Sen. Levin and Sen. John McCain, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, release a report from the Government Accountability Office showing that China is refusing to shut down the flow of counterfeit electronic parts that endangers U.S. national security, the safety of troops and U.S. jobs.

Addressing a major missile defense conference, Sen. Levin says missile defenses hold "a place of growing importance to our national security" and can help deter nations such as Iran from endangering global security.

Chairing a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Levin presses Air Force officials to explain proposed aircraft and troop cuts that disproportionately affect the National Guard in Michigan and other states. 

In a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Sen. Levin says Iran must heed U.S. warnings that "all options are on the table" to prevent its acquisition of nuclear weapons, and outlines how joint U.S.-Israel missile defense programs contribute to security and stability in the Middle East.

Sen. Levin receives the Distinguished Service Award from the Center for the National Interest, a nonpartisan national security think tank. In remarks to the awards dinner, he calls for a return to Michigan Sen. Arthur Vandenberg’s philosophy of bipartisanship, seeking "national security ahead of partisan advantage."

Sen. Levin releases a summary of provisions on detention of terror suspects in the National Defense Authorization Act and explains that a number of public criticisms of the provisions misstate their impact. 

In a statement after the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction announce that they have failed to reach agreement by their statutory deadline, Sen. Levin issues a statement renewing his call for balanced deficit reduction that includes revenue as well as spending cuts and says members of Congress must compromise to avoid the devastating automatic cuts that will take effect if there is no bipartisan agreement.

Sen. Levin chairs an Armed Services Committee hearing on Iraq policy, and says President Obama made the “right decision” by carrying out bipartisan U.S. policy that calls for full withdrawal of U.S. combat troops by the end of 2011.

Sen. Levin votes in favor of legislation that would help returning veterans find good jobs by giving employers tax incentives for hiring veterans and by boosting job training and education for veterans.

Opening an Armed Services Committee hearing on proposals to add the chief of the National Guard Bureau to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sen. Levin calls the proposal “a complex issue with significant policy implications,” notes that members of the National Guard have played an immense role in national security since 2001, and notes that an advisory commission has recommended against adding the Guard chief to the Joint Chiefs.

Sen. Levin holds a hearing on the Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan investigation into counterfeit electronic parts in the defense supply chain. The investigation finds 1,800 cases of such counterfeits, tracks 100 of those cases to the source, and finds China is the source of more than 70 cases. Levin and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the committee’s ranking member, call for legislation to strengthen military and contractor efforts to stop counterfeits and to combat the trade of counterfeit parts from China.

Sen. Levin issues a statement supporting President Obama’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011 in the absence of an agreement to protect U.S. troops from prosecution in Iraqi courts. “While the military and diplomatic aspects of this news are important, our thoughts should focus above all on the bravery, sacrifice, and determination of our service members, the sacrifices of their families, and on the nearly 4,500 troops who have lost their lives serving our country in Iraq,” he says.

In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Sen. Levin says Pakistan must act to combat extremist groups that use its territory to launch attacks against NATO and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. "If Pakistan will not take on the threat posed by the Haqqanis and other extremist groups based in Pakistan who attack our forces in Afghanistan, then we should be prepared to take steps to defend our troops," he says.

Sen. Levin calls the death of Libyan tyrant Muammar Qadhafi “a blow against dictatorship everywhere” and commends President Obama for his support of the Libyan people’s uprising.

Sen. Levin, as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, sends a set of deficit reduction recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. Levin recommends against further cuts in discretionary military spending such as weapons modernization, citing deep cuts already in place. He recommends the committee consider establishing a commission to examine all areas of military compensation.

Sen. Levin supports President Obama's decision to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan after the president announces he will withdraw 10,000 U.S. troops by the end of 2011 and another 23,000 September 2012. In a statement, Sen. Levin says: "The president’s decision represents a positive development, although in my view the conditions on the ground justify an even larger drawdown of U.S. troops this year than the president announced tonight. I will continue to advocate for an accelerated drawdown in the months ahead, and for enhanced training and partnering with Afghan forces, because only they can provide durable security for their nation."

Sen. Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, guided the committee through the markup of the annual National Defense Authorization Act.  "For the 50th consecutive year, the committee reported out a bill that supports the men and women of the armed forces and provides them with the resources, training, and equipment they need to accomplish their missions," Levin said.  Read more.

