Congressman Sander Levin

The Congressional Connector

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Nov 17 - 21, 2008
Rep. Levin Testifies on the Need for Bridge Loans for AutomakersOn November 19, Rep. Levin testified before the House Financial Services Committee on the urgent need to provide bridge loans to U.S. automakers to allow them to weather the global financial crisis, accelerate implementation of their restructuring plans, and protect millions of American jobs. The House and Senate ...view more

October 13 - 17, 2008
House Approves Unemployment Insurance Extension, but Hurdles RemainOn October 3, the House of Representatives passed legislation [H.R. 6867] to provide seven weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state; further, it would provide an additional 13 weeks in States – including Michigan – with high unemployment rates.  Unfortunately, the Senate was not able to overcome Republican opposition and ...view more

Week of Sept 22 - 26, 2008
House Approves Comprehensive Energy PackageOn September 16, the House of Representatives approved a major energy bill [H.R. 6899, the “Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act”] that includes responsible development of additional oil and gas resources, greater energy efficiency, tax incentives to spur alternative energy, investment in new technologies, and relief to American consumers.  The House passed ...view more

Week of August 11 - 15, 2008
House Approves Paycheck Fairness ActOn July 31, the House of Representatives approved legislation [H.R. 1338] to strengthen the Equal Pay Act and help bridge the wide disparity in wages between men and women working in similar jobs.  The House passed the bill on a vote of 247 to 178.  The measure seeks to strengthen the landmark Equal Pay ...view more

Week of July 28 - Aug 1, 2008
Mortgage Relief Package Would Help Up to 400,000 Avoid ForeclosureOn July 23, the House of Representatives approved major legislation [H.R. 3221, the “American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act”] to combat the unprecedented rise in foreclosures by helping struggling homeowners refinance their mortgages, encourage the purchase of homes to revive the housing market, and address the negative impact ...view more

Week of July 21 - 25, 2008
House Debates Bill to Spur U.S. Oil ProductionOn July 17, the House debated the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands (DRILL) Act [H.R. 6515] to promote domestic production of oil and natural gas.  The goal of the bill is to spur oil production on the 68 million acres of federal land already leased by oil companies for energy production ...view more

Week of July 14 - 18, 2008
Bipartisan Majorities in House and Senate Break with Bush Administration on MedicareOn July 9, the Senate dramatically reversed course and approved critical legislation [H.R. 6331] to prevent a pending 10 percent reduction in payments doctors receive for treating Medicare patients.  The House had previously voted 355 to 59 to approve the measure, but an earlier attempt to pass ...view more

Week July 7 - 11, 2008
Millions Still Eligible to Receive Stimulus CheckThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced a new summer campaign to reach those retirees and disabled veterans and others who qualify for the economic stimulus payment but have not filed to claim it.  Congress approved the stimulus payments earlier this year and the Treasury Department has sent out over 100 million ...view more

Week of June 30 - July 3, 2008
13-Week Unemployment Extension Signed into LawOn June 30, President Bush signed a Supplemental funding bill for critical military and domestic needs that includes a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.  Rep. Levin said, “Today the voices of over one million out of work Americans are finally being heard, with a much needed extension of unemployment benefits.  This ...view more

Week of June 23 -27, 2008
Legislation Introduced to Compel Oil Companies to Use Oil and Gas Leases Fifty House lawmakers, including Rep. Levin, have cosponsored a bill [H.R. 6251, the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act] to help lower gas prices by compelling energy companies to either demonstrate that they are producing oil and gas, or are diligently developing the leases they already ...view more

Week of June 9 - 13, 2008
Lawmakers Work to Advance Unemployment Insurance Extension Despite White House OppositionWith the nation’s economy sputtering and unemployment rising, House lawmakers are working to advance a critically-needed extension of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to provide up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state (with an additional 13 weeks in high unemployment states like Michigan).  Last month, ...view more

Week of May 19 - 23, 2008
House Approves Extension of Unemployment BenefitsOn May 15, the full House of Representatives passed an extension of unemployment insurance benefits to help the growing number of jobless workers nationwide.  The extension, which was taken up as an amendment to the War and Domestic supplemental funding package, would extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks across the country and 13 ...view more

Week of May 12 - 16, 2008
Lawmakers Urge President to Lower Gas Prices On May 7, ninety-four members of the House of Representatives wrote a letter to President Bush calling on him to take action to lower the price of gasoline by suspending the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).  Not only would this action put more oil on the market, it could ...view more

