37 Facts About Fred Upton

Frederick Stephen Upton was born on April 23,1953 and is an American politician who served as a US representative from Michigan from 1987 to 2023, representing the state's 6th congressional district since 1993.

Fred Upton's 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.

Fred Upton is the only person in American history to vote to impeach two presidents; he voted for the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1998 and the second impeachment of Donald Trump in 2021, as one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.

Redrawn into the 4th district, Fred Upton did not seek reelection in 2022, and retired from Congress upon his 18th term's expiration in 2023.

Fred Upton 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.

Fred Upton served on the congressional staff of US Representative David Stockman from 1976 to 1980.

Fred Upton was in the Office of Management and Budget under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1985, while Stockman served as OMB Director.

Fred Upton ran in Michigan's 4th congressional district against incumbent Mark Siljander, Stockman's successor.

Fred Upton had 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.

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

Fred Upton voted against passage of the Affordable Care Act and has since voted in favor of its complete repeal.

In November 2013, in response to Americans losing their health insurance coverage because of the ACA, Fred Upton proposed a bill that would allow them to retain it.

In 2017, Fred Upton played an important role advancing Republican Party efforts to repeal the ACA.

In 2013, Fred Upton introduced 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.

In 2007 Fred Upton co-sponsored the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which, among other things, mandated phased-in energy efficiency standards for most light bulbs.

Fred Upton introduced legislation to reverse the FCC's ruling on net neutrality in 2015.

On November 5,2021, Fred Upton was one of 13 House Republicans to break with their party and vote with a majority of Democrats in favor of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

In 2019, Fred Upton supported a bill that requires background checks for private firearm sales.

Fred Upton has called for Congress to pass a bipartisan red flag law.

In March 2021, Fred Upton was one of eight Republicans to join the House majority in passing the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021.

In 2004 and 2006, Fred Upton voted for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

In 2013, Fred Upton condemned controversial anti-gay remarks by Republican National Committeeman David Agema.

In 2021, Fred Upton was one of 29 Republicans to vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

In 2021, Fred Upton was one of 33 Republicans to vote for the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act.

In 2021, Fred Upton co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act.

In 2019, during the 116th Congress, Fred Upton broke with his party, one of seven Republicans to side with Democrats by voting for legislation that would fund government services and end a shutdown.

In February 2021, Fred Upton voted against a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that provided $10 billion in federal aid to Michigan.

On December 18,2019, Fred Upton voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump.

On January 12,2021, Fred Upton announced he would vote to impeach Trump in the pending vote on a second impeachment, claiming Trump incited the January 6 United States Capitol attack, becoming the fourth House Republican to say they would vote to impeach.

Fred Upton was later censured by the Cass County Republican Party for voting to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Education Committee.

On May 19,2021, Fred Upton was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6 commission meant to investigate the Capitol attack.

In June 2021, Fred Upton was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the AUMF against Iraq.

On October 21,2021, Fred Upton was one of nine House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.

Fred Upton voted for the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.

In 2022, Fred Upton was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.

Open Secrets reported that Fred Upton had a net worth of $78 million in 2018, making him one of Congress's richest members.

Fred Upton is a supporter of Michigan Wolverines athletics, as well as an enthusiastic Chicago Cubs baseball fan.