Gary was born in Pontiac, Michigan – a 5th generation Michigander. His father, a World War II veteran, worked as a public school teacher and NEA union member for more than 30 years. His mother – who survived Nazi occupation of France and met Gary’s father while he served in Europe during the war – worked as a nurse’s aide at a local nursing home. She helped organize her workplace and became an SEIU union steward.
Gary’s top priority in the Senate is growing our economy, creating good-paying jobs in Michigan and strengthening our middle class. Our economy has made great strides since the financial crisis, but there is more we can do to encourage our small and large businesses alike to grow and thrive. Michigan has a rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship, and Gary believes we need to continue fostering the new ideas that will fuel our state’s economic growth for decades to come.
Autos, Manufacturing & Trade
Michigan is the birthplace of the American auto industry, and its booming factories helped win World War II and build America’s middle class. In 2009, Gary worked with President Obama in the midst of the financial crisis to secure the loans necessary to rescue America’s auto industry. These companies have since come roaring back and created thousands of jobs in our state, and Gary wants to ensure that the cars and trucks of the future continue to be built in America and in Michigan.
We are on the verge of a technological revolution that will soon allow vehicles to communicate their location, speed, and other data electronically with each other and our transportation infrastructure. These technologies could reduce accidents by as much as 80 percent, reduce fuel consumption, cut congestion and save thousands of lives. As a member of the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee, Gary is fighting to ensure these new technologies are being developed, tested and deployed right here in America. He has introduced bipartisan bills to promote investments in vehicle-to-infrastructure technology and to support smart investments in R&D for clean vehicle technologies.
Michigan is prepared to continue leading the way in advanced manufacturing, which supports the good-paying jobs that are essential to maintaining a robust middle class. Gary has been a strong supporter of funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the only public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. He has also advocated for the long-term reauthorization for the Export-Import Bank, the independent federal agency that helps American companies sell their products overseas.
Gary believes that Congress must do more to bring balance to our trade agreements and address issues like currency manipulation and unfair trade and labor practices. Our trade policies should create a level playing field so that American workers and companies who play by the rules can get a fair deal and compete in today’s global economy. He has consistently stood up for tougher enforcement of existing trade rules and has supported strong funding for the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center to improve America’s ability to crack down on illegal trade barriers.
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Gary knows that small businesses drive our economy, with two out of every three new jobs created by small businesses. He is committed to ensuring that our startups and small business owners have the resources to survive, compete and grow. Access to capital is one of their biggest hurdles, and Senator Peters is working to expand the Small Business Administration’s main lending program to meet growing demand.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Gary helped write and pass the Small Business Jobs Act, which makes it easier for small, community-based financial institutions to increase their capacity to lend and has resulted in billions of dollars in new small business lending activity. He also authored the State Small Business Credit Initiative to create innovative lending programs that are attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in new private sector investments.