Carl Levin
Carl Levin | |
---|---|
United States Senator from Michigan | |
In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Robert Griffin |
Succeeded by | Gary Peters |
Member of the Detroit City Council | |
In office January 7, 1969 – January 7, 1977 | |
Preceded by | Ed Carey |
Succeeded by | Kenneth Cockrel Sr. |
Personal details | |
Born | Carl Milton Levin June 28, 1934 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | July 29, 2021 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 87)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Barbara Halpern (m. 1961) |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Sander Levin (brother) Andy Levin (nephew) |
Education | Swarthmore College (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Signature | |
Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 2001 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2015.
Born in Detroit, Levin graduated from Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School. He worked as the general counsel of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1964 to 1967, and as a special assistant attorney general for the Michigan Attorney General's Office. Levin was a member of the Detroit City Council from 1969 to 1977, serving as the council's president for the last four of those years.
In 1978, Levin ran for the United States Senate, defeating Republican incumbent Robert P. Griffin. Levin was re-elected in 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008. On March 7, 2013, Levin announced that he would not seek a seventh term to the Senate.[1] On March 9, 2015, Levin announced he was joining the Detroit-based law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP.[2] At the same time, he founded the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School, dedicated to "strengthening the integrity, transparency, and accountability of public and private institutions by promoting and supporting bipartisan, fact-based oversight; advancing good governance, particularly with respect to the legislative process; and promoting civil discourse on current issues of public policy".[3]
Levin became Michigan's senior senator in 1995, and he was the longest-serving senator in the state's history. At the time of his retirement Levin was the fourth longest-serving incumbent in the U.S. Senate.[4] He released his memoir, Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate, in March 2021. It was published by Wayne State University Press.[5]
Early life, education, and career
[edit]Levin was born in Detroit, the son of Jewish parents, Bess Rachel (née Levinson) and Saul R. Levin. Saul served on the Michigan Corrections Commission.[6][7] Levin graduated from Detroit Central High School in 1952 and attended Swarthmore College. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1956.[8][9] During his student summers he worked as a taxi driver and on an auto factory line.[10] He then attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1959.[11] He also received an honorary degree from Swarthmore College in 1980,[12] as well as honorary degrees from Michigan State University in 2004, Wayne State University in 2005, and Michigan Technological University in 2008.[13]
After earning his Juris Doctor, Levin was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan. He entered private practice as a lawyer for Grossman, Hyman and Grossman and taught law at Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy.[14] Levin served as General Counsel for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1964 to 1967, where he helped form the Detroit Public Defender's Office and led the Appellate Division of that office, which has become the State Appellate Defender's Office.[15] He served as a special assistant attorney general for the state of Michigan and chief appellate defender for the city of Detroit from 1968 to 1969.[16]
Detroit City Council
[edit]Levin was elected to the Detroit City Council (known then as the Detroit Common Council) in 1969, serving two four-year terms from 1970 to 1977.[17] Levin served as president of the City Council throughout his entire second term, until the end of his tenure.[18] During his time as council president, Levin became so frustrated with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's handling of repossessed houses in Detroit (leading neighborhoods to suffer from significant urban decay), that he and other members of the council, went out with a bulldozer "to help raze some of the houses."[19] He was close to Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, the city's first African-American Mayor, and was described by Forbes as Mayor Young's "right hand man."[20] During his time on the City Council, Levin practiced law part-time, working as a counsel for the Schlussel, Lifton, Simon, Rands and Kaufman law firm from 1971 to 1973. He later served as the general counsel at Jaffe, Snider, Raitt, Garratt and Heuer, from 1978 to 1979.[21]
United States Senate
[edit]Levin was elected to the United States Senate in 1978, defeating incumbent Republican Senator Robert P. Griffin.[22]
Committee assignments
[edit]- Committee on Armed Services (chairman)[23]
- As chairman of the full committee, Sen. Levin served as an ex officio member of all subcommittees
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship[24]
- Select Committee on Intelligence[26]
Legislation sponsored
[edit]Levin was the sponsor of 51 bills that became law.[27]
Political positions
[edit]Armed services
[edit]Levin chaired the Armed Services Committee from 2001 to 2003 and from 2007 until his retirement in 2015.[28] He became the Democratic ranking member on the committee on January 7, 1997,[29] and served in that position when the Democratic Party was in the minority. Levin previously chaired the committee when the Democratic Party was the majority party in the Senate, January 3–20, 2001 and June 6, 2001 – January 6, 2003.[30]
Levin joined the Armed Services Committee upon joining the Senate. Recalling when he was assigned the committee seat, he said that he wanted to learn more about the armed services. "I had never served, and I thought there was a big gap in terms of my background and, frankly, felt it was a way of providing service."[31]
He was a strong advocate for cost controls regarding military procurements.[32] He has also pushed for less secrecy in government, working to declassify many documents, particularly where false and misleading claims of ties between Iraq and al-Qaeda are concerned.[33]
