Thanks to the American Red Cross for hosting the annual Senate card signing event to give our troops a heartfelt touch of home while they are away from their families this holiday season. I was proud to help break ground on a new federal- and state-funded vetearns home in Macomb County. This bipartisan effort will ensure veterans have access to quality, long-term care! I loved watching the First Robotics competition in Armada. The future is bright with these talented young people! Congratulations to Howell High School’s Jason Schrock, the Michigan Association of Secondary Schools Principal of the Year! With Michigan’s Outstanding Letter Carrier honorees and their families. These heroic public servants rescued customers from life-threatening situations. Thank you for going above and beyond in your service to our communities! SVRC Marketplace is filled with charming shops selling local, Michigan-made products! Families won’t be disappointed if they’re looking for good food and delicious treats at the SVRC Marketplace! Had an amazing time visiting the SVRC Marketplace in downtown Saginaw. A big thank you to Marketplace Manager Audra Davis and the entire team! Wonderful to meet with many of Michigan's great community leaders at the Congressional Black Caucus Breakfast. Incredibly proud to march with so many working men and women and their families at the Labor Day March in Detroit. Michigan’s workforce is truly the best in the world! Continued my small business tour at Rehmann & Sons Clothing in Chesaning. 99 years of quality service. Thanks for a great visit! Awesome pizza at Chesaning Pintown Pizza & Lanes. Thanks for all of your hard work, Jim and Jon! Had a great time visiting the Armory in Owosso. This 103-year-old building is now a one-stop shop for businesses and the community. Great work! Exciting announcement in Lansing—new grocery store, new hotel, great leadership! Thanks Mayor Andy Schor and Pat Gillespie! Congrats to Carl and Emily at MQS Pizza Express for being crowned 2018 best cheeseburger! Great time at the 20th annual Cheeseburger Festival in Caseville! Thanks to everyone at Bad Axe VA Outpatient Clinic for their wonderful work and getting our veterans the care they need closer to home. Book lovers and coffee drinkers need to check out Jamie Robinson’s Bestsellers in Mason! Stopped into the Maple Street Mall in Mason to check out all the vendors selling antiques and hand-crafted goods. Thanks Deb and Doug! Congratulations to Kean’s, the oldest business in Mason, celebrating 90 years! Great to be at my old stomping grounds, the Ingham County Fair. Congratulations to all the 4-H’ers who have worked so hard! With former Huntington Woods Mayor Ron Gillham at the dedication of the Recreation Center named in his honor. Congratulations on a well-deserved honor, Ron! Checking out the latest $2 million expansion of Blake’s Hard Cider Co. in Armada! Great tour of Youngblood Vineyard in Macomb. Can’t wait to taste their homegrown Michigan Wines! Discussing the importance of conservation funding and protecting access to our public lands and waters with representatives from Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Thank you to Chaz and all the participants in my veterans’ roundtables. Your feedback helped me write my new bills to help student veterans transition back into civilian life. Great to be back at Alpena CRTC. Alpena plays a key role in military combat readiness and first responder training. Proud of our Michigan National Guard! Proud of our Michigan delegates to the American Legion’s Girls and Boys Nation! Visiting Packaging Corporation of America plant in Filer City—thank you for leading the state of Michigan in recycling. As a former 4-H’er, I loved seeing the 4-H Horse Show at the Monroe County Fair! With Thomas Stephenson, whose wish was to be a Michigan Senator for a day. Thank you to Make a Wish Foundation Michigan, I’m so glad I got to meet this impressive young man! With Bank of America student leaders from Michigan visiting Washington for their national leadership summit. Greeting seniors at the Downriver Senior Olympics. What an amazing group of competitors who are playing hard and having fun! Welcoming students from the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance on their visit to the nation’s capital. Thank you to Luann Ewald, CEO of Children’s Hospital of Michigan, for bringing the Wyckoff family to Washington for Family Advocacy Day! Claire is one of the thousands of children who benefit from the excellent care at CHM. Great meeting with Michigan students attending the