Sen. Levin, the Department of Defense and major defense contractors hold a summit for Michigan small businesses to help those businesses find opportunities in defense contracting and to help the military find new and innovative ideas that can aid national security efforts.

Sen. Levin and a bipartisan group of senators introduce a Senate resolution condemning continuing violent repression on the part of the Iranian government and supporting peaceful calls for reform by the Iranian people.

The Senate ratifies the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia after Sen. Levin helps lead the fight for ratification. 

Sen. Levin leads the effort for Senate passage of legislation approving the Navy's plan to use two shipyards -- including Marinette Marine on the Michigan-Wisconsin border. The agreement to use both shipyards means the ships will be delivered to the Navy more quickly, and at less expense to the taxpayer, and it means thousands of jobs for Michigan workers.

In an address to the Council on Foreign Relations, Sen. Levin sets out a path forward in Afghanistan, emphasizing the need for the United States to begin significant troop reductions by July 2011, the date President Obama has set for such reductions, as a means of ensuring that the Afghan people, government and military take the steps they must take to ensure their own security.

Senate Armed Services Committee releases its report on a Sen. Levin-led investigation into private security contractors in Afghanistan. The investigation finds evidence that a number of security contractors working under Department of Defense contracts and subcontracts funneled U.S. taxpayer dollars to Afghan warlords and strongmen linked to murder, kidnapping, and bribery, as well as to Taliban and anti-coalition activities.

Sen. Levin leads the effort to win Senate passage of $11 million in funding for the Army's Unmanned Ground Vehicle Initiative at the Warren-based Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center. The measure brings total funding for the project to $41.5 billion over four years, allowingTARDEC to better support the Robotics Systems Joint Program Office which was transferred to the Detroit Arsenal during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.

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In a speech on Afghanistan to the Brookings Institution, Sen. Levin calls for a focus on training Afghan troops so that they can be partnered in greater numbers with U.S. and NATO forces and on the importance of the president's July 2011 date for the beginning of U.S. troop withdrawals as a way to focus Afghan leaders on the need to ensure their nation's security.

Sen. Levin is a cosponsor of the Preserving Records of Terrorist and Criminal Transactions (PROTECT) Act (S.2820), which would help the FBI prevent guns from getting into the hands of dangerous individuals by increasing the amount of time gun background check records are kept.

Defense Authorization Act for 2010 passes, including the Military Commissions Act of 2009, which Sen. Levin helped write, and which brings procedures for military commission trials of terrorism suspects in line with the protections of the Geneva Conventions.

The Army breaks ground in Warren on the Ground Systems Power and Energy Lab, which will house experts working in eight world-class labs, developing and testing new battery technologies, electricity distribution systems, hybrid-electric powertrains, advanced fuel cells and more. Sen. Levin helped lead the effort in 2007 to secure more than $18 million in funding for the lab.

The Association of the United States Army honors Sen. Levin with its Outstanding Legislator of the Year Award.

President Obama signs the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act, co-authored by Sen. Levin and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, bipartisan legislation addressing cost overruns and poor performance in major Pentagon acquisition programs.

Senate Armed Services Committee releases the report [PDF] from its inquiry into the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody, which found that “authorization of aggressive interrogation techniques and subsequent interrogation policies and plans approved by senior military and civilian officials conveyed the message that physical pressures and degradation were appropriate treatment for detainees in U.S. military custody.” 

Sen. Levin opposes a proposal that would restrict funding for the war in Iraq, saying that while he supports the goal of transitioning responsibility for Iraqi security to the Iraqi government, "restricting appropriations for our military sends the wrong message to our troops who are performing so heroically on the battlefield in Iraq." 

The Senate approves the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Levin, that helps cut red tape and improve treatment of service members injured while serving their country.

Sen. Levin leads a group of senators introducing legislation calling for calls for the beginning of a phased redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year.

Hearing before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, with Sen. Levin as ranking member, reveals serious gaps in U.S. port security.

Sen. Levin introduces the Standing With Our Troops Act, which seeks to support service members in several ways, including an increase in personnel to meet ongoing missions; establish a board to review Defense Department policies and practices on military awards; and address problems with provision of pay and benefits.