n\nInvest in Defense Operations and Support U.S. Security Interests:\n\nSupporting Ukraine and Key Allies: The bill extends and modifies the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides appropriate security assistance to the Government of Ukraine and to other forces or groups recognized by, and under the authority of, the Government of Ukraine; and authorizes funding to provide security assistance to Ukraine via this authority.\n\nSupporting Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Research: Peters supported provisions to reauthorize cooperation between the U.S. and Israel on counter-unmanned aerial systems issues. This builds on Peters\u2019 efforts in the previous national defense bill, which authorized a program for joint research and development with Israel on counter-unmanned aerial systems technology. A range of unmanned aerial systems from small, commercially available platforms to larger, armed aircraft pose a threat to both the United States and Israel. This cooperative research program will allow the United States military to benefit from Israel\u2019s expertise and experience in countering unmanned aerial systems.\n\nSupporting Defense Relationship Between U.S. and Israel: Peters included a provision to clarify the requirements and expectations from Congress for the U.S. Israel Operations Technology Working Group. Peters previously called for the formation of the working group with the Israeli government to focus on shared defense technology issues and coordinate defense capabilities, research and development.\n\nSupporting Taiwan: Peters supported the authorization of the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act of 2022, including various provisions designed to increase security cooperation with Taiwan consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, which would help deter aggression from the Chinese government.\n\nBuilding Information Operations: Peters included a requirement for the DoD to better identify and build up partner nation capacity to conduct information operations.\n\nInvesting in the U.S. Coast Guard:\n\nU.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Center of Expertise: The bill authorizes additional funding for the operation of the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response. In 2018, Peters authored a provision that was signed into law to establish the Great Lakes Center of Expertise to examine the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments and help develop effective responses. Peters later secured $4.5 million for the Center of Expertise, and led efforts to ensure it was headquartered in Michigan. Peters helped cut the ribbon at the Center of Expertise at Lake Superior State University\u2019s Center for Freshwater Research and Education.\n\nImprove U.S. Coast Guard Data on Oil Spill Modeling: The bill would incorporate a recommendation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to ensure the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acquires all data relevant to advanced predictive modeling for spills of diluted bitumen being transported by pipelines. NOAA has begun incorporating new data on this practice; however, they are not required by law to do so. Therefore, this commonsense provision authored by Peters would require U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to acquire this data to improve oil spill preparedness moving forward.\n\nAuthorize Funding for New Great Lakes Icebreaker: The bill provides an authorization of $350 million in funding to acquire an additional Great Lakes icebreaker.\n\nAddress Backlog of USCG Infrastructure Projects: The bill would begin to address the current backlog of USCG infrastructure projects in the Great Lakes by requiring an annual report from USCG on shoreside infrastructure needs by region.\n\nModernizing Water Infrastructure:\n\nWater Resources Development Act: The bipartisan Water Resources Development Act is included in the national defense bill. Peters helped secure major water infrastructure investments \u2013 including the authorization of projects through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to modernize the Soo Locks, stop invasive carp, prevent coastal erosion and flooding, and improve water quality in Michigan, among other priorities.\n\nOther Provisions:\n\nBolstering Federal Response to Disasters and Emergencies: Peters also helped secure provisions to strengthen our federal government\u2019s response to natural disasters and emergencies. One bipartisan provision, based on legislation Peters helped introduce this summer, would ensure our nation is better prepared for high-consequence events, regardless of the low probability, such as new strains of disease, biotechnology accidents, or naturally occurring risks such as super volcanoes or solar flares that though unlikely, would be exceptionally lethal if they occurred. Peters also secured a provision that would expand mental health assistance for communities recovering from the psychological effects of natural disasters and other emergencies.\n\nStrengthening Protections for Inspectors General: As Chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has long worked to ensure government works effectively and efficiently. Peters secured long overdue reforms, based on legislation he championed in the Senate, to strengthen protections for inspectors general who conduct independent oversight to prevent and uncover fraud, waste, and abuse of tax dollars in the federal government.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-led-provisions-to-support-michigans-defense-sector-included-in-national-defense-bill-headed-to-presidents-desk"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.758270828053355, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}