DISCLAIMER: This is just a profile of a Democratic elected official. While I may or may not agree with the politics of the selectee, this year long series will profile EVERY single elected Democrat on the Federal level, as well as state Governors. So no bitching about the selection, as the selection is random, and if you must bitch, feel free to do so in the Comments.
Today's Democrat of the Day is Congressman Sander Levin.
Sander Levin is the older brother of the more widely known Senator Carl Levin. And he has had the more prolific and more extensive political career than Senator Levin. Sander Levin was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 6, 1931. He attended and graduated from Central High School in Detroit, and went on to receive a B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1952. Mr. Levin earned his Masters in International Relations from Columbia University, in New York in 1954, and if that was not enough, he earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard in 1957.
After law school, Sander Levin was admitted to the Michigan bar and started his own private law practice. In 1961, he was elected to the Oakland County Board of Supervisors, on which he served until 1964. In 1965, he was elected to the Michigan State Senate. From there he quickly rose to the top of the leadership ranks in the Michigan Democratic Party. He became the State Democratic Party Chairman in 1968, and was selected as the Senate Minority Leader in 1969. In 1970, he left the State Senate to run as the Democratic Nominee for Governor. Unfortunately, his campaign was unsuccessful, and Sander Levin returned to his private law practice. He would make another failed attempt for the Governor's Mansion in 1974. In 1975, he became a Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. In 1977, and until 1981, he served as the Assistant Administrator for the Agency for International Development.
Sander Levin returned to politics in 1982, when he was elected to his first term as the Congressman for the 12th District in Michigan. Currently, he serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, which is a very plum assignment. His committee has jurisdiction over all tax, trade and economic growth policies and entitlement spending, including Social Security, Medicare, welfare and unemployment compensation. He is the Ranking Democrat on the Social Security Subcommittee. As such, in the current political battle, he is the top Democrat in the House to go to. In the Issue section below, please remember to check some of Congressman Levin's more recent statements on Social Security.
His other area of interest is trade. Mr. Levin has persistently challenged unfair trade practices that threaten U.S. manufacturers and U.S. jobs in the modern globalization climate. He also works on a variety of health care issues from children's health care, transitional Medicaid, and mental health. Indeed, Governor Jennifer Granholm has recently appointed him to Michigan's Mental Health Commission. As you will below in the Bill Sponsorship section, he has also introduced legislation to include preventative services in Medicare, and to create a national public service campaign on gynecologic cancers. Further, he co-authored the federal Drug Free Communities Act which has funded over 400 of these programs nationwide.
Sander Levin and his wife, Vicki have four children and seven grandchildren.
The Issues
Bill Sponsorship Tracker
Recent Votes
Campaign Contributions (via Open Secrets)
Recent Speeches
On the Issues
Project Vote Smart
District Information:
Census and Demographic Data on the District: Not currently available via the U.S. Census Bureau. It must be a vast Republican conspiracy to thwart my efforts.
Contact Information:
Website: http://www.house.gov/levin/index.html
Washington D.C. Office
2300 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4961
Toll Free: (888) 810-3880
Fax: (202) 226-1033
District Offices
27085 Gratiot Ave
Roseville, MI 48066
Phone Numbers:
(586) 498-7122
(248) 968-2025
Fax: (586) 498-7123
25900 Greenfield Road, Room 212
Oak Park, MI 48237
Phone: (248) 968-2025
Fax: (248) 968-1405
Previous Democrats of The Day:
4-25-05: Senator Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii
4-26-05: Representative Artur Davis, D-Alabama 7th
4-27-05: Governor Brad Henry, D-Oklahoma
4-28-05: Representative Jim McDermott, D-Washington State 7th