Why it Matters

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) spent the week of August 7–14 advancing legislation on commercial space policy and children's online safety, while also spotlighting ongoing disaster recovery work in mid-Michigan. Peters also drew news coverage on his post-Senate plans and his opposition to a committee contempt vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress.

Peters' most tangible legislative win came when the Senate unanimously passed his Commercial Space Activity Advisory Committee Act, co-introduced with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). The bill would establish a 15-member advisory panel within the Office of Space Commerce. "Space exploration is becoming increasingly important to our economic and national security, and our leading experts deserve a chance to provide insight into the future of this emerging industry," Peters said. Michigan has been positioning itself as a hub for the commercial space sector, with companies including Moeller Aerospace and Orbion Space Technology already active in the field.

Peters also released an "On the Job" video featuring local officials from Sanford and Midland County praising his work securing more than $30 million in federal funding for recovery from the May 2020 Edenville and Sanford dam failures. "The senator's office was the most helpful in dealing with FEMA. It was extremely helpful to have the senator in our corner," said Bridgette Gransden, Midland County Administrator. The Sanford Dam's major structural work was substantially completed in early 2026, with the critical lake refill process beginning in April. The Edenville Dam rehabilitation is on track for substantial completion in September 2027.

What They're Talking About

Disaster relief simplification: Peters used the Midland flood anniversary to highlight his Disaster Assistance Simplification Act (DASA), which passed the Senate and would create a universal application across federal agencies for disaster survivors. Dolores Porte, Village of Sanford President, described the current process: "When you're in the middle of a disaster, a lot of paperwork to fill out. It's pretty daunting. If that simplification act had been in place, we wouldn't have had to fill out two different sets of paperwork with two different sets of people."

Kids' online safety: Peters helped advance the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) out of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, where he serves as ranking member. The bill would require social media platforms to enable the strongest privacy settings by default for minors, give parents new reporting tools, and mandate annual independent audits. "Today's social media landscape has the potential to expose children to dangerous content that could leave them vulnerable to harmful situations. It's past time for Congress to take action to better protect kids against these threats," Peters said.

In the News

Peters drew national coverage for his opposition to a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee vote to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. Peters, the committee's ranking member, warned colleagues the resolution "will create a damaging precedent that future witnesses will use to resist legitimate congressional oversight," according to Fortune.

The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press both reported that Peters is in talks with the University of Southern California for a potential post-Senate role, after disclosing the conversations to the Senate Ethics Committee in June. Peters told the Detroit News: "I'm going to stick with the answer that I'm totally focused on serving the state of Michigan in the U.S. Senate right now."

Peters also appeared at a Democratic unity rally in Detroit at Renaissance High School, covered by MLive, as the party seeks to consolidate ahead of the November election following a competitive Senate primary.

Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article