November 2011 Newsletter
Washington Update
Last month, Sen. Levin addressed the Detroit Economic Club on the need for political leaders to achieve compromise; visited the U.P. and Southeast Michigan; spoke to the Council on Foreign Relations on the need for Pakistan to act against extremist safe havens; wrote about the need to end offshore tax shelter abuses; and released a report on the failure of a tax holiday for multinational corporations to create jobs.
Michigan from north to south
Sen. Levin visited Southeast Michigan and the Upper Peninsula during the last week of October 2011. In Southeast Michigan, he spoke with students at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti and John Glenn High School in Westland. He also met with the mayor of Southgate and visited the Southgate Fire Department. In the U.P., Sen. Levin spoke to students at Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University and Bay College. Sen. Levin also helped cut the ribbon at the new Calumet Visitor Center in the historic Union Building at Keweenaw National Historical Park and later spoke at a naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens at the visitor center.
See a photo gallery of Sen. Levin's travels
Compromise is fundamental to representative government
In an Oct. 10 speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Sen. Levin called on political leaders to abandon all-or-nothing strategies that have created crisis after crisis and compromise for the good of the country. "The inability to accomplish our most basic responsibilities without sparking a crisis raises the question of whether we in public office are up to the great challenges we face," he said.
Read Sen. Levin's speech to the Detroit Economic Club
Read Sen. Levin's Senate speech decrying the filibuster of the American Jobs Act
More News from Senator Levin
- Sen. Levin released a report from the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on the failure of a 2004 tax holiday for multinational corporations to create jobs as promised. He wrote a newspaper column on the report and why Congress should not repeat the mistake.
- In remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, Sen. Levin called on Pakistan to act against terrorist safe havens in its territory, and said the United States has the right to act to protect its troops in Afghanistan if Pakistan refuses to act.
- He joined a bipartisan group of senators in praising action against subsidies in China and India that have cost U.S. jobs.
- He praised Senate passage of a bill to promote the preservation of Michigan's maritime history; announced grants for important Michigan transportation projects; announced grants to farmers markets in nine Michigan cities; and announced support for preservation programs that will create jobs in Northern Michigan and West Michigan.
- He praised President Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq and said "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. Our nation is united in gratitude for their service."
- He wrote a newspaper column on how we can reduce the deficit by ending offshore tax abuses.
- He called the late Howard Wolpe "an outstanding public servant" who possessed a "great intellect, combined with great compassion and an ability to relate to people in every circumstance."
- He praised a decision by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to ban dangerous substances labeled "bath salts."
- He opposed legislation that would have hampered the government's ability to try and convict terrorists.
- As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction on the defense budget and deficit reduction.
- He spoke on the Senate floor before votes on free-trade agreements with Korea, Panama and Colombia.