Senator Stabenow Receives Inaugural University of Michigan President’s Medal of Excellence

ANN ARBOR — Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) received an Inaugural University of Michigan President’s Medal of Excellence from University of Michigan President Santa Ono today at a ceremony at the University of Michigan. Senator Stabenow was recognized for her decades of leadership on health care, manufacturing, agriculture, the Great Lakes, and making Michigan a better place to live and work. 

“From fighting for affordable health care and conducting ground-breaking medical research, to advancing vehicle safety and blazing trails for our clean energy future, the University of Michigan has been a dedicated partner throughout my career. I’m honored to receive an inaugural Medal of Excellence from President Ono,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow. 

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to present Senator Stabenow this tangible expression of our thanks for the profound and indelible imprint she has made on the mission, purposes, and ideals of the University of Michigan,” said U-M President Santa Ono. “Her commitment to public service, her dedication to wellness and sustainability, to strengthening Michigan’s global leadership in manufacturing and clean energy, and above all, to protecting and improving the lives of the people of Michigan and Americans all across the country is an ethos to which we aspire a credo which we acclaim.”

Throughout her years in public service, Senator Stabenow has blazed trails and opened doors for women and girls. Among her many “firsts”, she was the first and youngest woman to chair the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, first woman to preside over the Michigan House of Representatives and first woman elected to the United States Senate from Michigan. She made history by being the first woman to beat an incumbent United States senator.

As chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Senator Stabenow has redefined the role of American agriculture in protecting our land and water; responding to the climate crisis; addressing hunger and nutrition; and creating a food system that is more inclusive. She created the first specialty crop title in Farm Bill history to support Michigan’s broad range of crops – from our fruits and vegetables to hops and horticulture.

As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee, Senator Stabenow has led efforts in Congress to make health care more affordable.  She helped write the Affordable Care Act and passed major reforms to bring down the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs and to require health insurance plans to cover maternity care.

She authored the mental health parity provisions in the Affordable Care Act, and her Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act created a new, transformational system that funds community behavioral health services the same way we fund physical health services. It is the biggest step forward in expanding community mental health and addiction services in a generation. Michigan now has 41 community clinics across the state. Millions of people in Michigan and across our nation will be receiving the care they need because of her leadership. 

Senator Stabenow has always been dedicated to protecting our Great Lakes for future generations. One of the first bills she passed in the U.S. Senate was a ban on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes. She authored two landmark programs that are already transforming the health of our Great Lakes and waterways for future generations - the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program in the Farm Bill. From stopping invasive species to modernizing our Soo Locks, there is no greater champion for our Great Lakes, natural resources, and Michigan way-of-life.

Senator Stabenow has been an advocate for the University of Michigan in numerous ways throughout her career. She supported U-M’s Center for Connected and Automated Transportation every step of the way. The center was established in December 2016 under a Department of Transportation FAST Act grant and has been operating as the Region 5 University Transportation Center since its initial award. The center received $3 million in federal funding in 2023 to advance research in connected infrastructure and autonomous vehicles.

Year after year, Senator Stabenow has been a champion of the University of Michigan’s research activity, which totals to more than $1 billion in federally sponsored research expenditures. Much of this funding comes from the National Science Foundation, which Senator Stabenow champions each fiscal year.

Last year, Senator Stabenow secured $2.3 million dollars for a new fleet of medical helicopters for the University of Michigan. This is being used to provide emergency transportation services to the entire state.

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