Week of May 5 - 9, 2008
12th District Residents Share Their Views During On-line Town Hall Meeting – Read the Questions and Answers!On May 6, Rep. Levin held a lively on-line town hall meeting with residents of Michigan’s 12th District.  Residents voiced their opinions on a wide variety of issues, including unemployment, gas prices, the war in Iraq, trade policy with China, among many ...view more

Week of April 28 - May 2, 2008
Economic Stimulus Rebates Start Going Out - More Action NeededMore than 4.5 million Michigan households are expected to receive rebates, injecting $3.8 billion into our state and national economies. The rebates come as a result of a bipartisan agreement reached in February in which Congress agreed to provide rebate checks of up to $600 per individual and $1200 ...view more

Week of April 21 - 25, 2008
Lawmakers Back Bill to Free Up 70,000 Barrels of Crude Oil a DayWith gas prices across the country at record highs, and the summer driving season approaching, 32 House lawmakers have sponsored legislation [H.R. 5473] to temporarily suspend further crude oil shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).  Rep. Levin is a cosponsor of this legislation.Currently, the SPR ...view more

Week of April 14 - 18, 2008
Lawmakers Back Bill to Extend Unemployment BenefitsOn April 9, bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House to provide assistance to Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.  The bill [H.R. 5749] would immediately provide up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits in every state; further, it would provide an additional 13 weeks ...view more

Week of April 7 - 11, 2008
80,000 Jobs Lost in MarchOn April 4, the Department of Labor reported that U.S. employers cut 80,000 jobs in March after having slashed 152,000 jobs in January and February.  Responding to the weak jobs report, Rep. Levin urged swift action to extend unemployment benefits: “In the past, extensions of unemployment benefits have come too late.  We simply cannot ...view more

Week of March 31 - April 4, 2008
Lawmakers Call for New China Trade Strategy On March 27, fifteen key members from the House Ways and Means Committee, including Chairman Charles B. Rangel and Rep. Levin, wrote to President Bush to urge him to adopt and implement a new strategy for dealing with China’s persistent currency manipulation and other trade issues.  The letter read, in part, ...view more

Week of March 3 - 7, 2008
Lawmakers Hold Hearing on China’s Human Rights Record in Advance of Olympic GamesOn February 27, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) held a high-profile hearing on the impact of the 2008 Olympic Games on human rights in China.  The CECC was created by Congress with the legislative mandate to monitor human rights and the development of the rule ...view more

Week of February 25 - 29, 2008
Rep. Levin Calls for Release of Report on Health Threats from Great Lakes Contamination On February 21, Rep. Levin wrote to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) urging the public release of a long-delayed study on possible health threats from environmental hazards in certain areas adjacent to the Great Lakes.  The CDC shelved the study last ...view more

Week of February 11 - 15, 2008
Economic Stimulus Bill Clears CongressResponding to continued weakness in the U.S. economy, the House of Representatives gave final approval to bipartisan legislation [H.R. 5140] to help Americans who are struggling with the high costs of energy, health care and groceries, and jumpstart the slowing economy.  The broad-based stimulus package will provide tax relief of up to $600 per ...view more

Week of February 4 - 8, 2008
President Sends Budget to CongressOn Monday, February 4, President Bush submitted his 2009 budget to Congress.  Overall, the President’s budget looks much as it has in past years, calling for a half trillion dollar reduction in Medicare and funding cuts for other key domestic priorities, including health care, education, clean water, fire fighting and law enforcement, drug free ...view more

January 30, 2008
House Approves Economic Stimulus Package On January 29, the House voted 385 to 35 to approve a bipartisan stimulus package [H.R. 5140] to jumpstart the slowing economy.  The goal of the $146 billion measure is to provide working Americans who are struggling in these difficult economic times with timely, targeted and temporary relief and to give our economy ...view more

January 22, 2008
Congress Reconvenes, Lawmakers Focus on Kickstarting the Economy The House of Representatives reconvened on January 15 to begin the 2nd session of the 110th Congress as returning lawmakers made clear that shoring up the faltering U.S. economy would be the first order of business.  The Leadership of the House and Senate is working on a bipartisan basis with the ...view more