Youth Summit on Environment in Washington, D.C. The City Market in Bay City is a great example of how we make things and grow things in Michigan! Bay City’s City Market is a wonderful showcase for our entrepreneurs! The City Market in Bay City is a wonderful showcase for our farmers! Touring Houghton County after severe flash flooding caused mud slides and water damage to three counties in the UP. I remain committed to doing everything I can to keep Copper Country strong! Discussing the importance of conservation and wildlife management with Pheasants Forever Youth Leader Aidan McMaster on his visit to Washington. Welcoming 4H students from Michigan to the nation’s capital. A beautiful day to visit the Pentwater marina! With the Michigan Apple Queen and first runner-up. Proud to co-author our 2018 Farm Bill that strongly supports our apple growers all over Michigan! Stopped by the Village Café and Pub and Provisions Sports Shop in the Village of Pentwater. Thanks to Village President Jeff Hodges and Village Manager Chris Brown for the tour! At the Cherry Queen’s ball in Traverse City. With the Cherry Prince and Princess from Silver Lake Elementary School. Great to be back at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. Proud to co-author our 2018 Farm Bill that strongly supports our cherry growers all over Michigan. Thank you to the Little Lobbyists for everything you’ve done over the past year to protect our health care. I’m honored to be your partner in this important fight! Great meeting with Chief Ronald Ekdahl of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe. Visiting with the Belleville High School Robotics Team at the National Strawberry Festival Parade. Great to see students from Hudsonville High School visiting the nation's capital with the Close Up Foundation. Proud to accept the 2018 Legislator of the Year Award from the American Ambulance Association. Thank you for the life-saving work you do in our communities every day! So proud of Colin and Bailey Carlson of Kalamazoo for placing 2nd in the 2018 Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Awards! It was incredibly inspiring to see so many veterans and citizens come out on Memorial Day to honor our military men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Great to meet with Roger Liebner and his mother Mary of U.S. Ski Pole Company, a family-owned business in Cheboygan and the only ski pole manufacturer in North America! Stopped into Qahwah House in Dearborn for a delicious cup of Yemeni-style coffee! New Yasmeen Bakery in Dearborn is a neighborhood favorite for Baklava and other delicious food! Thank you, Tarek and Hussein, for hosting me! Checking out the wonderful fresh produce and sweets at Dearborn Fresh Supermarket with Dearborn Mayor O’Brien. Thanks, Kal, for your business leadership! Honored to meet Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson at the St. Clair Shores Memorial Day parade. Great meeting with Chief James Berlin of Roseville Police Department. I am so appreciative for the dedication and brave service of our law enforcement officers. Honored to receive the Conservation Champion Award from the Nature Conservancy. Proud to stand with the hardworking women and men of United Steelworkers at their rally in Washington. Michigan workers can out-build, out-work, and out-think anyone! Honored to receive the Rural Policy Champion Award from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. It's a pleasure to partner with such outstanding organizations focused on recognizing opportunity in our rural communities! Great to meet with the Michigan Realtors on their most recent visit to Washington. What a great turnout for Michigan Construction Career Days, where students got to use real tools and equipment and learn more about good-paying, skilled jobs in the construction trades. Thank you to Berkley American Legion Stanley J. Fons Post 374 for hosting an important discussion with veterans and service providers. Great time celebrating moms, grandmas, aunties, and sisters at Alpha Kappa Alpha's 34th annual Hats off to Moms luncheon in Saginaw. Meeting with Michigan firefighters in Washington. Thank you for putting your lives on the line every day to protect our families, homes, and communities. Amazing time at STEP Ahead Awards where the Manufacturing Institute honored 11 business leaders from Michigan. Congrats to our honorees! Great to meet with Michigan Laborers District Council. Thank you for all you do to stand up for working families in Michigan! Visiting with Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad. At