Peters is the junior senator from Michigan and is a Democrat. He has served since Jan 6, 2015. Peters is next up for reelection in 2020.
He was previously the representative for Michigan’s 14th congressional district as a Democrat from 2013 to 2014; and the representative for Michigan’s 9th congressional district as a Democrat from 2009 to 2012.
![Photo of Sen. Gary Peters [D-MI]](/data/photos/412305-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2017 Report Card for Peters.
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Peters is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the Senate positioned according to our liberal–conservative ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).
The chart is based on the bills Peters has sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.
Ratings from Advocacy Organizations
Committee Membership
Gary Peters sits on the following committees:
-
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
- Member, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Member, Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet
- Member, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
- Member, Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness
-
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management
- Member, Subcommittee on Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
- Joint Economic Committee
-
Senate Committee on Armed Services
- Member, Subcommittee on Airland
- Member, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Member, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Enacted Legislation
Peters was the primary sponsor of 3 bills that were enacted:
- S. 3492 (114th): A bill to designate the Traverse City VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Traverse City, Michigan, as the “Colonel Demas T. Craw ...
- S. 565 (114th): Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act of 2015
- H.R. 5302 (111th): State Small Business Credit Initiative Act of 2010
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Peters sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
Armed Forces and National Security (19%) Government Operations and Politics (17%) Transportation and Public Works (15%) Commerce (13%) Taxation (11%) Finance and Financial Sector (9%) Education (9%) Science, Technology, Communications (9%)
Recent Bills
Some of Peters’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- S. 3081: A bill to identify and develop best practices for the training of elementary ...
- S. 3031: Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018
- S. 2859: Secure Airport Public Spaces Act of 2018
- S. 2620: Federal Cyber Joint Duty Program Act of 2018
- S. 2552: Farm Service Agency Loan Flexibility Act
- S. 2504: United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act
- S. 2431: ALERT Act
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Peters’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| Nay |
On the Nomination PN555: Owen West, of Connecticut, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense
Dec 18, 2017. Nomination Confirmed 74/23.
|
| Nay |
On the Nomination PN117: William Francis Hagerty IV, of Tennessee, to be Ambassador to Japan
Jul 13, 2017. Nomination Confirmed 86/12.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017
Sep 28, 2016. Bill Passed 72/26.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 22: Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act
Dec 3, 2015. Conference Report Agreed to 83/16.
H.R 22, formerly the Hire More Heroes Act, has become the Senate’s vehicle for passage of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act or DRIVE Act (S. 1647). The DRIVE Act is a major bipartisan transportation bill that would authorize funding ... |
| Yea |
H.R. 22: Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act
Jul 30, 2015. Bill Passed 65/34.
This vote turned H.R 22, originally the Hire More Heroes Act, into the Senate’s vehicle for passage of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act or DRIVE Act (S. 1647), a major bipartisan transportation bill, and the Export-Import Bank Reform and ... |
| Aye |
H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015
Sep 17, 2014. Passed 319/108.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 3393 (113th): Student and Family Tax Simplification Act
Jul 24, 2014. Passed 227/187.
|
| Aye |
H.R. 1947 (113th): Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013
Jun 20, 2013. Failed 195/234.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 6190 (112th): Asthma Inhalers Relief Act of 2012
Dec 12, 2012. Failed 229/182.
|
| Aye |
H.R. 1249 (112th): Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
Jun 23, 2011. Passed 304/117.
The Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA) is a United States federal statute that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 16, 2011. The law represents the most significant change to the U.S. patent system since 1952, and ... |
Missed Votes
From Jan 2015 to Jun 2018, Peters missed 11 of 963 roll call votes, which is 1.1%. This is on par with the median of 1.5% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- @unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GPO.gov/FDSys, for sponsored bills
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