Having believed that in order to improve the military the United States needed to shut down unneeded installations and get rid of excess infrastructure, Levin helped lead passage of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act, which closed some military bases.[34]
Levin supported the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, ensuring that all nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons from post-Soviet states, are secured and dismantled. Levin argued that Nunn-Lugar presented "a chance to bury the new Hitlers and Stalins of that region before they have a chance to take root."[35] After members of the U.S. House of Representatives and then-Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) threatened to redirect funds from the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, Levin joined a bipartisan group of senators in opposition to the 20% reduction in funding.[36] In 2003, he voted in favor of the Nunn-Lugar Expansion Act, expanding the provisions to non-Soviet countries, and in 2005 cosponsored Senate Amendment 1030, removing congressionally imposed restrictions that delay the implementations of 2003 expansion act.[37]
In 1992, he voted to ratify the START I treaty,[38] and for the ratification of START II in 1996, banning MIRV's and Intercontinental ballistic missiles.[39] In 2010, Levin voted in favor of the New START Treaty, extending the original treaty until 2021 and reducing both the U.S. and Russia's deployed strategic nuclear arsenal, by almost two-thirds.[40][41] In an op-ed in The Hill, Levin said that, "This treaty is a strong statement that the United States is committed to reducing the dangers to the world that nuclear weapons present. That commitment makes it easier for us to work with the international community."[42]
During the 2009 MDA/AIAA Annual Missile Defense Conference, Levin spoke in favor of the U.S.-Russian cooperation on missile defense:[43] "Leaders in both the U.S. and Russia have recently expressed interest in exploring missile defense cooperation. Did you ever believe that some of our missile defense engineers and experts might be working together with their Russian counterparts? It could happen and if it does, it could help address a major threat. The bottom line is simple: We have a new opportunity to seek a cooperative approach with Russia on missile defense, and we should seize it. The upside potential of such an effort is huge – a geopolitical game changer. The downside is minimal."[43]
As Chair of the Armed Services Committee, Levin was instrumental in the enactment of the Matthew Shephard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 and the legislation ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for gays in the military in 2010. He played a vital role in the enactment of legislation addressing the problem of sexual assault in the military in 2013 and 2014.[16]
Levin led Senate investigations into the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Abu Ghraib. He also played a key role in the enactment of the Detainee Treatment Act, which prohibited the torture of detainees in U.S. custody. Levin insisted on the inclusion of language that, as affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, ensured that the legislation would not deprive detainees of their right to access to the federal courts under a writ of habeas corpus.[16] Under Levin's leadership, the Senate Armed Services Committee conducted oversight hearings ranging from counterfeit parts in the DOD procurement system to the use of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.[44]
In 2014, Levin was recognized by the Jewish Community Center Association of North America with the Frank L. Weil Jewish Military Award for legislation that has benefitted Jews and other minorities serving in the military.[45]
Afghanistan war
[edit]After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Levin voted in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 23, authorizing President George W. Bush the use of "necessary and appropriate force" against those who "planned, authorized, committed or aided" al-Qaeda and its affiliates.[46]
Levin grew critical of the Bush administration's handling of the Afghanistan War, saying in 2005 that they "took their eye off the ball when we decided to go after Iraq instead of al-Qaeda, the people who had attacked us on 9/11, and their leader.[47] In 2008, Levin became concerned that the United States and the international community lacked a strategy for success in Afghanistan, and that NATO failed to supply troops and equipment needed in emergency situations.[48][49]
Levin was opposed to the 2009 Afghanistan troop surge (adding 30,000 U.S. combat troops), stressing the advancement of training and expanding the Afghan National Army;[50] saying that the ANA should increase to 240,000 by 2012, from the original goal of 134,000, and the number of active members of the Afghan National Police should expand to 160,000, from the initial goal of 96,000.[51] Though Levin advocated a "surge of Afghan security forces," he said that he wouldn't rule out temporarily expanding the number of combat forces,[52] but stuck with his original position. He questioned top Obama administration officials including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates during a senate hearing on the Afghanistan surge, saying that, "Where I have questions is whether the rapid deployment of a large number of U.S. combat forces, without an adequate number of Afghan security forces for our troops to partner with, serves that mission."[53] Levin opposed setting a timetable for Afghanistan, voting against Senate Amendment 4204, requiring the President to submit a safe and orderly redeployment plan for combat troops and a plan to set a date for withdrawal, saying that, "I don't think we know enough about how these events are gonna unfold, for there to be a deadline."[54][55] Levin supported the U.S. keeping a "limited footprint" in troops and in bases in Afghanistan, and said at that time he would focus the remainder of his senate tenure on the "rapid transfer of responsibility for Afghan security to the Afghans."[1][56]
Iraq war
[edit]Levin was an early opponent of using U.S. military force in Iraq, saying in August 2002 that "if Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, he wouldn't use them," and that "he's a survivalist, not a suicide bomber".[57] Levin proposed the failed Multilateral Use of Force Authorization Act, as an alternative to the Iraq Resolution, pushing President George W. Bush to build an international coalition in conjunction with the United Nations,[58] so that "Saddam will be looking down the barrel of a gun, with the world at the other end rather than just the United States."[59]
