Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) has been selected to become the new ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in the next Congress, Democratic leadership announced Dec. 13.
Peters, who also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) will take over for Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who lost her reelection race in the 2018 midterms.
“The committee plays a vital role in our nation’s security, and as Ranking Member I will work to promote the safety and security of all communities,” Peters said in a press release. “Our country faces a number of challenges, whether it is securing our Northern and Southern borders, combating cutting-edge threats like cyber attacks or ensuring local communities have the resources they need to respond to emergencies.”
As the senator of a border state with Canada, Peters helped introduce the Northern Border Security Review Act, which was signed into law in 2016. He has put a focus on cybersecurity, and introduced bipartisan legislation to boost the federal government’s cybersecurity workforce, as well as help local governments and small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity practices.
“I will also be focused on using the committee’s oversight role to make government work more efficiently for taxpayers,” Peters said. “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that tax dollars are being used wisely, and I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cut waste, reduce fraud and streamline government performance for hardworking families in Michigan and across the country.”
The homeland security committee will also feature two new faces. Senators-Elect Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), both current congresswomen, join the Democrats after winning their Senate election campaigns in November. Rosen and Sinema will take the places of Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), who lost her reelection campaign, and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), who has changed committees.
Rosen has served on the Commerce, Science, Space and Technology Committee and House Armed Services Committee (HASC), while Sinema served on the House Committee on Financial Services.
Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Democrats in 116th Congress
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) – Ranking Member
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.)
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)