Fred Upton

Frederick Stephen Upton (born April 23, 1953) is an American politician serving the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 6th congressional district, serving since 1987. The district, numbered as the 4th District from 1987 to 1993, is based in Kalamazoo and stretches along the Michigan-Indiana border in the southwestern part of the state. A member of the Republican Party and former Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, he has played a major role in shaping post-Obamacare health-care legislation.

Following the retirement of Sander Levin at the end of the 115th Congress, Upton became the dean of Michigan's congressional delegation. In the 116th Congress, he is a co-chair of the House moderate Republican faction, the Tuesday Group, alongside Susan Brooks and John Katko.

Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, the son of Elizabeth B. (née Vial) and Stephen Edward Upton. Upton attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's, graduating in 1971. He earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Michigan in 1975. He was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, Peninsular Chapter and became a sports editor at The Michigan Daily and thought he might someday cover the Chicago Cubs. He served on the congressional staff of U.S. Congressman David Stockman (R-MI) from 1976-80. He was in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Ronald Reagan from 1981–85, while Stockman served as OMB Director.

Elections

1986 election

Upton ran in Michigan's 4th congressional district against incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Mark Siljander, Stockman's successor. Upton won the Republican primary 55%–45%. He won the general election with 62% of the vote.

1988 election

Upton won re-election to a second term with 71% of the vote.

1990 election

He faced a challenge in the Republican primary by Ed Fredericks, ultimately defeating Fredericks by a margin of 63%–37%. In the general election, he won re-election to a third term with 58% of the vote.

1992–2000 elections

After redistricting, Upton decided to run in the newly redrawn Michigan's 6th congressional district, winning re-election in 1992 to a fourth term with 62% of the vote. During this time period, he didn't have a Republican challenger and never won re-election with less than 62%.

2002 election

After redistricting, Upton faced a primary challenge from state senator Dale Shugars. Upton defeated Shugars 66%–32%. He won the general election with 69% of the vote.

2004 election

Upton defeated Democrat Scott Elliott, an art gallery owner, 65%–32%.

2006 election

Upton defeated Democratic challenger Kim Clark 61%–38%.

2008 election

Upton defeated Democratic challenger Don Cooney, a Kalamazoo City Commissioner, 59%–39%.

2010 election

Upton was challenged in the Republican primary by former State Representative Jack Hoogendyk. Upton defeated him 57%–43%. In the general election, he defeated Cooney in a rematch 62%–34%.

2012 election

In 2011, Hoogendyk met with the Club for Growth, a conservative 501(c)4 organization, about running against Upton in a rematch in 2012. Upton has been criticized for not being conservative enough by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, FreedomWorks, Right to Life of Michigan, and the Southwest Michigan Tea Party Patriots. On January 17, 2012, Hoogendyk announced that he would challenge Upton in the primary, the winner of which would face Democrat Mike O'Brien in the general election. Upton defeated Hoogendyk in the August 2012 Republican primary, advancing to the general election in November.

While initial polls showed Upton with a sizable lead over the challenger, former marine and businessman Mike O'Brien, a poll in October showed Upton and O'Brien locked in a dead heat heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

2014 election

Upton won with 55.9% of the vote, defeating Democrat Paul Clements, Libertarian Erwin Haas, and Green Party candidate John Lawrence.

2016 election

Upton won re election in 2016, defeating Democratic challenger, Paul Clements, a Political Science Professor at Western Michigan University, 58.48%-36.41%, gaining a total of 193,259 votes, compared to Clements 119,980 votes.

2018 election

Upton won reelection with 50.2% of the vote against Democratic candidate Matt Longjohn (45.75%) and U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Stephen Young (4.1%).

Tenure

Upton has been a member of moderate Republican factions The Tuesday Group and the Republican Main Street Partnership.

