Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today expressed his concerns that Speaker Pelosi’s most recent tax stunt further imperils the nation's families and small businesses. The move threatens to extend the current period of elevated unemployment and economic uncertainty as well as further drag down our economy. Upton strongly supports permanently extending all of the tax cuts before they expire December 31, 2010. "House Democrats continue to fi... Read more

U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (MI-06) and Ed Whitfield (KY-01), senior Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today called on the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to immediately release the department's economic impact analysis of EPA's Boiler Maximum Available Control Technology (MACT) rule. Upton and Whitfield are gravely concerned with various reports that forecast drastic costs and crippling job losses resulting from EPA's proposed rule change. Time is critical as final rules are expected... Read more

By Josh Voorhees - Fred Upton has yet to secure the Energy and Commerce chairmanship, but that hasn’t stopped the Michigan Republican from acting like he’s already got the gavel in hand. Yesterday, he sent a letter to Steven Chu quizzing the Energy secretary on the details of the roughly $40 billion that last year’s stimulus package sent to DOE and demanding the specific job-creation figures for a half dozen individual grants. In his letter, Upton writes that the White House and congressional De... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is seeking answers from Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu on the impact the administration's $800 billion stimulus package had on jobs. Despite repeated claims that the stimulus would keep the nation's unemployment rate below 8 percent, it has remained at or above 9.5 percent for 15 consecutive months. In the letter to Secretary Chu, Upton wrote, "The Obama administration and congressional Democrats ... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today called on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to remove the bureaucratic roadblocks that have delayed the administration’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline application. The proposed cross-border oil pipeline would stretch from Alberta, Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast, supplying approximately 50 percent of United States’ oil imports. The $7 billion project is expected to stimulate $20... Read more

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today echoed calls for Speaker Pelosi to schedule a vote to permanently halt the record $3.8 trillion in tax hikes scheduled to kick in on January 1st. Congress is set to reconvene the week of November 15th. Upton is a signer of the American’s for Tax Reform Taxpayer Protection Pledge opposing “any and all efforts” to increase taxes on families and businesses. “The American public spoke loud... Read more

Sharing the concerns of local residents and officials with proposed changes in postal operations, Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) is seeking answers and assurances from Postmaster General John E. Potter. In an October 19th letter to Potter, Upton expressed his concern over a proposed Delivery Unit Relocation Study for the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan Post Offices. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) study would examine the savings that may result from consolidating St. Joseph carrier ... Read more

U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (MI-06) and Ed Whitfield (KY-01), senior Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today called on the Inspector General of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to formally investigate the NRC Chairman’s decision to delay a vote on the Department of Energy’s legal authority to withdraw the license of the Yucca Mountain permanent nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Despite the scientific community’s seal of approval as well as nearly three decades and billio... Read more

By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) Our nation is confronted with serious problems that require a fundamental reassessment of the size and role of government. With unemployment near 15 percent in many parts of the country, an unsustainable debt and unbridled federal spending, people fear the actions of a federal government that has grown too large and hinders rather than encourages economic growth. Folks desire a government that is responsive to their concerns and responsible with the resources they prov... Read more

By John Rossomando Republicans will have President Barack Obama’s czars and his use of regulatory powers to circumvent congressional inaction on issues such as cap and trade in GOP crosshairs if the party takes control in January. Since taking office, Obama has named more than 30 czars (though the exact number is hard to pin down) without Senate confirmation and congressional oversight, and together they hold power over everything from the environment and bank bailouts to the auto industry. The ... Read more