Congressman Dan Kildee holds various leadership positions in Congress. As Chief Deputy Whip—part of the Democratic leadership team in Congress—he acts as an important liaison among Members of Congress and the leadership to build support for Democratic priorities and legislation. Congressman Kildee serves on three committees, including the Ways and Means Committee, the Budget Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
On the Ways and Means Committee, the oldest and one of the most powerful committees, Congressman Kildee works to lower the costs of health care premiums and prescription drugs, protect Social Security and Medicare, negotiate fair trade deals and create a tax system that benefits working families, not just the richest corporations.
Michigan is a beautiful state, home to an abundance of natural resources. It’s our responsibility to preserve our water, land and air for future generations. I represent 118 miles of beautiful Lake Huron shoreline and I assure you that protecting our way of life in Michigan is one of my biggest priorities. It’s not just about protecting our environment; our Great Lakes are job creators. The Great Lakes propel our economy, generating billions in annual economic activity each year.
In Congress, I’ve spearheaded efforts to protect our Great Lakes from harm, including from:
These are very real threats not only to the Great Lakes, but our economy in Michigan. It is vital that we protect the Great Lakes, now and in the future, because they help to generate billions in annual economic activity and support 1.5 million good-paying jobs in the tourism, boating and fishing industries. Along with a bipartisan group of members, I have urged President Trump to fully fund the GLRI, and I will continue to fight to protect funding for our Great Lakes – our way of life depends on it.
On September 17, 2021, I introduced, along with Republicans and Democrats from across the Great Lakes region, a bipartisan resolution opposing the construction of a permanent nuclear waste facility in the Great Lakes Basin. I will continue to work in a bipartisan way to bring attention to this threat and seek an alternative location. Surely in the vast land mass that comprises Canada, there is a better place to permanently store nuclear waste than near our Great Lakes.
America is the richest country in the world, yet we continue to face a widening income gap where millions of Americans are working harder than ever, but they haven’t seen it reflected in their paychecks. Michiganders are working harder than ever, but their incomes are not keeping up with the cost of living, making staying in the middle class more difficult. As income inequality has increased, the rungs on the ladder of opportunity have grown further apart.
Congress can – and should – work together to create opportunity and increase economic opportunity so that all Michiganders and Americans have a chance to succeed. This includes raising the federal minimum wage so millions of workers get a much deserved raise. In Congress, I have co-sponsored H.R. 1010, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10. Raising the federal minimum wage, which is widely supported by the American people, is good for workers, good for businesses and good for our overall economy.
I’m also a strong advocate for the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide equal pay for equal work for women. Right now in Michigan, a woman earns less for doing the same exact job and work a man does. That’s wrong. We should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act right away to close this discriminatory wage gap that costs women and their families thousands of dollars in lost wages each year.
Manufacturing
The Fifth District – the birthplace of General Motors – put the world on wheels. Our communities have a proud legacy of manufacturing, and it is vital that we build upon this rich history to create an economy that works for everyone.
It’s in this spirit that I’ve been a champion of the ‘Make It in America’ agenda, a package of bipartisan bills to revitalize our nation’s manufacturing base and help create high-skill, high-wage jobs for Michigan and America.
This package of bills would help to rebuild our manufacturing base and invest in companies that locate here, in Michigan – not overseas. The legislative package has four key components, including developing a national manufacturing strategy; increasing manufacturing exports to other countries; encouraging businesses to innovate and bring jobs back to the U.S.; and investing in workforce and job training programs to support a workforce necessary for the twenty-first century economy.
One key piece of legislation alongside this package is the 21st Century Jobs and Manufacturing Act, which would expand on successful collegiate partnerships and jobs-training programs that already exist in Michigan to give workers career-ready skills in the jobs of tomorrow.
TPP
Growing up in Flint, I’ve seen firsthand the effect so-called “free trade” deals can have on our economy. At its peak, Flint had nearly 80,000 jobs in the automotive manufacturing industry. Today, that number is down to 10,000. Too often, we’ve been promised that trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will grow our economy and create American jobs – instead, they’ve done the opposite, contributing to the loss of tens of thousands of good-paying jobs to companies overseas while creating an uneven playing field tilted against our workers.
Unfortunately, the President’s administration is currently negotiating a new so-called “free trade” deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, entirely in secret. Congress so far has been left out of the negotiating process, even though the President will be asking Congress to vote in favor of this fast-tracked deal. Nothing I’ve seen so far leads me to believe this new TPP deal is any different from NAFTA.
Trade policies negotiated in secret, like the TPP, are not the right course for Michigan and I will continue to oppose them being fast-tracked. My district was sold a bill of goods the last time around and is still dealing with the effect NAFTA had on our local economy. TPP would double down on these bad policies, and I simply can’t support it.
