Congressman Fred Upton
Serving in Congress for 36 years from 1987-2023, Representative Fred Upton is proud to have represented the values of Southwest Michigan’s Sixth Congressional District, home to key industries that range from agriculture to auto parts manufacturing to high-tech biomedical innovation centers. Prior to his election to Congress, Fred worked for President Ronald Reagan in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
From 2010 to 2016, Fred was selected by his House colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Under Fred’s leadership, the Committee passed 354 legislative measures through the House and saw 202 of those signed into law by the President. Fred also served as the top Republican leader of the Subcommittee on Energy, which has jurisdiction over national energy policy.
Fred has long been an advocate for a greater emphasis on biomedical research to improve public health. In 2014, along with U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado, Fred launched the21st Century Cures initiative, and marking the culmination of a three-year journey, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law on December 13, 2016.
Fred is an active member of the Great Lakes Task Force, working to protect the Great Lakes from harmful pollutants and invasive species. Fred has worked tirelessly to ensure harbors remain dredged and operational, to widen I-94 and to move Superfund cleanups efforts forward. Fred’s efforts have ensured Michigan service members, veterans, and their families receive benefits they have earned through years of service. Fred successfully worked to ensure seniors keep access to their physicians and low-income children keep their insurance coverage which resulted in the 2015 signing into law of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act. More recently, Fred supported the efforts to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for six years – the longest and most generous reauthorization in the program’s history. This legislation was signed into law in January of 2017.
Fred strongly supported an ‘All-of-the-Above’ energy strategy that focuses on American energy development, emerging clean energy technologies, and traditional energy. This focus keeps costs low for families and businesses and helps America become free from reliance on foreign oil. Fred is also fighting to bring a halt to costly federal rules and regulations that needlessly slow private-sector growth. Fred believes in ensuring that the federal government remains limited, transparent, and accountable, not only to Southwest Michiganders but to all Americans.
Fred was born on April 23, 1953, and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Michigan. He and his wife, Amey, have two adult children.
All of us at the Commission are in shock and are heartbroken at news that Senator Lieberman has died suddenly and unexpectedly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Hadassah, their children, and extended family.
We all were the beneficiaries of Joe’s many years of selfless public service, his kindness, and civility. Joe was the definition of a Mensch – a person of great integrity and honor. He always put others first and always worked to better our nation, to which he tirelessly devoted so much of his energy. He had an indefatigable spirit that always pushed our work forward.
For nearly ten years, Joe was my co-chair here at the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. He cared deeply about the mission, for sure. Even more, he cared about each of our fellow Commissioners and the staff, all of whom I know are personally grieving at this tremendous loss. May his memory be a blessing.
Tom Ridge
March 27, 2024
