House Members Urge EU to Designate Hezbollah as a Terrorist Group

Oct 16, 2012

House Members Urge EU to Designate Hezbollah as a Terrorist Group
 
On September 21, a bipartisan group of ninety members of the House of Representatives, including Rep. Levin, called for the European Union (EU) Council to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.  In a letter sent to the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, which currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council, the House lawmakers wrote, “Hezbollah has a long and deadly history of carrying out terrorist attacks against European citizens, soldiers and diplomats and targeting Americans and Israelis living, working and traveling in Europe....  We hope  you will act to build the consensus within the European Union Council that is urgently needed to weaken Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure - an issue that directly affects us all.”

Rep. Levin Takes House Leadership to Task on Energy Policy
 
On September 14, a divided House passed legislation that claimed to bar federal loan guarantees for energy projects like U.S. solar maker Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy last year – another victim of China’s flooding the market with subsidized solar panels. 
 
In a speech to the House, Rep. Levin decried the double standard between U.S. assistance for renewable energy and assistance given to large oil companies: “Every year the taxpayers shell out $4 billion in unjustified subsidies to the Big 5 oil companies.  Two years ago, BP’s Deep Water Horizon well spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  Do Republicans come to the Floor with a ‘No More BP Spills’ bill?  Do they take away the unjustified subsidies to Big Oil?  No.”  Rep. Levin called on the Republican House Leadership to stop wasting time on bills that will never become law, and work instead on steps to allow U.S. companies to compete with those in China in the rapidly growing clean energy sector.
 
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
 
Each October, an alliance of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies work together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes.  The American Cancer Society estimates about 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women in 2012.  Sadly, approximately 40,000 women have died just this year.  The good news is that when breast cancer is detected early, the survival rate is 98%.  Click here for more information.
 
GOP Leaders Recess the House until November
 
On September 21, over the objections of Democrats, House Republican leaders concluded the last day of the legislative session until November – marking the earliest recess of Congress since 1960.  After being in session for just eight days in September, the House left town for 7 weeks of recess and left important work unfinished.  When Congress reconvenes for a lame duck session after the November elections, it will face a full plate of major decisions on tax and budget issues, as well as important work on legislation to overhaul U.S. farm policy and the postal service.