Healthcare

Upton voted against passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and has since voted in favor of its complete repeal, stating that the law ignored the will of the people and that a bill that important should not have been passed without strong bipartisan support. He believes that with the current level of debt, the USA cannot afford the PPACA. In November 2013, in response to Americans losing their health insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, Upton proposed a bill what would allow them to retain their health insurance coverage. The essence of the Upton bill is to allow insurance companies to maintain their current individual insurance market policies according to state insurance rules that are in effect as of 2013.

In November 2013, Upton introduced the Keep Your Health Plan Act, which would let health-care insurers continue to sell plans that did not meet the Affordable Care Act’s “essential health benefits” standard. It passed the House with support from 39 Democrats plus all but four Republicans, but did not become law. In an article for USA Today, Upton explained that he had heard from “countless constituents in Michigan” who, despite President Obama's promise that “If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan,” were “losing their coverage,” as were “millions of Americans who took the president at his word and are now receiving insurance termination notices and alternatives that are often much more expensive.”

On September 27, 2013, Upton introduced the Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204; 113th Congress), a bill that would grant the Food and Drug Administration more power to regulate drug compounding in the wake of the New England Compounding Center meningitis outbreak. Upton indicated that three of the deceased were from his district. The bill passed in the House and was being debated in the Senate.

On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed Upton's 21st Century Cures Actinto law. The bill, co-sponsored by Upton and Diana DeGette (D-CO) passed the House 392 to 26 and the Senate 94 to 5. The act establishes funds for biomedical research and to develop and implement a strategic plan for biomedical research.

In March 2017, Upton said: “Obamacare has not delivered on countless promises.” It was reported in April 2017 that Upton had “serious concerns” with President Donald Trump’s proposed health-care law because it would mean “potential higher costs to those with pre-existing illnesses.” In May 2017, after the addition of a new amendment written by Upton that provided additional funds for those with pre-existing conditions, he said he would vote for the bill and said he believed it could now pass the House. In July, Upton was among a group of members from both parties who “unveiled a set of solutions” intended to improve health-care coverage.

Environment and Energy

Upton has received more than $2 million in campaign donations from oil and gas companies and electric utilities over the course of his career as of early 2017 per OpenSecrets.org.

Upton's website once stated: "I strongly believe that everything must be on the table as we seek to reduce carbon emissions."

During the George W. Bush Administration

In 2007 Upton was a co-sponsor of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 which among other things mandated phased-in energy efficiency standards for most light bulbs. At the time, Upton noted that the legislation, ultimately signed into law by President George W. Bush, would "help preserve energy resources and reduce harmful emissions, all while saving American families billions of dollars on their electric bills."Glenn Beck called Upton "all socialist" for supporting the 2007 bill.

During the Obama Administration

In April 2009, he maintained that "climate change is a serious problem that necessitates serious solutions. Everything must be on the table." However, "Upton has gradually retreated from his moderate stance on climate change and carbon emissions."Upton led a failed effort to stop the Obama Administration from enforcing the new energy standards.

In late 2010, he co-authored a Wall Street Journal editorial saying he was "not convinced" that "carbon is a problem in need of regulation," and urging Congress to overturn Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency. (See regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act and climate change denial)

He is the co-sponsor, with Ed Whitfield, of the "Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011" H.R. 910.Due to his environmental policies, The Los Angeles Times wrote in 2011 that Upton "represents one of the biggest threats to planet Earth on planet Earth."

In 2012, Upton, as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that Congress’s refusal to set greenhouse gas limits “constituted a decision and that lawmakers should act now to reverse the EPA emissions rules.” Carbon regulation, he said, “threatens to drive energy prices higher, destroy jobs and hamstring our economic recovery.”

On October 22, 2013, Upton introduced the North American Energy Infrastructure Act (H.R. 3301; 113th Congress), a bill that would make changes to permitting requirements for pipelines and other energy infrastructure at international borders. Upton said that the bill "is a sincere effort to focus a targeted solution to lessons learned from the Keystone pipeline... No one can rightly argue that the current presidential permit process as the State Department is not broken, no matter what side of the climate debate you're on."(see global warming controversy)Upton also argued that "we're creating a fair and transparent approval process for cross-border energy projects, putting them all on a level playing field for the benefit of North American energy security, lower energy prices, and jobs."

