{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-peters-advocates-for-michigan-defense-priorities-at-hearing-with-air-force-nominee", "VIDEO: Peters Advocates for Michigan Defense Priorities at Hearing with Air Force Nominee", "2023-09-14", "2023", "2023-09", "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) advocated for Michigan\u2019s defense priorities during a confirmation hearing for General David W. Allvin, the nominee to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, highlighted the need for continued action to address PFAS contamination across Michigan and pressed for continued support of Michigan\u2019s defense installations, including Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC).\n\n\u201cI appreciated the opportunity to discuss Michigan\u2019s defense priorities with General Allvin,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cOur state plays a key role in our national defense, and we must ensure our defense installations continue to be part of our long-term strategic goals.\u201d\n\nDuring the hearing, Peters acknowledged the steps taken by the Air Force to treat PFAS contamination, but stressed the need for continued action to remediate the impacts of these toxic chemicals.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s still more work that needs to be done to expedite these clean-up efforts,\u201d Peters said during the hearing. \u201cI\u2019m going to continue to hold the Air Force and other federal agencies accountable for protecting public health in Michigan.\u201d\n\nPeters went on to highlight the recent visit of Dr. Ravi I. Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment, to Michigan\u2019s Camp Grayling, a facility of the NADWC, to observe military training exercises at Northern Strike. Peters asked General Allvin how he would prioritize joint force exercises if confirmed.\n\n\u201cThe Assistant Secretary seemed particularly impressed with the Michigan Guard\u2019s ability to host and lead a multi-national, multi-component Joint Force training exercises using assets like the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, as well as Camp Grayling, and the vast physical space and spectrum that\u2019s available in Northern Michigan,\u201d Peters said during the hearing.\n\nGeneral Allvin responded, \u201cI would like to add my congratulations for how successful Northern Strike continues to be\u2026 As we continue to look at different ways of supporting the joint warfighting concept, I can see these particular exercises being particularly useful.\u201d\n\nHe continued, \u201cIf confirmed, I will continue to advocate for these types of exercises that can advance on our joint training and exercise program.\u201d\n\nTo watch video of Senator Peters question General Allvin about Camp Grayling and Northern Strike, click here or on the image below.\n\nPeters additionally underscored the need to speed up autonomous development for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (N-GAD) platform, as well as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Peters asked General Allvin whether he would recommend expanding training sites for this technology if confirmed.\n\nIn his response, General Allvin said, \u201cI really do believe that central to our success as an Air Force, and quite frankly as a joint force, I believe will be our ability to tackle and really leverage autonomy and the AI battlespace in a responsible manner. As we evaluate what will be required and what the systems and associated ranges and airspace that will be required, we need to look at those that are not just perhaps in the traditional testing ranges but I can see opportunities for more in the synthetic environment or perhaps in the actual environment at different ranges.\u201d\n\nAs a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Peters has fought to position Selfridge Air National Guard Base as a potential location for testing CCA. He led a provision of the 2024 Defense Appropriations Act which would direct the Secretary of the Air Force to provide Congress with a report regarding basing criteria of CCA. This report would include an evaluation of whether existing Air National Guard bases with legacy fighter missions, such as Selfridge, may be appropriate locations for the basing of CCA.\n\nTo watch video of Senator Peters question General Allvin about autonomous development for Next-Generation Air Dominance (N-GAD) platforms, as well as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), click here or on the image below.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "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/video-peters-advocates-for-michigan-defense-priorities-at-hearing-with-air-force-nominee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1956688724458218, "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"}