December 18, 2007
House Votes to Make Do-Not-Call Registry Permanent On December 11, the House of Representatives approved legislation [H.R. 3541, the “Do-Not-Call Improvement Act”] to permanently renew the Do-Not-Call program without requiring people to re-register their phone numbers in order to continue blocking calls from telemarketers.  The original Do-Not-Call Act required people to re-register their phone numbers with the Federal ...view more

December 11, 2007
House Approves Landmark Energy Security LegislationOn December 6, the House of Representatives approved comprehensive energy legislation [H.R. 6] to bolster U.S. energy security, lower energy costs, grow the economy, and begin to address global warming.  The House approved the measure on a vote of 235 to 181.  The House-passed bill increases the fuel efficiency of vehicles to 35 ...view more

November 19 - 23, 2007
House Votes to Overhaul Electronic Surveillance Law On November 15, the House of Representatives approved legislation [H.R. 3773, the RESTORE Act] to overhaul the rules governing when and how the federal government can listen in on Americans’ phone calls, e-mails, and other communications.  Under a stop-gap law that Congress approved back in August, there are few privacy safeguards ...view more

November 13 - 16, 2007
House Votes for Middle Class Tax Relief On November 9, the House of Representatives approved legislation [H.R. 3996] to protect more than 23 million families from being hit with a tax increase under the alternative minimum tax (AMT) when they file their 2007 taxes in a few months. The measure was adopted on a vote of 216 to ...view more

November 5 - 9, 2007
A Year After Historic Election, Lawmakers Highlight Accomplishments On November 1, Speaker Pelosi and other members of the New Congress joined together to highlight major accomplishments on the one year anniversary of the election which brought about change in both the U.S. House and Senate.  “Congress has accomplished much this year.  The challenges we face are immense and ...view more

October 29 - November 2, 2007
Ways & Means Chairman Introduces Comprehensive Tax Reform Last week, the Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel, introduced the Tax Reform and Reduction Act of 2007 to provide tax relief to millions of American families and help American businesses compete internationally. The legislation would provide tax relief to more than 90 million families ...view more

October 22 - 26, 2007
Attempt to Override Veto of Children’s Health Bill Comes Up 13 Votes Short On October 18, the House failed to override President Bush’s veto of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization [H.R. 976] which sought to provide health care coverage to more than 10 million low-income children.  While a large majority of the House voted to override, ...view more

October 15 - 19, 2007
House Adopts Legislation to Crack Down on Iraq Contracting Fraud On October 9, the House of Representatives voted 375 to 3 to approve the War Profiteering Prevention Act [H.R. 400] to make war profiteering a felony, subject to up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million or twice the profits of the crime. ...view more

October 9 - 12, 2007
House Votes to Help Struggling Homeowners On October 4, the House voted 386 to 27 to adopt the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act [H.R. 3648].  The legislation ends the tax on phantom income when a lender forgives some part of a family’s mortgage in foreclosure.  Under current law, the tax code treats forgiveness of mortgage debt like income, ...view more

October 1 - 5, 2007
Congress Votes to Expand Kids’ Heath Care; President Bush Threatens Veto On September 25, a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives voted to adopt legislation [H.R. 976, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization] to provide health care coverage for more than 10 million low-income children.  Specifically, H.R. 976 would preserve coverage for the 6.6 million children ...view more

Week of September 24 -28, 2007
House Passes Bill to Help Struggling Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure On September 18, the House of Representatives voted 348 to 72 to approve the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007 [H.R. 1852].  The legislation seeks to revitalize the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which was established to provide a reliable source of affordable fixed rate mortgage loans.  Among its other ...view more

Week of September 17 - 21, 2007
Landmark Lobbying & Ethics Bill Signed into Law On September 14, President Bush signed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act [S. 1] into law.  The legislation, which was one of the top priorities of the incoming Democratic leadership of the House and Senate this year, has been described as the most far reaching overhaul of Congressional ethics ...view more

Week of September 10 - 14, 2007
Congress Approves Landmark Increase in College Financial Aid On September 7, the House and Senate gave final approval to legislation [H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act] that would make the single largest investment in college financial aid since the 1944 GI Bill.  The House of Representatives approved the bill on a vote of 292 to ...view more

Week of August 27 - 31, 2007
Levin Proposal to End Unfair Tax Break Gains Friends/Enemies Earlier this year, Rep. Levin introduced legislation [H.R. 2834] to correct an abuse in the tax code that allows some wealthy “private equity” investment fund managers to pay tax on a large portion of the compensation they receive for managing their investors’ money at the 15 percent capital gains ...view more