During the Trump Administration

In 2018, he joined the Climate Solutions Caucus.

Technology

On September 29, 2006, Upton introduced the Video Game Decency Act (H.R. 6120) to the House during the 109th United States Congress. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but never received consideration. Upton reintroduced a bill by the same title (H.R. 1531) in the 110th United States Congress, which was also referred to that committee and never received a vote.

Upton introduced legislation to reverse the FCC's ruling on Net Neutrality in 2015.

Abortion

Upton generally supports anti-abortion legislation.

Gun laws

Upton does not support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns in most circumstances, and in 2010 received "A" and "A-" ratings from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America, respectively. Upton supports some gun safety laws. From 1991-2003, Upton supported the interests of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence 55 percent and in 1993, Upton supported a waiting period for gun purchase to provide background checks for criminal records. In 2019 Upton supported a bill banning sales between private individuals.

Opioid crisis

In May 2018, Upton and Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) worked together on legislation designed to combat opioid addiction. Among other things, it would allocate funding for research into new, non-addictive pain relievers.

LGBT issues

In 2006, Upton voted to propose an amendment to the Constitution restricting the definition of marriage. He received a 15% rating from the Human Rights Campaign on LGBT Rights in 2008. In 2013, however, Upton condemned remarks by Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema of Michigan, who had said that gay people “want free medical because they're dying between 30 and 44 years old.....To me, it's a moral issue. It's a Biblical issue. Traditional marriage is where it should be and it's in our platform. Those in our party who oppose traditional marriage are wrong.” Upton said in a statement: “There is never an acceptable time or place to tolerate discrimination.”

Fiscal issues

Upton supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution, a proposal that failed to acquire the two-thirds support necessary to pass the House in the 112th Congress. Upton also supports the line-item veto, which would authorize the President to propose the rescission of full or partial funding in a bill passed by Congress.

In the 111th session of Congress, Upton tabled $7,225,000 in federal funds through eleven earmarks, but political pressure from inside of the Republican party led Upton to announce his support for a Republican initiative to install a moratorium in Congress on legislative earmarks to reduce unnecessary budget expenditures and the fiscal deficit. According to the Council of Citizens Against Government Waste, a taxpayer watchdog group, Upton refrained from all earmarking activities during the 112th Congress.

Upton has been criticized by the conservative website Human Events for being liberal with regards to fiscal issues. He has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with the "Spirit of Enterprise" award for "standing firmly against overreaching regulations and job-destroying mandates". In 2019, during the 116th Congress, Upton broke with his party, one of seven Republicans siding with Democrats, by voting for legislation that would fund government services and end a shutdown.

Donald Trump

As of August 2019, Upton has voted "in line with Trump positions" 84.8 percent of the time, according to the website FiveThirtyEight.com.

In July 2019, Upton was one of four Republican House members to vote in support of a motion to condemn comments by President Trump made on Twitter calling on four Democratic Congresswomen, three of whom we born in the US, to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came."

On December 18, 2019, Upton voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Automotive Caucus (Co-Vice Chair)
• Congressional Competitiveness Caucus
• Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus
• Diabetes Caucus
• India Caucus
• Indian-Americans Caucus
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus
• Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus
• House Baltic Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus

Upton's grandfather and namesake, Frederick Upton, was co-founder of appliance manufacturer and marketer Whirlpool Corporation, headquartered in Benton Harbor. He and his wife have two children. Upton's niece is supermodel Kate Upton.In 2014, Michigan Radio reported that Upton had a net worth of $7.3 million.

Upton is a supporter of Michigan Wolverines athletics as well as an enthusiastic Chicago Cubs baseball fan. He is a member of the Emil Verban Society.