Levin was one of 23 Senators who voted against the Iraq Resolution,[60] saying that "If we are going to take on Saddam at some point, it is critical that we have the world with us, that there be a U.N. resolve that authorizes war, because the consequences are very, very severe. If we go without a declaration from the U.N. it is far better to have one, and that means that we've got to bring the world along here."[61] Levin has strongly argued that the War in Iraq was a diversion from the War on Terror. On CNN on November 14, 2005, Levin said that "before the war, the President was saying that you cannot distinguish between Saddam Hussein and Iraq. As a matter of fact, he said that so often that he tried to connect Saddam Hussein with the attackers on us, on 9/11, so often, so frequently and so successfully, even though it was wrong, that the American people overwhelmingly thought, because of the President's misstatements that as a matter of fact, Saddam Hussein had participated in the attack on us on 9/11. That was a deception. That was clearly misinformation. It had a huge effect on the American people."[62]
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hit back at senior U.S. politicians who have called for al-Maliki to be removed from office.[63] He singled out Levin and Hillary Clinton, saying the Democratic senators were acting as if Iraq was "their property" and that they should "come to their senses" and "respect democracy".[64]
After the 2006 midterm elections, with the Democratic Party taking control of the Senate and Levin being reappointed Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he was seen to have gained an influential position to oppose the Bush administration's Iraq policy,[65] initially proposing efforts for "phased withdrawals".[66] Though on January 10, 2007, after Bush announced intentions to send an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq, Levin said that he would support the plan if it were tied to a broader strategy of reducing the overall amount of U.S. troops; receiving opposition from his own party.[67] In late January 2007, amid what was seen as the fiercest political battle over the Iraq strategy during the Iraq War, Levin joined a bipartisan group of senators, including then Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Chuck Hagel (R-NE), to oppose any further escalation in Iraq;[68] and in voting in March 2007, in favor of setting a withdrawal date for U.S. forces in Iraq.[69] After continued criticism over the Iraq War troop surge, in August 2007, Levin and senator John Warner (R-VA), visited military bases in Mosul and Baghdad, saying that the surge brought "credible and positive results,"[70] though it failed to bring the political reconciliation needed and urged the Iraqi Parliament to hold a "no-confidence vote" on the government of Prime Minister al-Maliki.[71] In October 2011, Levin said that President Barack Obama made the "right decision" in withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq at the end of 2011, and not continuing a U.S. military presence.[72]
"This is not just a foreign war. They brought that war to our shores on 9/11. They are at war with us. The Supreme Court said, and I am going to read these words again, 'There is no bar to this nation's holding one of its own citizens as an enemy combatant.'[74] "
National Defense Authorization Act 2012
[edit]As part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (the main annual bill used to fund the US military) Levin and Senator John McCain (ranking Republican on Armed Services Committee-AZ) included provisions that affirmed the authority of the United States military to detain captured individuals, including terrorists, in accordance with the law of war and required such detention for members of al Qaeda and others who planned or carried out the attacks against the United States. As initially proposed the provisions applied to American citizens.[76] After objections were raised that such detention violates Americans' constitutional rights,[77] Levin agreed to include language (to section 1032, later 1021, of the bill) which exempted American citizens from the requirement for military detention. The provision affirming the authority for military detention was modified to specify that it did not affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of U.S. citizens or lawful resident aliens, but did not specifically exclude them from indefinite detention. Levin quoted the Supreme Court's 2004 decision in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld in support of his language authorizing indefinite detention.[75]
National Defense Authorization Act 2015
[edit]The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act was named the Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.[78]
Levin-Warner Legislative Affairs Suite
[edit]In 2016, the Department of Defense named the office suite of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs in honor of Levin and Sen. John Warner to honor their bipartisan legislative accomplishments.[79]
Acquisition
[edit]Levin authored the Competition in Contracting Act, which has led to reductions in federal procurement costs.[80] He played an instrumental role in the enactment of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, which cut red tape out of the federal procurement system and prioritized the purchase of commercial products over government-unique designs.[81] He teamed with Senator John McCain to write the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act, which virtually eliminated cost overruns on major defense purchases for a period of several years after its enactment.[82]
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations/Financial Oversight
[edit]For 15 years, from 1999 to 2014, Senator Levin served in leadership positions on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.[83] During his tenure the senator led investigations into such matters as money laundering, offshore tax abuse, and corporate misconduct.[84]
Highlights from his money laundering investigations included exposing money laundering via Citibank private bank accounts serving the wealthy and corrupt including Mexico's Raúl Salinas de Gortari and Gabon's late President Omar Bongo; correspondent accounts opened for high-risk offshore banks moving suspect funds; embassy and personal accounts opened for foreign leaders like Chile's Augusto Pinochet and Equatorial Guinea's dictator Teodoro Obiang; and accounts at a major global bank, HSBC, misused by Mexican drug traffickers, Russian fraudsters, and rogue regimes like Iran.[85][86]