Week of July 30 - August 3, 2007
Congress Gives Final Approval to Implementation of  9/11 Commission RecommendationsOn July 27, the House of Representatives adopted legislation [H.R. 1] that would write into law many of the remaining recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.  In 2004, the 9/11 Commission submitted 41 recommendations to the Bush Administration and Congress on improving homeland security and preventing terrorism, but nearly ...view more

Week of July 16 - 20, 2007
House Votes to Require Redeployment from Iraq On July 12, the House of Representatives voted 223 to 201 to adopt legislation [H.R. 2956, the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act] to require the Secretary of Defense to begin the redeployment of U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 120 days of enactment, and complete the reduction in U.S. forces by ...view more

Week of July 9 -13, 2007
Veterans Struggle to Obtain Benefits On July 3, Rep. Levin facilitated a roundtable discussion at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Bruce Post in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan.  Veterans and their families, as well as veterans service representatives, gathered to discuss the problems that many veterans experience accessing the benefits that are available to them.  The Veterans Administration ...view more

Week of June 25 - 29, 2007
Rep. Levin Introduces Legislation to End Unfair Tax Break On June 22, Rep. Levin introduced legislation to end the tax advantage currently enjoyed by some investment fund managers that allows them preferential tax treatment on the compensation they receive for their services.  The legislation [H.R. 2834] would ensure that investment fund managers who take a share of the ...view more

Week of June 18 - 22, 2007
House Adopts Historic Increase in Veterans' Benefits On June 15, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008 [H.R. 2642].  The annual funding bill increases the Veterans Affairs budget by $6.7 billion – the largest single increase in the 77 year history of the Veterans Administration. Speaking in ...view more

Week of June 11 - 15, 2007
Congress Approves Bill to Expand Stem Cell Research On June 7, the House of Representatives adopted legislation [S. 5] to significantly expand stem cell research in the United States.  The House approved the measure on a vote of 247  to 176.  The U.S. Senate had previously approved the bill on a vote of 63 to 34.  Embryonic stem ...view more

Week of May 21 - 25, 2007
House Votes to Crack Down on Gasoline Price Gouging On May 23, the House of Representatives voted 284 to 141 to approve legislation [H.R. 1252, the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act] to give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explicit authority to investigate and punish gasoline profiteers.  H.R. 1252 prohibits the wholesale and retail sale of gasoline at prices ...view more

Week of April 23rd-27th, 2007
Congress Approves Iraq Accountability Act / White House Threatens Veto This week the House of Representatives and Senate voted to give final approval to the Iraq Accountability Act [H.R. 1591].  The House approved H.R. 1591 on a vote of 218 to 208, while the Senate passed the measure on a vote of 51 to 46.  The White House ...view more

April 16th-April 20th, 2007
House Clears Water Resources Bill Benefitting Lake St. Clair On April 19, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation [H.R. 1495, the "Water Resources Development Act"] to upgrade and modernize our nation's water and environmental infrastructure.  The House approved the measure 394 to 25.  H.R. 1495 included a project requested by Rep. Levin to provide federal funds to ...view more

April 9th-April 13th, 2007
New House Bill Would Boost College Scholarships Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation [H.R. 1010, the "Student Aid Reward (STAR) Act"] to boost college scholarships at no cost to taxpayers.  Currently, there are two main student loan programs that provide essentially the same loans and interest rates to students, but one loan program costs ...view more

March 26th, 2007 - March 30th, 2007
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March 19 - March 27, 2007
House Votes to Approve Iraq Timetable On March 23, the House of Representatives narrowly approved a $124 billion Iraq Supplemental [H.R. 1591] that would end the President's open-ended commitment of U.S. military forces in Iraq and set a timeline for redeploying most U.S. troops out of Iraq.  The House adopted the legislation on a vote of 218 to ...view more

March 5 - March 9, 2007
Levin Faults White House for Polarizing Trade Debate On March 5, Rep. Levin delivered a trade speech entitled, "Using Trade as a Tool to Shape Globalization," at the Center for American Progress.  Rep. Levin is the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade.  In his remarks, Rep. Levin said, "...the general public is not foolish.  ...view more

February 26, 2007 - March 2, 2007
House Tightens Rules on Foreign Takeovers of U.S. Firms On February 28, the House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation [H.R. 556] to reform the process by which the Federal government reviews proposed foreign investments in the United States.  The bill responds to the key failures identified in the aftermath of the Dubai Ports World scandal last year, in ...view more