Zick's Specialty Meats, a Berrien Springs mainstay since 1961. Try their award-winning smoked apple bacon! Great visit to Lemon Creek Winery in Berrien Springs, a family farm for over 100 years! Whitehall Mayor Debi Hillebrand and her husband Dave own one of the most eye-catching bed and breakfasts in Whitehall - a true local landmark! Sisters Diane, Caryl, and Gretchen showed me some of the unique furniture and reinvented treasures for your home at Colby's Hokey Pokey in Whitehall. Great visit with Bryan and his team at the Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague. Meeting with members of the Michigan Association of Counties on their visit to Washington, D.C. Great to meet with education policy fellows from Michigan State University. Thanks for the important work you do to make Michigan's future strong! Discussing my Make It In America Act with representatives from RAMI, which manufactures high-tech products for our military. Honored to join the National Alliance on Mental Illness at their Michigan Heroes of Mental Health gala. Thank you for your advocacy and service! I was honored to receive the National FFA Degree from the Michigan State Future Farmers of America. Great night celebrating conservation, hunting, and our Michigan outdoor heritage with Monroe County Ducks Unlimited. Awesome pizza and beer at Mitten Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids. Thanks Chris and Max! Great meeting with Greg and Steve of Virtue Cider to hear more about their success in Fennville and why they exclusively use Michigan apples! I loved visiting Owl Wineries in Roseville, a great new family-owned business using Michigan fruit to make amazing wines! So proud that the U.S. Mint and National Park Service rolled out a new quarter featuring Pictured Rocks! It truly is one of the most beautiful places in America! I enjoyed hosting Farmer Veteran Coalition of Michigan President Nick Babcock and his wife Jody at a Senate roundtable with veteran leaders from across the country. Happy 10th anniversary to Right Brain Brew in Traverse City. Great brews, great place! Wonderful opportunity to meet with the local Plumbers and Pipefitters at their training center in Lansing! With Dr. Adam Spina, Superintendent of Williamston Community Schools. Go Hornets! I spoke to over 300 Michigan small business owners at the 10,000 Small Businesses Summit in Washington. Great to see so many energetic and passionate job creators in one room! Great to join the Detroit Tooling and Machining Association for an important discussion on workforce training. Thanks, Jon, for the tour of DeWys Manufacturing in Marne. Your commitment to on-site job training is leading the way! Great visit to Chester Boot Shop in Roseville. Impressive variety of American boots and shoes! Loved joining Jennifer at Just Delicious Scones in Roseville for a "spot" of tea. What a treat! If you love popcorn, you will love family-owned Royal Popcorn Company in Eastpointe! Cheers to Old Nation Brewing in Williamston for brewing one of the top Michigan beers, the M-43. Absolutely beautiful art at Williamston's Fireworks Glass Studios! Dawn and her team at Vivee's Floral Garden in Williamston are working hard to get ready for Valentine's Day. Touring the Lanzen Fabricating facility in Roseville. At the Michigan Agri-Business Association's Winter Conference and Trade Show. One in four Michigan jobs come from this great industry! Community health centers like the Western Wayne Family Health Center are relying on Congress to pass funding so they can continue providing care for thousands of Michigan families! Working on pension protections with Teamsters visiting from Michigan. Great to visit with Jason Allen, USDA's Rural Development Director for Michigan. Honored to receive National Grange's Champion of Rural America Award from Michigan Grange President Chris Johnson With Jeremiah Steen, the first-ever Junior Goodfellow of the Year. Congratulations! Congratulations to my friend Gerry Anderson, who was named 2017 Goodfellow of the year! So proud of Dearborn's Becker Elementary School, one of 13 Michigan Blue Ribbon schools for 2017. Principal Rima Hassan, teacher Claire Maskssoud, and Superintendent Glenn Maleyko stopped by on their way to the award ceremony. What an amazing selection at Source Booksellers in Detroit! La Feria Detroit serves delicious Spanish tapas! At the beautifully restored Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac. Great to meet Lisa Phillips, Michigan's Principal of the year, from Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Google