Levin also led tax investigations that attracted international attention for exposing tax misconduct by wealthy individuals and profitable corporations. Highlights included investigations that exposed abusive tax shelters designed and marketed by accounting firms like KPMG;[87] a 13-year network of 58 offshore trusts and corporations established and used by wealthy Texas brothers, Sam and Charles Wyly, to evade paying their fair share;[88] Swiss banks like UBS and Credit Suisse that helped U.S. tax cheats hide assets;[89] and complex corporate tax schemes that enabled Apple, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Caterpillar to avoid paying millions, even billions in taxes.[90]
His inquiries into corporate misconduct were equally famous. Levin's highlights here included exposing Enron's use of accounting deceptions, financial gimmicks, and executive pay schemes leading to its collapse into bankruptcy; unfair credit card practices that loaded up average U.S. families with debt; JPMorgan Chase's $6 billion loss from hidden, reckless derivative trades by the so-called London Whale;[91] and risky investments by the United States' largest banks to profit from physical commodities like oil, natural gas, aluminum, and electricity at the expense of American businesses and families.[92][93]
Education
[edit]Levin was a strong supporter of the creation of the Department of Education. Over the years, Levin introduced legislation and amendments to improve education, including an amendment that greatly reduced class sizes to help teachers better focus on the needs of each specific child.[94] Levin was a hesitant sponsor of the No Child Left Behind Act.[95]
Energy
[edit]In 2009, Senator Levin directed the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to investigate whether Department of Energy policies caused a rise in the price in crude oil.[96] He also led an investigation in 2001 to try to discover the cause of the spike in gasoline prices that summer.[97]
Levin opposed raising mandatory automobile fuel efficiency standards.[98]
Levin led opposition in the Senate to the Rahall Energy Policy Bill (H.R. 6), but lost 65–27.[99]
Environment
[edit]On January 22, 2013, Levin introduced the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act (S. 23; 113th Congress) into the Senate.[100] The act designated as wilderness about 32,500 acres (130 km2) of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the state of Michigan. The newly designated lands and inland waterways comprise the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, a new component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.[101]
Levin worked to prevent garbage from Canada from being disposed of in Michigan.[102][103]
In 2011, the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority (DWCPA), in conjunction with the City of Detroit and MDOT, and through the leadership of Senator Carl M. Levin, opened a 21,000-square-foot public dock and terminal on the riverfront. In 2013, the facility was named the Carl M. Levin Building in honor of the senator's efforts to transform the Detroit riverfront.[104]
As co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, he fought to protect Michigan's signature natural resource. His work included support for Great Lakes harbors, which are vital to Michigan's economy and the nation's;[105] work to increase funding for Great Lakes environmental restoration;[106] and to preserve the natural, historical, and cultural legacy of the lakes, including historic lighthouses.[107] He played a leading role in helping found the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary[108] and Keweenaw National Historic Park (National Park Service),[109] and in legislation to preserve Michigan wilderness areas.[110]
Ethics
[edit]Levin authored the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, which established the first effective disclosure requirements for federal lobbyists and association provisions that significantly tightened the rules governing gifts to Members of Congress from lobbyists and others. Levin was the author of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 which prohibited gifts of honoraria to Members of Congress and significantly limited the use of expensive junkets.[81][111] He also authored the Whistleblower Protection Act, which protected federal employees who expose wasteful and unnecessary practices.[112]
Health care
[edit]Senator Levin supported a Patients' Bill of Rights to reduce the ability of managed care organizations to affect medical decisions.[113]
Levin was an advocate for embryonic stem-cell research because of its potential to cure diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and Parkinson's.[114]
Procedure
[edit]Senator Levin was one of only three Democratic senators to dissent from Harry Reid's leadership to vote against the nuclear option which switched the Senate away from operating on a supermajority basis, to requiring only a simple majority for certain decisions, on November 21, 2013. Levin supported changing the rules to a simple majority for confirmation votes, but did not support using the nuclear option to do so, saying in his speech on the floor on that day that this "removes an important check on majority overreach" and that he wished to "preserve the rights of the Senate minority".[115]
Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act
[edit]Levin initiated the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act[116] against alleged tax havens, for the state of the initiative against tax avoidance and tax evasion registered as S.506, and the complementary initiative H.R.1265.[117]
Miscellaneous
[edit]Levin was a critic of the New Hampshire presidential primary's first-in-the-nation status, saying a more diverse state, such as his own Michigan, should hold its contest first.[118]
In June 1986, along with Paul Simon and John Melcher, Levin was one of three senators to oppose a tax reform bill.[119]
In November 1998, Levin attended a White House reception for National Adoption Month.[120]
In April 2006, Levin was selected by Time as one of "America's 10 Best Senators".[121]
The American Civil Liberties Union gave Levin an 84% lifetime rating on civil liberties issues.[122]
A strong gun control advocate, Levin was graded F by Gun Owners of America. He was one of the 16 senators who voted against the Vitter Amendment.[123]
He was almost always seen wearing his glasses at the end of his nose, which drew a bounty of humorous attention. In response, he lightheartedly joked that the late Senator Strom Thurmond (while he was in office) would have never worn his glasses because they "make him look old."[124] Daily Show host Jon Stewart referred to him both as the "kindly old shoemaker", and "Grandpa Munster".[125]
