WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after voting to advance Governor Kristi Noem’s nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security to the Senate floor for consideration:
“I appreciate Governor Noem’s willingness to meet with me on several occasions prior to her confirmation hearing to discuss how she’ll guide the Department of Homeland Security to address some of the most important security issues facing Michigan. During her confirmation hearing, Governor Noem committed to ensuring that securing Michigan’s Northern Border remains a key priority as the Department continues to address the challenges at the Southern Border – including commitments to continue building out the Northern Border Mission Center I established through law and to staffing the customs plaza at the new Gordie Howe International Bridge.
“I also appreciated her comments about her plans to protect Michigan communities from terrorism, as well as her plans to focus on addressing cyber-attacks that threaten our economic and national security.
“During her confirmation hearing, I pressed Governor Noem to set aside partisan ideologies and to follow the facts when it comes to the threats our communities face – whether we’re talking about securing our borders, foreign and domestic terrorism, or even increasingly devastating natural disasters. Given her openness to working on a bipartisan basis to address these and other threats to our homeland security, I voted to advance her nomination out of committee and send it to the Senate floor for consideration.”
In his role on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has long worked to address the security challenges and threats facing our nation. Peters recently visited Selfridge Air National Guard Base to highlight the creation of the Northern Border Mission Center. The Center, which DHS is already working to set up, will serve as a training location for DHS personnel and act as a testing ground for border security technology. Peters has called for DHS to hire additional border security personnel, including Customs and Border Protection Officers to fully staff our nation’s busy ports of entry like the Ambassador Bridge, the Blue Water Bridge, and the forthcoming Gordie Howe International Bridge. Peters also led landmark efforts to address cybersecurity threats, including by requiring critical infrastructure owners and operators to report to the federal government if they experience a substantial cyber-attack or if they make a ransomware payment. Peters has also worked to address the threats posed by foreign and domestic terrorism in our communities. Peters has championed and secured funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides critical resources to help houses of worship and other community organizations secure their facilities against potential attacks. He has also led oversight investigations into the threat posed by domestic terrorism. He held hearings and released an investigative report that showed the federal government is not adequately addressing this serious threat.
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