in Ann Arbor is helping Michigan's small businesses reach more and more new customers every day! At Habitat for Humanity's women's build day in Isabella County. This is what community looks like! Visiting Partridge Creek Farm, a community-run educational farm in downtown Ishpeming. Delicious visit with Lisa and the Sister Pie team in Detroit! At Caribbean Mardi Gras Productions in Detroit--their costumes are sold all over North America! The awesome students from Kent Intermediate Schools are learning great skills to prepare them for good-paying jobs! Touring the robotics lab at Mott Community College. With Montford Point Marine veterans at Detroit's first Marine Week. With the Northern Michigan University Baja Team—a great way to make learning technical skills valuable and exciting! With members of the Coalition of Labor Union Women on Labor Day. Marching with members of the Michigan Firefighters Union on Labor Day. With John Madigan, owner of Pictured Rocks Boat Cruises in Munising. Muldoons Pasties & Gifts in Munising is a UP’s People’s Choice award winner! Can’t beat Munising’s VanLandschloot & Sons for fresh white fish! Shopping at Swan Creek Candle in Dundee. Visiting with the expert technicians at Icon Computer Solutions in Wayne. Delicious home-made quiche from Karma Coffee Shop and Kitchen in Wayne! With Mari Lin Pettit, owner of Pettit Hardware, an Eaton Rapids landmark! The beautiful Coyer Candle in Midland is filled with great scents like McIntosh Apple! Family-owned and operated Golden Shoes has been serving Traverse City for over 100 years! At The Workshop Brewing Company in Traverse City--great vision and great beer! What's a visit to Traverse City without a stop at Grand Traverse Pie Company? Meeting Close Up Foundation students from the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance of Detroit. Celebrating the 4th of July at the Clawson Independence Day Parade. At the Capitol with students and faculty from Grand Rapids Innovation Central and Ottawa Hills High Schools. Meeting with members of Trust Care Healthcare Justice. Welcoming representatives of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals Discussing the importance of the Soo Locks with the bipartisan Michigan delegation. Welcoming members of American Bikers Aiming Toward Education / Motorcycle Riders Foundation of Michigan to Good Morning Michigan. Welcoming students and faculty from Canton Prep to Washington, D.C. Meeting with students and faculty from Carman-Ainsworth High School. With Ewan Drum from New Haven, a recipient of the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Award. With Sarah Maisano from Clinton Township, a winner of the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Accepting the Special Congressional Achievement Award from the Small Business Council of America. Visiting the IBEW Local 58 training center in Warren, which employs over 500 high school graduates with full-time apprenticeships. Great to visit Parker Jewelers in Three Rivers. Darrell is an amazing goldsmith! MVB in Three Rivers is very impressive! Precision machining, tool design, and building things! Stopped by PinUp Salon in Three Rivers after their busy day getting students ready for prom! Gigi’s Flowers and Gifts has beautiful arrangements! Randy and his family have owned Seitz’s Tavern in Chelsea for over a century! Dexter Bakery has delicious sugar cookies! Kalamazoo's Gazelle Sports has everything you need to help get you moving! Olde Peninsula is Kalamazoo's first and oldest brewpub! Petals and Postings in Kalamazoo has beautiful custom invitations for any occasion! Visiting award-winning L'Anse Manufacturing, where they're making things and creating jobs in the UP! Exciting autonomous robotics research going on at Michigan Tech by very talented students. Go Huskies! NECi Superior Enzymes in Lake Linden is producing amazing science! Meeting with representatives of the Council of Michigan Foundations. Celebrating National Agriculture Day with Chad McFee and Future Farmers of America Michigan President Loren King. Accepting the YMCA Congressional Champion award from Moses Bingham, Director of Safe Places at YMCA of Greater Flint and Kevin Washington, President and CEO of the YMCA of the USA. Visiting with advocates from Michigan YMCAs. Meeting students from West Bloomfield Hills High School. Meeting with representatives from the Michigan Home Care and Hospice Association in Washington, D.C. With members of Delta Sigma Theta visiting Washington for Delta Days. Pleased to speak at TechNet's luncheon