An avid supporter of the non-profit civil rights organization Focus: HOPE, Levin was instrumental in the procurement of equipment and funding for their Machinist Training Institute (MTI).[126]
Political campaigns
[edit]Levin was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978. In the Democratic primary, he defeated former U.S. Representative Richard Vander Veen. In the general election, he faced former Senate Minority Whip Robert P. Griffin, whom he defeated 52% to 48%.[127] He won re-election five times before retiring from the Senate.[128]
Levin faced a tough reelection bid in 1984 against former astronaut Jack R. Lousma, winning by only four percent. However, he routed Congressman Bill Schuette in 1990, and was reelected in 1996 and 2002 against only nominal Republican opposition. In 2002, Levin garnered 61% of the vote against Republican Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski despite the then-high popularity of President George W. Bush and the GOP and a close gubernatorial race that year. In the 2008 election, Levin won by a comfortable margin against state representative Jack Hoogendyk.[129]
Electoral history
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl Levin (inc.) | 3,038,386 | 62.7 | +2.1 | |
Republican | Jack Hoogendyk | 1,641,070 | 33.8 | −4.1 | |
Libertarian | Scotty Boman | 76,347 | 1.6 | n/a | |
Green | Harley Mikkelson | 43,440 | 0.9 | +0.1 | |
U.S. Taxpayers | Michael Nikitin | 30,827 | 0.6 | n/a | |
Natural Law | Doug Dern | 18,550 | 0.4 | +0.1 | |
Majority | 1,397,316 | ||||
Turnout | 4,848,620 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl Levin (inc.) | 1,896,614 | 60.61 | +2.25 | |
Republican | Rocky Raczkowski | 1,185,545 | 37.89 | −1.98 | |
Green | Eric Borregard | 23,931 | 0.76 | +0.76 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl Levin (inc.) | 2,195,738 | 58.4 | ||
Republican | Ronna Romney | 1,500,106 | 39.9 | ||
Libertarian | Kenneth L. Proctor | 36,911 | 1.0 | ||
Workers World | William Roundtree | 12,235 | 0.3 | ||
Natural Law | Joseph S. Mattingly | 11,306 | 0.3 | ||
Socialist | Martin P. McLaughlin | 5,975 | 0.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl Levin (inc.) | 1,471,753 | 57.4 | ||
Republican | Bill Schuette | 1,055,695 | 41.2 | ||
Workers World | Susan Farquhar | 32,796 | 1.3 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl Levin (inc.) | 1,915,831 | 51.8 | ||
Republican | Jack Lousma | 1,745,302 | 47.2 | ||
Tisch Citizens | Arthur Richard Tisch | 22,882 | 0.6 | ||
Libertarian | Lynn Johnston | 7,786 | 0.2 | ||
Socialist | Helen Meyers | 2,686 | 0.1 | ||
Workers World | William Roundtree | 2,279 | 0.1 | ||
Independent | Max Dean | 2,135 | 0.1 | ||
Communist | Samuel L. Webb | 1,196 | 0.0 | ||
Workers League | Fred Mazelis | 818 | 0.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Carl Levin | 1,484,193 | 52.1 | ||
Republican | Rob Griffin (inc.) | 1,362,165 | 47.8 |
Personal life and death
[edit]Carl Levin married Barbara Halpern in 1961, and they had three daughters and six grandchildren.[16]
Levin's family has long been active in Michigan politics. His elder brother, Sander Levin, represented Michigan's 12th congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2019. Sander's son Andy Levin was a policy analyst for the AFL–CIO, and was elected in 2018 to the United States House of Representatives, succeeding his retiring father. Carl's uncle Theodore Levin was a chief judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Carl's first cousin Charles Levin was a Michigan Supreme Court judge; another first cousin, Joseph Levin, was a candidate for the House.[136]
In March 2021, Levin disclosed that he had lung cancer. Levin died at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, on July 29, 2021, at age 87.[137]
Honors and awards
[edit]- In 2004 he received the Honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Oakland University.[138]
- In 2004, he was presented the National Guard Association of the U.S. Harry S. Truman Award.[139]
- In 2006, Time named him one of the "10 best senators".[140]
- In 2007, he was awarded the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation's Freedom medal.[141]
- In 2011, he received Global Financial Integrity's Award for Exemplary Leadership for his "untiring efforts on behalf of financial integrity in the U.S. and abroad."
- In 2013, he was given the Secretary of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Medal.[142]
- In 2014, he was awarded the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Leadership Award.[143]
- In 2014, he was awarded the First Global Citizen Award from Lawrence Tech.[144]
- In 2016, USS Carl M. Levin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was named in his honor,[145] and was christened in 2021.[146] It was commissioned in Baltimore on June 24, 2023.[147]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Cameron Joseph (March 7, 2013). "Levin retirement leaves Dems defending fourth open seat in 2014 cycle". The Hill.
- ^ "Former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin joins Detroit law firm". Detroit Free Press. March 9, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ^ "Levin Center at Wayne Law". August 9, 2021. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016.
- ^ "Carl Levin". New York Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ Levin, Carl (March 2021). Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814348390.
- ^ Todd Spangler (March 8, 2013). "U.S. Sen. Carl Levin won't run for seventh term". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ Who's who in Government. Marquis Who's Who. November 1, 1977. ISBN 9780837912035 – via Google Books.
- ^ Ken Thomas (March 8, 2013). "Sen. Carl Levin's decision opens seat in 2014". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ^ Mike Householder, Corey Williams and David Eggert (July 30, 2021). "Carl Levin, Michigan's longest-serving senator, dies at 87". www.abqjournal.com. Associated Press. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ "Race for Carl Levin's seat wide open after his decision not to run". AnnArbor.com. Associated Press. March 8, 2013. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013.
- ^ Bowdoin College (March 13, 2013). "Interview with Carl Levin by Brien Williams". George J. Mitchell Oral History Project. digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu.
- ^ "Past Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients". July 8, 2014.