February 5 - February 9, 2007
Bush Administration Sends 2008 Budget to Congress / President Seeks Billions More for Military Operations in Iraq On February 5, President Bush sent his 2008 budget request to Capitol Hill.  Overall, the President?s budget calls for large increases in defense spending (including an additional $245 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during 2007-2008); a $252 billion ...view more

January 29 - February 2, 2007
President's Iraq "Surge" Could Total 48,000 Troops On February 1, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that President Bush's proposed "surge" of 21,500 troops to Iraq will actually total as many as 48,000. The reason for the discrepancy is due to the fact that the President's number counted only combat troops, while CBO's number also includes the thousands ...view more

January 22 - January 26, 2007
President Defends Iraq Troop Surge in State of the Union Message On January 23, President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress to ask members of the House and Senate to give his Iraq policy a chance to work.  Defending his plan to send more than 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, President Bush said, "If American forces ...view more

The Democratic Majority Passes First 100 Hour Agenda
House Approves Sweeping Congressional Reform Bill On January 4th and 5th, the House approved a sweeping package of changes [H.Res. 6] to restore the integrity, civility and fiscal responsibility of the House of Representatives.  These reforms B many of which were adopted on broad, bipartisan votes B are the most significant ethics and lobbying revisions in decades.  Among ...view more

Week of January 1 - January 5
110th Congress Convenes, Pelosi Elected Speaker On January 4th, the 110th Congress was sworn in as Democrats took over leadership of the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years.  As its first item of business, the House elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California as the first woman speaker of the House in U.S. history.  In ...view more

Week of December 4 - 8, 2006
Bipartisan Panel Calls for Major Course Change in Iraq  Baker/Hamilton Commission Calls Situation in Iraq "Grave and Deteriorating" On December 6, a bipartisan panel of prominent Americans released a sober assessment of the current situation in Iraq and called for sweeping changes in the U.S. strategy in that country.  In unusually blunt language, the Iraq Study Group report ...view more

Week of November 13 - 17, 2006
Congress Reconvenes On November 13, the House and Senate reconvened following the fall elections in a "lame-duck" session of Congress in order to finish the remaining business of the 109th Congress.  (It is called a "lame-duck" session because it includes lawmakers who lost their elections but who continue to serve until the new Congress is sworn in on ...view more

Week of September 4 - 8, 2006
House Leadership Schedules Debate on Horse Bill as Key Issues Go UnaddressedThe House of Representatives reconvened this week after a five-week summer recess.  With ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, high energy and health care costs, unmet homeland security needs, a federal minimum wage that hasn't been raised in 9 years, and a large backlog of legislation to ...view more

Week of July 17 - 21, 2006
President Vetoes Stem Cell Research Bill - House Veto Override Attempt Falls 51 Votes Short On July 19, President Bush issued the first veto of his presidency on a path-breaking medical research bill approved by strong majorities of both the House and Senate, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act [H.R. 810]. The legislation would have expanded federal funding for ...view more

Week of July 10 - 14, 2006
Lawmakers Urge Bush Administration to Fight for U.S. Auto IndustryOn July 6, a bipartisan group of 38 members of the House of Representatives wrote to the U.S. Trade Representative, Susan Schwab, to urge her to address persistent unfair trade practices by South Korea in ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.  While South Korean automakers enjoy access into ...view more

Week of June 26 - 30, 2006
Offshore Drilling Bill: Good for Oil Companies, Good for Four States, Bad for Everyone ElseOn June 29, the House of Representatives voted 232 to 187 for a bill [H.R. 4761] favored by energy companies to remove the longstanding drilling moratorium on certain offshore areas of the United States.  The most controversial provision of the measure would dramatically boost ...view more

Week of June 19 - 23, 2006
House Approves $762 Billion Estate Tax Cut, But Few Americans Stand to BenefitWhile gas prices are rising, the cost of health care skyrockets and college tuition climbs, the House of Representatives debated an expensive tax cut bill that has absolutely no impact on 99.73 percent of Americans.  On June 22, the House voted 269 to 156 to pass ...view more

Week of June 12 - 16, 2006
House Debates War in Iraq On June 15 and 16, the House of Representatives debated a divisive resolution on Iraq [H. Res. 861] written by the House Republican Leadership.  Here is an excerpt from Rep. Levin's Floor remarks in opposition to the Iraq resolution:  "...The situation in Iraq is not getting better.  It's getting worse.  As of today, ...view more