I’m proud to be born and raised in Flint. I’m proud to represent such a diverse district in Congress—from the urban cities of Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, to the shoreline communities along Lake Huron like Tawas and Oscoda. During my time in Congress, I have worked on a number of issues that are unique to our district. They include:
I have also introduced legislation that would require the EPA to update outdated federal drinking water rules governing how we protect our drinking water. It is important to remember that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. My bill, the NO LEAD Act, would increase transparency when it comes to water testing, require that schools and childcare centers are tested annually for lead, and lower the federal action level for lead in drinking water from the current level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb by 2026.
The U.S. is a profound force for good in the world. Our ability to impact peace and democracy across the globe is rooted in our economic strength and principles of democracy. Through these diplomatic initiatives, partnered with a strong national defense, the U.S. can keep Americans safe at home and abroad and continue to create positive change throughout the world.
Foreign aid contributes not only to global humanitarian interests but also to our own national security and economic stability. By helping to foster peace and stability in foreign countries, we build both political allies and strong trading partners while reducing the need for potential military intervention. Foreign aid is essential for U.S. interests around the world and to create stable allies that will foster worldwide peace.
In January 2016, Amir and three other Americans were released from imprisonment in Iran. One of the proudest days of my life was flying over to Germany with the Hekmati family to bring him home to Flint. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly with me to secure Amir’s release.
I am committed to making sure that the men and women who have served, are serving, or will serve in the U.S. military get the resources and care they need – both at home and abroad – and guarantee they receive the benefits they have earned.
As the son of a U.S. Navy veteran, I understand the importance of supporting those in uniform and providing them the dignity they are entitled to. This includes:
Boosting veteran benefits: I am committed to honoring our veteran’s service by ensuring they continue to receive all the benefits they have earned, which is why I’m a cosponsor of H.R. 1329, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-Of-Living Adjustment Act. This bill would increase cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) rates for veterans with service-connected disabilities and for survivors of certain disabled veterans.
Preventing veterans suicide: I was pleased to vote for the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act in February 2016 and watch former President Obama sign it into law. The law expands access to mental health services for our nation’s veterans and seeks to curb the epidemic of veterans’ suicides in our country.
Protecting veterans’ from toxic chemical contamination: Oscoda, Michigan, is home to the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, which has groundwater near the base that is unsafe to drink because of dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. I have worked to bring safe drinking water to veterans and their families living around the base and launched the PFAS Task Force in Congress to bring Democrats and Republicans together to pass policies that protect veterans and public health.
The following is a list of veteran-based legislation that was signed into law during the 115th Congress with my support.
Since I began my career in public service as a member of the Flint Board of Education, I have fought tirelessly for our schools. Our children deserve the best education possible, and our teachers deserve our complete support. Every child, no matter where they grow up, deserves a safe learning environment, highly trained teachers and the resources necessary to succeed in 21st century classrooms. Schools are the foundation of our communities and the future.
Early Education: A child’s education begins very early in life. In order for a child to start on a path to success, we need to invest in universal access to programs like Early Head Start and Head Start. These programs provide kids with essential wrap-around services to help in their development and can also help mitigate the effects of lead exposure in children.
In March 2016, I successfully advocated for a federal grant to expand Head Start and Early Head Start services in Flint. In March 2017, I also announced $5.5 million in federal grants to support new and expanded Early Head Start for children in the Flint area through Early Head Start Child Care Partnership programs.
K-12 Education: Our education system should support teachers, students and parents to ensure a high quality public education for everyone. Access to a quality education is a right that every child in Michigan should be afforded.
Higher Education: More than 42 million Americans collectively owe nearly $1.3 trillion in federal student loan debt. This crushing debt is causing young folks to delay buying homes, starting families and saving for retirement. The impacts of this debt will have lifelong impacts on families. I am fighting to ensure that every family has access to a quality, affordable education, including college that provides them with the skills to find a job in our changing economy.
In Congress, I have introduced legislation to address student debt, including legislation to exempt students from having to pay taxes on scholarships and Pell grants, allow student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, and prevent banks from calling an entire student loan if the cosigner of that loan dies, even if the student was up to date on their payments.
Finally, I support two years of free community college to every person in Michigan. This will help address the student loan debt and help with the skills gap impacting job growth in Michigan.
Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) created bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force at the start of the 116th Congress. Comprised of both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the PFAS Task Force will work to more urgently address the public health threat of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to better protect communities from the harmful effects of these dangerous chemicals.
The Task Force is working to:
Hold informational events to educate Members of Congress and their staff to increase awareness about PFAS chemicals.
Craft legislation to address PFAS contamination.
Meet with congressional leadership, committee chairs and ranking members to ensure PFAS is adequately and more urgently addressed.
Fight for more robust funding through federal appropriations to clean up PFAS contamination.
I have heard from too many families who are worried about the high cost of health care and prescription drugs. Every person in our district and across America deserves access to high quality and affordable health care coverage. In the richest country in the world, Americans shouldn’t be forced to choose between putting a roof over their head, paying for food, or getting the health care and prescription drugs they need.
Below you will find some work I have been working doing in Congress to lower costs, expand access to care and protect Medicare and Medicaid.