- ^ "Carl Levin — U.S. Senator from Michigan". Levin.senate.gov. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ Gerald S. Greenberg (2000). Historical Encyclopedia of United States Independent Counsel Investigations. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313307355. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ "THE HONORABLE CARL M. LEVIN U.S. Senator State of Michigan". nationalsummit.org. March 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Carl Levin: His life and career". September 7, 2014.
- ^ Ken Thomas (March 7, 2013). "Sen. Carl Levin's decision opens seat in 2014". Miami Herald.
- ^ San Francisco Chronicle (March 8, 2013). "Sen. Carl Levin's decision opens seat in 2014". sfgate.com.
- ^ Kurt F. Stone (2011). The Jews of Capitol Hill: A Compendium of Jewish Congressional Members. Plymouth UK: Scarecrow Press. p. 342. ISBN 9780810877382.
- ^ Spyridon Mitsotakis (January 13, 2013). "Detroit Betrayed: The Radical Wrecking Of An Iconic City". forbes.com.
- ^ United States Government Printing Office (March 15, 2013). "Congressional Directory for the 112th Congress (2011–2012), December 2011". gpo.gov.
- ^ "Levin had special place in his heart for the Keweenaw".
- ^ a b "A look back at Carl Levin's 36-year U.S. Senate career". mlive. July 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "18 Mar 2007, Page 20 - Lansing State Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Chairman Offers Tough Scrutiny of Military". Roll Call. May 21, 2010.
- ^ "Committee Members 109th Congress (2005-2006) | Intelligence Committee". Intelligence.Senate.gov.
- ^ "Government Track". Archived from the original on April 4, 2012.
- ^ "Committee Membership List This report lists the current members of all Senate Committees as of the previous day". senate.gov. March 16, 2013.
- ^ Magid, Joe (March 16, 2013). "In Their Own words Congressman Sander Levin and Senator Carl Levin". Philadelphia Jewish Voice.
- ^ National Archives and Records Administration (March 16, 2013). "Committee Resource Guide: Committees of the U.S. Senate". archives.gov.
- ^ "Chairman Offers Tough Scrutiny of Military". Roll Call. May 24, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
- ^ "Pentagon's future fighter aircraft doubles in cost". CNN. March 12, 2010.
- ^ "Hussein's Prewar Ties To Al-Qaeda Discounted". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Military Base Closures: Agreement on a 2005 Round". everycrsreport.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ Paul I. Bernstein, Jason D. Wood (April 2010). "The Origins of Nunn-Lugar and Cooperative Threat Reduction" (PDF). National Defense University. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2013.
- ^ Jason Ellis, Todd Perry (October 1997). "Nunn Lugar's Unfinished Agenda Journal Article, Arms Control Today, volume 27, issue 7, pages 14–22". harvard.edu.
- ^ THOMAS Library of Congress (July 21, 2005). "Bill Summary & Status 109th Congress (2005–2006) S.AMDT.1380". thomas.loc.gov. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 102nd Congress – 2nd Session Definitions; Protocols on Conversion or Elimination, Inspection, Notification, Throw-weight, Telemetry, and Joint Compliance and Inspection Commission; and Memorandum of Understanding; all integral parts of the START Treaty". senate.gov. October 1, 1992.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 104th Congress – 2nd Session The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the START II Treaty) signed at Moscow on January 3, 1993, including the following documents, which are integral parts thereof: the Elimination and Conversion Protocol; the Exhibitions and Inspections Protocol; and the Memorandum of Attribution". senate.gov. January 26, 1996.
- ^ "Senate Vote 298 – Final Passage for Arms Treaty". The New York Times. December 22, 2010. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013.
- ^ Michael E. O'Hanlon (November 30, 2001). "New START Shouldn't Be Stopped". Brookings Institution.
- ^ Carl Levin (July 12, 2010). "New START treaty makes us safer today and tomorrow (Sen. Carl Levin)". The Hill.
- ^ a b Remarks of Senator Carl Levin at the MDA/AIAA Annual Missile Defense Conference Archived April 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, March 23, 2009
- ^ "Key senator plans to lambast Blackwater actions in Afghanistan - CNN.com". CNN.
- ^ "Sen. Carl Levin (D)". National Journal Almanac. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 107th Congress – 1st Session On the Joint Resolution (S.J. Res. 23 )". senate.gov. March 16, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2001.
- ^ "Democrats rip failure to find bin Laden". CNN. April 23, 2006. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013.
- ^ Elana Schor (March 7, 2008). "Congress demands testimony from Nato commander in Afghanistan". The Guardian.
- ^ "Report of Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)Travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan". levin.senate.gov. June 3, 2008. Archived from the original on February 14, 2013.
- ^ Josh Rogin (September 16, 2009). "The Obama administration's draft metrics on "evaluating progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan"". Foreign Policy Magazine.
- ^ Eric Schmitt, David E. Sanger (September 10, 2009). "Obama Faces Doubts From Democrats on Afghanistan". The New York Times.
- ^ Jay Newton-Small (September 14, 2009). "Congressional Dems Get Balky on Afghanistan". Time. Archived from the original on September 19, 2009.
- ^ Elizabeth Bumiller (December 2, 2009). "Obama Team Defends Policy on Afghanistan". The New York Times.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress – 2nd Session On the Amendment (Feingold Amdt. No. 4204 )". senate.gov. May 27, 2010.
