Congressman Sander Levin

About Sandy

Elected to United States House of Representatives in 1982, Congressman Sander Levin represents the 12th Congressional District of the State of Michigan. The District now includes almost 60% of Macomb County and spans from Clinton Township/Mount Clemens and Lake St. Clair to Southfield.

He currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over all tax, trade and economic growth policies and entitlement spending, including Social Security, Medicare, welfare and unemployment compensation. He is the Chairman of the Trade Subcommittee. He also serves on the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee.

Congressman Levin is known as a leader on trade issues — seeking ways to use trade policy to shape globalization. He believes that U.S. businesses and workers can compete in the global economy if the playing field is level. He is fighting to include worker rights and environmental standards in trade agreements. To protect U.S. jobs, he has persistently challenged unfair trade practices and worked to eliminate barriers to U.S. exports.

Congressman Levin is working to support the entire automotive sector weather the current global credit crisis and economic recession. For his efforts, he was recently awarded an “Industry Champion” award by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association. He supports increased federal support for advanced technologies, including battery technology, that is so vital to the future electric vehicle and is a lead sponsor of the Research and Development tax credit.

He has also made tax equity a top priority. He has introduced legislation to close a loophole in current law that allows private equity fund managers to avoid paying the ordinary income tax rate for services they provide managing other people’s money. He also has tax proposals in the areas of alternative energy, mortgage insurance, food donation and higher education. He is working to expand children’s health care, add preventative services to Medicare, educate women on gynecologic cancers and improve advance directives and living wills.

Congressman Levin has worked to help communities create coalitions to combat drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers and co-authored the federal Drug Free Communities Act, which has funded over 700 of these programs nationwide. He is also actively involved in a variety of efforts to improve water quality throughout the region, including Lake St. Clair and numerous other local projects. Finally, the Congressman is working to implement federal policies that address the manufacturing jobs crisis and help to create good paying jobs.

Previously, Congressman Levin was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1964 and served as the Michigan State Senate Minority Leader from 1969-1970. In 1970 and 1974, Mr. Levin was the Democratic candidate for Governor. After a four year assignment as Assistant Administrator in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), he was elected to Congress in 1982.

Born in Detroit, Congressman Levin graduated from Central High School. He earned his B.A. at the University of Chicago, his M.A. in international relations from Columbia University and a law degree from Harvard University. He and his late wife, Vicki, have four children and nine grandchildren. His brother, Carl, serves in the United States Senate.