about technology as a driver of job creation. With Dr. Sharon Swindell of the MI American Academy of Pediatrics and my special guest for the Joint Address to Congress. With members of the Michigan Credit Union League in Washington, D.C. Meeting with pastors from Flint and surrounding areas. Honored to be recognized by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission of Greater Lansing. Celebrating the time-honored traditions of hunting and habitat conservation with Pheasants Forever. Congratulations to Macomb County's MLK Day oratory contest winners Meredith Tipton and Austin McDonald! Great Job! Stewart Industries in Battle Creek is a Michigan job creator! Visiting Rehman’s Clothing in St. Johns on small business tour. The U.S. Army’s new Stryker, developed in Michigan, will protect our brave men and women overseas. At the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Lansing. With Congressman Kildee, Mayor Weaver, and Senator Peters at the Capitol announcing Senate package to help Flint. Flint activists, including Bishop Bernadel Jefferson and Mike Harris, lobbying at the Capitol for aid to fix the city's water crisis. Flint activists, including Laura MacIntyre and Gina Luster, lobbying at the Capitol for aid to fix the city's water crisis. Cheers to the talented mixologists at Grand River Brewery in Jackson! Small business roundtables with the Michigan Hispanic Chamber and SBA Administrator Contreras-Sweet. Commemorating 100 years of our National Park Service at River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe. At Pigeon Hill Brewery, home of craft beer proudly brewed in downtown Michigan. Great tour of Harsco Rail in Ludington, where they make the best quality products for our rail industry. Meeting with officials at Coast Guard Station St. Ignace to discuss emergency response for Line 5. Celebrating the Fourth of July at the Clawson Independence Day Parade. Healthy snacking with Detroit student-chefs who brought their skills to the U.S. Senate! Honored to accept the Legacy Award for Conservation from Pheasants Forever. Delta Manufacturing in Escanaba, a top railroad supplier. Jewelry maker Beth Millner is one of downtown Marquette's great artisans. Donckers Homemade Chocolates, a Marquette Favorite! Congratulations to Mid Michigan Community College Grads! Visiting Cops & Doughnuts in Clare, my hometown! Thank you, Mari, our Little Miss Flint, for inviting President Obama to your community. The Dequindre Cut Greenway is officially open! Congratulations to Link Detroit partners! Celebrating the opening of the Dequindre Cut Greenway with Detroit's Edison Public School Academy marching band. With Michigan students visiting Washington, D.C. with the Close Up Foundation. Great Lunch at Zeff's in Detroit's Eastern Market. With the American Ambulance Association's 2016 Star of Life honorees from Michigan. Honoring women leaders in Michigan manufacturing. Meeting with community leaders at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan. At County Seat, a farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Hastings. Visiting the Walldorff Brew Pub in Hastings. Cheers! Welcome to the Capitol, Jordan! With Michigan delegates to ONE's annual Power Summit in Washington, D.C. With Frank Ettawageshik, Executive Director of the United Tribes of Michigan. At the Flint Crepe Company. With the Michigan Association of Counties. Visiting Flint City T-Shirts. With fellow MSU Spartans talking about ways to keep students from graduating #InTheRed. With members of the National Skills Coalition visiting Washington, D.C. Discussing ways to keep Western Michigan University students from graduating #InTheRed. Meeting students from Calvin College visiting the nation’s capital. With Matt Kero of Neuvokas Corp., one of 10 Michigan businesses at the Small Business Development Center Showcase. At the Grand Rapids Art Museum for the kickoff of their Year of the Innovative Woman. Visiting the Grand Traverse Foodshed Alliance. Checking on progress at MSU's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Celebrating Amir Hekmati's return to his family. With the Macomb Chamber of Commerce. Visiting Futuramic Tool and Engineering in Detroit. Speaking at the National Council for Behavioral Health Conference. Meeting with members of Ducks Unlimited in Washington. Rolling out the new DT12 Transmission at Detroit Diesel. Discussing child nutrition at the Atlantic magazine's Food Summit. Meeting with representatives from Michigan Job Corps. Senator Stabenow salutes veterans at Detroit's 2015 Veterans Day Parade.