Gary was born in Pontiac, Michigan – a 5th generation Michigander. His father, a World War II veteran, worked as a public school teacher and NEA union member for more than 30 years. His mother – who survived Nazi occupation of France and met Gary’s father while he served in Europe during the war – worked as a nurse’s aide at a local nursing home. She helped organize her workplace and became an SEIU union steward.
Governing by crisis through short-term extensions and budgetary gimmicks is hurting America’s economic growth, and Gary believes we need to take a practical, responsible approach to solving our nation’s fiscal challenges and developing a long-term budget. We cannot grow our economy by slashing vital investments in education, cutting-edge research or job training programs. Gary wants to end harmful spending cuts while making more targeted, strategic cuts to help reduce the deficit. At the same time, we need to be making smart investments in programs that will spur innovation and create good-paying jobs here at home.
A key part of fixing the budget is getting rid of unnecessary government spending and saving taxpayer money. The first bill Gary introduced as a new member of the Senate encourages the federal government’s vehicle fleet to use remanufactured automotive parts, which can help cut costs while reducing waste, without compromising safety. He has introduced bipartisan bills to make government more efficient and effective by reviewing duplicative and overlapping programs and by requiring Congress to debate and vote on spending cuts proposed in the President’s annual budget.
Gary serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over government operations and studies the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of the federal government’s various agencies and departments.