Working together to strengthen our military By U.S. Reps. Fred Upton and Bill Huizenga Holland Sentinel The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the primary way Congress meets its most important constitutional obligation: To “provide for the common defense” of our country. Last week, the House of Representatives advanced H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 by a bipartisan vote of 277-147. This is an important step toward strengthening our military and k... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted last night to advance H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. The legislation was passed by a bipartisan vote of 277-147. “Working in a bipartisan fashion, and an open process on the House Floor, we were able to advance meaningful legislation that will give our troops a pay raise, fund their training, and block the government from... Read more

The coin of the robotics realm By Louise Wrege Herald Palladium WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, are working to raise money for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics through the sale of a commemorative coin to honor Christa McAuliffe. McAuliffe is a science teacher who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Jan. 28, 1986. The bipartisan legislation, HR 5168, seeks to issue the coin to support FIRST’s... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, recently received the 2016 “Medicare Advantage Champion” Award from the Coalition for Medicare Choices, a national grassroots organization of 2 million Americans working to protect Medicare Advantage. The award recognizes Upton’s commitment to protecting Medicare Advantage for the millions of older Americans and people with disabilities who depend on its coverage. “I’m proud to continue supporting our seniors and those with disabilities who ... Read more

Trying to get ahead of the opioid crisis By Jim Dalgleish Herald Palladium ST. JOSEPH — For all its squabbles, there appears one thing Congress can agree on: America needs to get a handle on opioid abuse. Furthermore, the old impulse to make it a law-and-order issue appears to have faded. “We need to get away from incarceration,” U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, said in a phone interview Friday. The House last week by wide margins passed an 18-bill package designed to tackle the issue. Eleven... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives this week in advancing 18 bipartisan pieces of legislation related to the ongoing opioid and heroin epidemic sweeping through Southwest Michigan and the entire country. “Abuse of prescription pain-killers and heroin has impacted every community – here in Southwest Michigan and across the country. As I’ve met with families throughout our corner of the state, it’s clear that this is an epid... Read more

KALAMAZOO, MI – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, issued the following statement after learning of the death of Anna Whitten, of Kalamazoo, on Friday. Whitten was a long-time member Kalamazoo Community College Board of Directors, for whom one of the downtown Kalamazoo campus buildings is named. She was also an advisory committee member with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, and had worked with numerous local organizations championing issues of education, civil rights, health care, and those incarce... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, last week introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that will champion the FIRST Robotics program. Upton and Dingell were joined by original cosponsors, Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Illinois, and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon. The bipartisan legislation, H.R. 5168, will issue a commemorative coin to honor Christa McAuliffe, the science teacher who tragically perished on the Space ... Read more

Area officials stress economic importance of harbor dredging By Andrew Lersten Herald Palladium BENTON HARBOR — When we think of Southwest Michigan’s ties to Lake Michigan, we often think first of sandy beaches, tourism and marinas filled with sailboats. But its history is deeply connected to the commercial shipping industry that relies heavily on Southwest Michigan’s only commercial port – the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor harbor. In the 19th century, commercial shipping was critical to the fruit an... Read more

Two Michigan lawmakers are hoping a new dollar coin can mean big money for high school robotics teams. Congressman Fred Upton has signed onto a proposed bill to mint a one dollar coin in honor of teacher and astronaut Christa McAuliffe. She and six others were killed in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion. Upton says sales of the coins would help fund "FIRST" high school robotics programs. Michigan Republican Fred Upton says, “Once the money is recouped by the Treasury for the cost of mi... Read more