Week of June 5 - 9, 2006
House Approves Major Overhaul of Telecommunications LawsOn June 8, the House of Representatives voted 321 to 101 to adopt legislation [H.R. 5522] making sweeping changes in U.S. telecommunications laws.  Consumers could ultimately benefit from the provisions in the bill that spur head-to-head competition in the home video market between the cable industry and phone companies.  In most communities ...view more

Week of May 29 - June 2, 2006
Finding Long-Term Energy Solutions - The Need to Take RisksWith persistently high energy prices taking their toll on consumer's pocketbooks and the national economy, there is a clear need to find long-term solutions to our nation's energy problems.  The U.S. currently imports 58 percent of the oil we use.  Especially considering that the U.S. accounts for 25 percent of ...view more

Week of May 22 - 26, 2006
House Narrowly Approves Oil Drilling in Arctic RefugeOn May 25, the House of Representatives voted 225 to 201 to approve legislation [H.R. 5429] opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.  Opponents of the bill underscored the fact that opening the Refuge to drilling would do nothing to bring down gasoline prices, since no Refuge oil would ...view more

Week of May 8 - 12, 2006
Congress Approves $42,000 Tax Cut for Millionaires - Middle Income Households to Receive an Average Cut of $20 On May 10, the House of Representatives approved a $70 billion tax cut bill on a vote of 244 to 185.  The next day, the Senate agreed to the measure on a party-line vote of 54 to 44, and President Bush has ...view more

Week of May 1 - 5, 2006
Rep. Levin Works to Extend May 15th Prescription Drug Deadline  With the May 15th deadline quickly approaching and millions of Americans still deciding whether to enroll in a drug plan, Rep. Levin went to bat for seniors at an oversight hearing this week on the new Medicare Prescription Drug program.  The hearing was held before the Ways and Means ...view more

Week of April 24 - 28, 2006
Levin Calls for Rollback of Tax Breaks for Big Oil as Gas Prices SoarOn April 25, as oil and gas prices soar in Michigan and throughout the United States, Rep. Levin cosponsored the "Energy Consumer Relief Act" [H.R. 4479], which would roll back billions of dollars in tax breaks, royalty holidays and subsidies to oil and gas companies.  ...view more

Week of April 17 - 21, 2006
House Democrats Issue Call for Action on China Trade PolicyRep. Levin joined a group of senior House Ways and Means Democrats in sending a letter to President Bush calling for immediate action on a number of longstanding unfair trade practices in advance of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Washington, D.C.. The letter highlighted China’s currency manipulation, flagrant ...view more

Week of April 3 - 7, 2006
GOP Budget Negotiations CollapseOn April 6, Republican Leaders of the House of Representatives were forced to pull their 2007 budget from the House Floor and send members home for a two-week recess.  Congress is required to approve a budget each year setting broad spending and revenue goals that the House and Senate must adhere to.  During more than ...view more

Week of March 27 - 31, 2006
Investigators Successfully Carry Radioactive Materials Past U.S. Border CheckpointsOn March 28, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported to Congress that undercover GAO investigators successfully purchased radioactive material and transported it through border checkpoints in Washington State and Texas.  The GAO is the non-partisan watchdog arm of the United States Congress.  Nearly five years after 9-11 and after billions ...view more

Week of March 13 - 17, 2006
House Votes 225 to 193 to Reward Iraq Contracting AbuseOn March 17, the House of Representatives approved a $92 billion emergency spending bill [H.R. 4939] to fund ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as hurricane recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region.  After debating dozens of amendments, the House approved the war and hurricane measure ...view more

Week of March 6 - 10, 2006
Free Press Corrects the Record: Rep. Levin Voted Against Renewing Patriot ActOn March 9, President Bush signed legislation [H.R. 3199] to renew the Patriot Act, just hours before 16 of the Act’s most controversial provisions were set to expire. One day earlier, an article in the Detroit Free Press incorrectly reported that Rep. Levin had voted in favor ...view more

Week of February 27 - March 3, 2006
Port Deal Receives Closer ScrutinyAs the House returned to session this week, the issue of port security was clearly on the minds of Members of Congress.  After several days of intensely negative reaction to the Bush Administration’s decision to approve a controversial deal to turn over management of 6 key U.S. ports to a company owned by the ...view more

