WASHINGTON, July 8 -- The House Financial Services subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy issued the following testimony by Lisa D. Cook, professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University, in a virtual hearing entitled "Paycheck Security: Economic Perspectives on Alternative Approaches to Protecting Workers' Pay during COVID-19": The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting human, economic, and financial crises are unfolding  more

WASHINGTON, July 7 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy issued the following information for a virtual hearing: "Paycheck Security: Economic Perspectives on Alternative Approaches to Protecting Workers' Pay during COVID-19" at noon: Legislation: * H.R. 6918, the "Paycheck Recovery Act of 2020." Witness List: * Lisa D. Cook, Professor, Department of Economics, James Madison College, Michigan State University * Lily E  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Michigan, issued the following news release on July 7: U.S. Rep Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14) and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies passed its fiscal year 2021 funding bill. In total, the bill includes $36.76 billion, an increase of $771 million over the FY 2020 enacted level and $5.11 billion above the President's 2021 request. The bill includes $15 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for  more

WASHINGTON, July 7 -- Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) announced three local organizations will receive $50,000 each in direct funding from the National Endowment of the Arts. The funds, a part of the CARES Act passed by Congress in March, will be used to support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and facilities costs. "The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the art organizations that play such a vital r  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) led the filing of an amicus brief in the case of Union of Concerned Scientists, et al. v. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), et al., which is currently pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Dingell - along with House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone and Senate Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Tom Carper -  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, issued the following statement after the Homeland Security Department announced modifications to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program that would mean students taking a full online course load cannot remain in the U.S.: "My district is home to thousands of international students attending Michigan universities, who are dedicated to their studies. Among all the uncertainty, it's disturbing that the federal government would initiate remova  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Daniel Kildee, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, today applauded new legislation that would fully support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to help protect the Great Lakes. The Fiscal Year 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill, unveiled this week, would provide $335 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)--$15 million mo  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Rep. Andy Levin, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: In a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09) questioned Michael Morell, former Acting and Deputy Director of the CIA under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, about reports of Russia paying bounties to Taliban-associated militants for the killing of American soldiers. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, dispu  more

WARREN, Michigan, July 7 -- Rep. Andy Levin, D-Michigan, issued the following statement after learning about the conditions of Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto's release from jail: "This profoundly anti-democratic move continues to expose the sham legal system in Mexico that protects a corrupt, entrenched labor structure--which multinationals exploit at the expense of American jobs. "If we want to give the USMCA the best shot at being effective - at becoming something different than NAFTA -   more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Rep. Andy Levin, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), Vice Chair of the House Education & Labor Committee, hosted a virtual press conference to discuss his bipartisan SAFE (Secure And Fair Elections for) Workers Act with American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten and Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Christopher Shelton. With educators looking at an unprecedented return to school and communica  more

LIVONIA, Michigan, July 11 -- Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) announced that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) helped retain more than 132,000 jobs in Michigan's 11th District, according to new data released this week from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). PPP was created by Congress in the bipartisan CARES Act, to provide aid directly to small businesses and organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic to kee  more

JACKSON, Michigan, July 10 -- Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, issued the following news release: The U.S. Small Business Administration released data this week that showed more than 40,000 jobs in Michigan's 7th District were retained as a result of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congressman Tim Walberg voted to establish the PPP loan program in March, advocated for additional funding and improvements to the program, and has helped local small businesses navigate the application process t  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Michigan, issued the following news release: Rep. Jack Bergman and Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-3) introduced the VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act of 2020. This new legislation would establish a pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) called the "Zero Suicide Initiative." The Zero Suicide Initiative, a concept and program founded by the Henry Ford Health Care System, is a program built on the belief that all suicides are preventable  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) led more than 100 of their colleagues is opposing the Trump Administration's changes to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) that would mean students taking a full online course load cannot remain in the United States, putting international students at risk. The lawmakers urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rescind the p  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Rep. Daniel Kildee, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, and Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Chairman of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee, today sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging his administration to extend federal unemployment insurance benefits, which are set to run out at the end of July without action by the White House and U.S. Senate. The CARES  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Michigan, issued the following news release: Reps. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Josh Harder (D-CA) announced more than half of the House of Representatives have now cosponsored the College Transparency Act (H.R. 1766). The bipartisan bill will provide students and families with the data they need to make informed choices about post-secondary education. According to the four Representatives: "When an i  more

DETROIT, Michigan, July 7 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced he introduced a bill to increase awareness and understanding of African American history across our schools through expanded access to programming from the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The 1619 Act would provide federal funding to support African American History educational programs through workshops and professional development activ  more

DETROIT, Michigan, July 9 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced introduction of legislation that would establish an independent federal institute -- the National Institute of Manufacturing (NIM) -- to serve as the hub for federal manufacturing programs that would be led by a Chief Manufacturing Officer (CMO) responsible for creating and implementing a National Strategic Plan for Manufacturing across the executive branch. The   more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined his colleagues in calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share information on premium and retention pay policies for medical employees working on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Peters previously proposed the "COVID-19 Heroes Fund" to provide pandemic premium pay to rewar  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined his colleagues in calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share information on premium and retention pay policies for medical employees working on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. Peter  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: Senator Debbie Stabenow released a summary of eight DPCC reports that detail the devastating cost of Republican inaction and how Senate Democrats have put American families first during the COVID-19 crisis. The report can be found here https://www.stabenow.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/DPCC%20Wrap%20Up%20Report.pdf.  more

DETROIT, Michigan, July 11 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) announced that the City of Midland will receive $2,974,164 in funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Peters and Stabenow helped secure this funding as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The funds will help ensure that the City of Midland Dial-A-Ride Transportation will remain operational during  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Debbie Stabenow (MI) are pressing the Department of Homeland Security for additional information on travel restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border as local Coronavirus restrictions begin to change. Restrictions on non-essential travel have helped slow the spread of Coronavirus and allowed essential   more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Debbie Stabenow are pressing the Department of Homeland Security for additional information on travel restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border as local Coronavirus restrictions begin to change. Restrictions on no  more

WASHINGTON, July 7 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on July 6: U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Debbie Stabenow (MI) requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) explain why a company called Fillakit was awarded a no-bid cont  more

WASHINGTON, July 6 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Debbie Stabenow (MI) requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) explain why a company called Fillakit was awarded a no-bid contract by FEMA worth more than $10 million. According to recent reporting, Fillakit was incorporated one w  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Gary Peters (MI) announced that the City of Midland will receive $2,974,164 in funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Stabenow and Peters helped secure this funding as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The funds will help ensure that the City of Midland Dial-A-Ride Transportation will remain operational during th  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, are pressing the Department of Homeland Security for additional information on travel restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border as local Coronavirus restrictions begin to change. Restrictions on non-essential travel have helped slow the spread of Coronavirus and allowed essential trade   more

WASHINGTON, July 7 -- Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, issued the following news release on July 6: U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) explain why a company called Fillakit was awarded a no-bid contract by FEMA worth more than $10 million. According to recent reporting, Fillakit was inco  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Daniel Kildee, D-Michigan, issued the following statement after President Trump announced that he would withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization: "The President's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO during a global pandemic is dangerous. "Every country, including the U.S., continues to face a public health crisis. Fighting the coronavirus requires international collaboration, following science and listening to health experts. "Now is the time for   more