By Rep. Fred Upton - When Republicans regained a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, we embraced the parallel goals of job creation and energy security. Both are essential to America's long-term economic competitiveness, and both can be achieved by expanding the production of American energy. By embracing a strategy that is open to all-of the-above energy sources, House Republicans have successfully passed legislation to tap into America's vast energy resources and prevent regulations... Read more

Ask any person from Michigan what the greatest challenge facing our country today is and you will hear – not surprisingly – the same response again and again: jobs and the economy, jobs and the economy, jobs and the economy. As Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and more recently as a member of the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, I echo that sentiment, which is why job creation and American competitiveness have remained my focus here at home and back in ... Read more

By Rep. Fred Upton Over the past decade, the continued loss of middle-class jobs has stoked anxiety and shattered dreams of many Americans. Factors largely outside of policymakers’ control — like globalization’s spread and technology-based efficiency gains — contribute to some of today’s anemic employment conditions. But there’s more. Overzealous and burdensome regulations — produced right here at home — also play a role in our stubbornly high unemployment rate and lackluster business growth. Th... Read more

This September marks the eighth annual National Preparedness Month, a nationwide campaign sponsored each year by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to encourage all Americans to take simple steps to ensure that their families and commu-nities are prepared when disaster strikes. In recognition of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, this year’s official preparedness slogan is “A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare.” Emergencies come is all forms – from hurricane... Read more

Small businesses are leading the way for job creation and innovation here in southwest Michigan. That fact is evident to me nearly every week when I am able to return home from votes in Washington. This August has been no exception, as I have had the privilege of traveling to all corners of our district, visiting with local companies and speaking face-to-face with the men and women who are working to put our state and region back on track. From area home builders and realtors to our region’s far... Read more

By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) - Michigan’s working families and manufacturers have faced enormous challenges in recent years, as we now enter our thirty-first consecutive month of double-digit unemployment. While much has been done to turn our struggling economy around, last week’s Department of Labor jobless figures underscore the reality that we still have a ways to go on the road to recovery. American automakers in particular have faced more than their fair share of obstacles, but seem to be eme... Read more

The U.S. Treasury Department has pegged August 2nd as the day when the United States will exhaust its borrowing authority and default on its debt, unless an agreement is reached to further raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. Because of Washington’s reckless spending habits, every American child born today already owes more than $46,000 to our creditors – that is close to the annual income of most Michigan families. With staggering figures like this, is it any surprise that Admiral Mike Mullen... Read more

With June’s national unemployment rate above 9 percent, we must remain focused on policies that create jobs and help put our economy back on track. In the past six months as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have continued to advance an agenda that puts Michigan’s working families and job creators first. From promoting an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that creates jobs, lowers energy prices, and fortifies our energy security, to putting a halt on overreaching, job-stifl... Read more

By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) - From the Tri-City Record, 07/07/2011 As Michigan families continue to fight their way through high unemployment and the slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression, our government must be committed to policies that promote private sector growth and job creation. I have strongly supported such an agenda on a whole host of fronts, from removing regulatory barriers that needlessly hamper local business to working to restore economic confidence by putting our na... Read more

By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) - On Monday, folks in southwest Michigan and across the country will celebrate the signing of our Declaration of Independence, which happened 235 years ago. Each year, July Fourth serves as a reminder that our nation’s founding values have built a strong legacy that continues today. As we celebrate the anniversary of our independence, it is important to keep in mind that we are commemorating the freedom and liberty that our forefathers fought and sacrificed for over tw... Read more