- ^ "CQ Transcript: Sens. Levin, Graham on NBC's 'Meet the Press'". Roll Call. rollcall.com. October 11, 2009.
- ^ Carlo Muñoz (December 6, 2012). "Lawmakers push to station remaining US troops at Afghan bases after 2014". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.
- ^ British Broadcasting Corporation (August 12, 2002). "US opposition to Iraq attack grows". BBC News.
- ^ Lincoln Chafee (March 1, 2007). "The Senate's Forgotten Iraq Choice". The New York Times.
- ^ Alison Mitchell, Carl Hulse (October 11, 2002). "THREATS AND RESPONSES: THE VOTE; CONGRESS AUTHORIZES BUSH TO USE FORCE AGAINST IRAQ, CREATING A BROAD MANDATE". The New York Times.
- ^ "Senate Roll Call: Iraq Resolution". washingtonpost.com. October 11, 2002.
- ^ PBS NewsHour (December 10, 2012). "Senators Richard Lugar and Carl Levin Discuss Next Moves in Iraq". PBS NewsHour. Archived from the original on January 19, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ "Setting the Record Straight: Sen. Levin On Iraq". whitehouse.archives.gov. November 14, 2005.
- ^ "Iraq PM to U.S. lawmakers: Stay out of our politics". CNN. August 27, 2007.
- ^ "Maliki returns fire at US critics". BBC News. August 26, 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ Michael Abramowitz, Thomas E. Ricks (October 20, 2006). "Major Change Expected In Strategy for Iraq War". The Washington Post.
- ^ Steve Inskeep (November 14, 2006). "Levin: U.S. Pullout Would Force Iraq Political Solution". NPR.
- ^ Jeff Zeleny (January 4, 2007). "Awaiting Bush's Iraq Plan, Democrats Weigh Replies". The New York Times.
- ^ "GOP senator drafting alternative war resolution". CNN. January 18, 2007.
- ^ Jeff Zeleny, Carl Hulse (March 28, 2007). "Senate Supports a Pullout Date in Iraq War Bill". The New York Times.
- ^ Todd Spangler. "Levin: Troop surge has 'positive results' in Iraq But he doubts military success can end the bloodshed". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
- ^ Lindsey Ellerson (August 20, 2007). "Success of the Surge?". ABC News.
- ^ "Levin Statement on President's Decision to Withdraw Troops from Iraq". levin.senate.gov. October 21, 2011. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013.
- ^ Gillibrand, Kirsten. (2014). Kirsten Gillibrand: US Senator: Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World.New York, NY: Ballantine Books.
- ^ "Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld". caselaw.lp.findlaw.com. June 28, 2004.
- ^ a b Knickerbocker, Brad, "Guantánamo for US citizens? Senate bill raises questions," The Christian Science Monitor, December 3, 2011: [1].
- ^ Barett, Ted (December 2, 2011). "Senate passes defense bill with detainee policy compromise". CNN.
- ^ Lithwick, Dahlia (December 2011). "Military Police State". Slate.
- ^ "H.R.3979 – Carl Levin and Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015". December 19, 2014. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Remarks Honoring Senator Carl Levin and Senator John Warner". September 16, 2016. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021.
- ^ Cohen, William S. (June 7, 2009). "Smart power is soft power". Politico.
- ^ a b "Carl Levin: 36 years of commitment – Former Sen. Carl Levin Official Press Release | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com.
- ^ Ruyle, Megan (June 1, 2009). "Law will improve weapon acquisitions". The Hill.
- ^ Bean, Elise (2018). Financial Exposure: Carl Levin's Senate Investigations into Finance and Tax Abuse. Palgrave McMillan. ISBN 978-3319943879.
- ^ Johnston, David Cay (November 21, 2018). "Tax Evasion Exposed". The American Prospect.
- ^ Gerth, Jeff (November 10, 1999). "Citigroup Head Concedes Laundering Controls Were Poor". The New York Times.
- ^ Mollenkamp, Carrick (July 16, 2012). "U.S. report slams HSBC's anti-money laundering efforts". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ Johnston, David Cay (February 20, 2004). "Grand Jury Is Investigating KPMG's Sale of Tax Shelters". The New York Times.
- ^ Matthews, Robert Guy (August 1, 2006). "Offshore Tax-Avoidance Schemes For Individuals Draw Senate Probe". The Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
- ^ "Sen. Levin: Shut Down Giant Swiss Bank UBS". ABC News.
- ^ Patrick Temple-West; Kevin Drawbaugh (May 21, 2013). "Apple CEO makes no apology for company's tax strategy". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ Farrell, Maureen (March 14, 2013). "Senate on JP Morgan London Whale: Worse than we thought". CNN Business.
- ^ "Welcome". www.tribliveoffers.com.
- ^ "Former U.S. Senator Carl Levin, leading voice on national security, dead at 87". Reuters. July 30, 2021.
- ^ "Carl Levin on Education". ontheissues.org. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ "HR 1 – No Child Left Behind Act – Voting Record". votesmart.org. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ "Statement by Senator Carl Levin on CFTC Review of Speculation Trading Limits". hsgac.senate.gov. U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ "Key senator vows inquiry into oil mergers, links to gas prices". chicagotribune.com. The Chicago Tribune. May 28, 2001. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ York, Anthony (March 14, 2002). "Salon.com". Dir.salon.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ "H.R. 6 (110th): Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007". govtrack.us. Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ "S. 23 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
- ^ "CBO – S. 23". United States Congress. March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
- ^ "Canadian municipal trash no longer coming to Michigan | ABC7 Chicago | abc7chicago.com". ABC7 Chicago.