Week of February 20 - 24, 2006
House and Senate Lawmakers Call for National Security Review of Ports SaleThe House and Senate were in recess this week; however, media reports that the Bush Administration had signed off on a $6.8 billion deal that would put a government-owned United Arab Emirates company in charge of six major U.S. ports resulted in bipartisan outcry from members of ...view more

Week of February 13-17, 2006
House Report Blasts Government’s Response to KatrinaOn February 15, the special bipartisan committee that was appointed last fall to investigate the preparation and response to Hurricane Katrina issued a blistering report on the ineffective response to one of the costliest and deadliest disasters in U.S. history.  The 520-page report, entitled “A Failure of Initiative” charged that the failure ...view more

Week of February 6-10, 2006
EPA to Provide $1.2 million to Continue Cleanup of PCB Contamination On February 7, Rep. Levin and Michigan’s two Senators announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to return to St. Clair Shores to continue the PCB cleanup in the City’s Ten Mile Drain system.  EPA completed a $7 million cleanup of the Drain and Lange ...view more

Week of January 30 - February 3, 2006
Congress Reconvenes to Hear President’s State of the Union Message On January 31, President Bush delivered his fifth State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress.  Among other things, the President called on Congress to renew the PATRIOT Act, increase the use of so-called “health savings accounts,” and reduce U.S. dependence on Middle East oil ...view more

Month of January 2006
More than 100 Lawmakers to Introduce Legislation to Reform the House of Representatives Rep. Levin and more than 100 other House Democrats plan to introduce a 14-point package to reform the operations of the House of Representatives.  The package is designed to weaken lobbyist influence, strengthen fiscal discipline, curb abuses of power, outlaw the use of earmarks to ...view more

Week of December 12-16, 2005
House Votes to Renew PATRIOT Act On December 14, the House of Representatives voted 251 to174 to approve legislation to renew and make permanent most of the PATRIOT Act's expiring provisions.  The House and Senate approved very different versions of this legislation last summer, and negotiators have been meeting for weeks to iron out the differences and write ...view more

Week of December 5-9, 2005
House Extends Tax Cuts for the Very Wealthy On December 8, the House of Representatives approved a $56 billion tax cut bill that overwhelmingly benefits the very wealthy.  The House approved the measure on a vote of 234 to 197.  The centerpiece of the bill is a $28 billion tax cut for capital gains and dividend income.  Those ...view more

Week of November 14-18, 2005
House Adopts Midnight Raid on Child Care, Student Aid and Health Care At 1:12 a.m. on November 18, the House of Representatives began a showdown vote on a controversial package of $49 billion in spending cuts, primarily targeting child support enforcement, student loan programs, food stamps, and health services for children, the elderly, and the disabled.  The budget ...view more

Week of November 7-11, 2005
Veterans Day 2005Every November 11th our nation honors its veterans and expresses its deep gratitude for their service.  Rep. Levin will mark this Veterans Day by joining VFW Post 1669 and the Royal Oak Memorial Society at a memorial service and groundbreaking ceremony for Royal Oak’s new veterans monument.  Following the Royal Oak ceremony, he will speak to ...view more

October 31 - November 4, 2005
Sweeping Budget Bill Advances to House FloorOn November 3, the House Budget Committee approved a controversial budget package, setting up a showdown vote next week on the House Floor.  T`he budget measure, which was approved by the Budget Committee on a party-line vote of 21 to 17, would reduce federal support for child support collection, student loans, nutrition ...view more

October 17 - 21, 2005
Congress Clears Bill to Shield Gun Manufacturers from Lawsuits On October 20, the House of Representatives voted 283 to 144 to approve legislation making it more difficult for victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers and gun dealers.  Supporters of the measure claimed it would block frivolous lawsuits designed to bankrupt a responsible industry.  Opponents of the ...view more

October 10 - 14, 2005
Refinery Bill Barely Passes as House Leaders Hold Vote Open for 46 Minutes On October 7, the Leadership of the House held open what was supposed to be a five-minute vote for over 45 minutes in order to pressure a handful of House members to change their votes on a controversial refinery bill As the scheduled five‑minute vote ...view more

October 3 - 7, 2005
House Energy Bill Would Do Nothing to Reduce High Gas PricesAs the Connector goes to press, the House is debating an energy bill that its sponsors call the Gasoline for America's Security Act,or GAS Act.  The stated goal of the bill is to provide relief to the American people from the sharp rise in gasoline prices following Hurricanes ...view more