Biography Congressman Fred Upton 6th District, Michigan

Fred Upton has represented the common-sense, Midwestern values of his southwest Michigan district for the last 23 years.  Fred has strived to put principle ahead of politics, doing what is in the best interest of the people of Michigan.  Prior to his election to Congress in 1986, Fred worked for President Ronald Reagan in the Office of Management and Budget.  While at OMB, he learned from President Reagan’s example, that it doesn’t matter who gets the credit, as long as the job gets done.

Memorial Day Medal Ceremony

Fred has a reputation for getting things done in Washington and at home in southwest Michigan.  The Dowagiac Daily News calls Fred a “breath of fresh air in polarized Washington” who “keeps company at the highest levels of the federal government, but he never forgets where he comes from.”  Fred’s hometown paper, The Herald Palladium, calls Fred an “engaged, positive representative” who has “effectively pulled the levers of government that have allowed key infrastructure projects to move forward.” 

In the House of Representatives, Fred is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  He currently serves as the top Republican of the powerful Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, a critical position as the nation seeks to reduce its dependence on Mideast oil through an “all of the above” approach with a greater emphasis on domestic exploration, the advancement of renewable sources of energy like wind and solar, the promotion of emissions-free nuclear power (which will also rejuvenate the manufacturing sector), and increased conservation through advanced technologies.

Fred also plays an active role on the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, a subcommittee he previously chaired, which has jurisdiction over newly emerging high-tech issues such as tele-medicine, broadband deployment, and the wiring of America’s classrooms for Internet technology.  As chairman, Fred authored the law that created a billion dollar program to ensure our first responders can communicate with one another during times of emergency – a top priority of the 9/11 Commission. 

Fred has also been leading the fight against cancer in Congress, and continues to push for a greater emphasis on research and development to improve the public health.

Fred and his wife Amey have two children, a son in high school and a daughter in college.