- ^ "Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenow take credit for reducing trash coming in from Canada". February 25, 2012.
- ^ "Detroit Riverfront". Archived from the original on December 15, 2013.
- ^ ""Senators Welcome Passage of Harbor Maintenance Provisions"". Offshore Energy. May 16, 2013.
- ^ ""Great Lakes Restoration Bill Aims to Protect Precious Resource"". The Manistee News. June 13, 2013.
- ^ ""Levin Seeks Support On Lighthouse Bill"". WNMU.
- ^ "Thunder Bay Sanctuary Boundaries Expand". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association news.
- ^ ""Keweenaw National Historic Park 2014 Business Plan"".
- ^ ""Half of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore would be wilderness area,"". Michigan Radio. June 20, 2013.
- ^ "Who's in Charge?". Center for American Progress. November 28, 2006.
- ^ "2 Oct 2002, 10 - Detroit Free Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
- ^ "4 Jul 2001, 4 - The Homer Index at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
- ^ Millikan, Arikia (September 21, 2006). "New group argues for embryonic stem cell research". The Michigan Daily.
- ^ "Senate" (PDF). Congressional Record. 159 (167): S8422. November 21, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
- ^ "Offshore Tax Bill" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ Thomas (Library of Congress) Archived September 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Simon, Roger (October 24, 2007). "Levin fires new salvo in primary war". Politico.
- ^ "The 97–3 vote by which the Senate approved the..." UPI. June 25, 1986.
- ^ Clinton, Bill (November 24, 1998). "Remarks at a National Adoption Month Reception". Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.
- ^ "Carl Levin: The Bird-Dogger". Time. April 14, 2006. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
- ^ http://action.aclu.org/site/VoteCenter?page=combLegScore[permanent dead link ] ACLU Congressional Scorecard
- ^ "Carl Levin on Gun Control". www.ontheissues.org.
- ^ "USAtoday.com". Asp.usatoday.com. April 16, 2004. Archived from the original on May 21, 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ "Carl Levin and public service". The Blade.
- ^ Spangler, Todd. "Shining Light: John Dingell, Carl Levin heralded as beacons of change". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ "Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) – WhoRunsGov.com/The Washington Post". Whorunsgov.com. April 28, 2010. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ Rutherford, Emelie (March 8, 2013). "SASC Chair Levin Won't Run For Reelection".
- ^ "Detnews.com". Detnews.com. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- ^ Michigan's Secretary of State Office. "MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF STATE Election Results GENERAL ELECTION November 04, 2008". miboecfr.nictusa.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Ruth (December 17, 2002). "Election Results: GENERAL ELECTION – November 05, 2002 (United States Senator 6 Year Term (1) Position)". Michigan Department of State. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013.
- ^ "Our Campaigns: MI U.S. Senate". Our Campaigns. July 16, 2007.
- ^ Parker, Randy; Reporting for Duty (April 9, 2005). "Our Campaigns: MI U.S. Senate". Our Campaigns.
- ^ Parker, Randy; Reporting for Duty (April 9, 2005). "Our Campaigns: MI U.S. Senate". Our Campaigns.
- ^ Parker, Randy; crickets chirp (July 7, 2003). "Our Campaigns: MI U.S. Senate". Our Campaigns.
- ^ of, Courtesy; Levin, y (January 9, 2019). "Meet America's Only Jewish Political Dynasty: The Levins Of Michigan". The Forward.
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (July 30, 2021). "Carl Levin, the Senate Scourge of Corporate America, Dies at 87". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ "Honorary Degree". oakland.edu. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ "National Guard Association of the United States". Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ ""America's Ten Best Senators"". Time. April 26, 2006.
- ^ "Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation, Four Freedoms Awards". Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ "Mabus awards". DVIDS. US Department of Defense. January 29, 2013. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021.
- ^ "Ocean Awards Gala Honorees". U.S. National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
- ^ ""Lawrence Tech to Honor Levin With First Global Citizen Award,"". Southfield City Centre. August 11, 2014.
- ^ gdadmtm (March 31, 2016). "Navy Awards General Dynamics Bath Iron Works $644 Million for Construction of DDG 51 Class Destroyer". General Dynamics. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ David Sharp (October 3, 2021). "Destroyer named for Sen. Carl Levin christened in Maine". Navy Times. Associated Press. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- ^ "VIDEO: Destroyer USS Carl Levin Commissions in Baltimore". June 26, 2023.
Further reading
[edit]- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- "Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate."
External links
[edit]- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Carl Levin Interview Silver Screen Studios - Coming of Age (February 2020)
- 1934 births
- 2021 deaths
- 21st-century American memoirists
- American taxi drivers
- Central High School (Detroit) alumni
- Deaths from lung cancer in Michigan
- Democratic Party United States senators from Michigan
- Detroit City Council members
- Harvard Law School alumni
- Jewish American people in Michigan politics
- Jewish United States senators
- Levin family
- Michigan Democrats
- Michigan lawyers
- Swarthmore College alumni
- 21st-century United States senators
- 20th-century United States senators