Mike Levin

After Biden’s State of the Union, Mike decided to send out an official statement praising the Biden Administration. Mike is one of the leaders of green energy and the administration has introduced some of the most aggressive pledges to reduce greenhouse emissions in half by 2030 so it’s no surprise Mike is a Biden cheerleader. But more specifically, Mike touted the White House’s ability to administer over 232 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and it’s plan to invest in families with universal access to pre-K, two years of free community college for all Americans, lower childcare costs, and comprehensive paid family and medical leave. Cheerleading, commence!

Mike has a keen eye towards looking out for the cornerstone of communities and oftentimes that the annual local Fair. These events are particularly high revenue sources for cities, like his district’s Del Mar Fairgrounds, and have almost unanimously taken a large financial hit thanks to Covid. The bipartisan Agriculture Fairs Rescue Act would allocate $500 million to states’ agricultural departments, who would then oversee the disbursement of funds to fairs and fairgrounds throughout the state. Mike isn’t delusional in thinking this can save all the fairs but believes “this would make a huge dent.” On that note, let the hotdog eating competitions begin!

From dreams of settling on Mars to potential celestial wars, it’s no secret that the future is playing out in space. Mike recently appealed to the acting FCC chair asking for better regulation of constellations of hundreds of thousands of small satellites and to study the impact they could have on the environment. The FCC must, Mike says, address the increasing orbital debris that has potential to damage spacecraft and pollute the Earth’s environment. “When we talk about global sustainability,” he insists, “our efforts cannot stop at our geographic border, or even at the limits of our atmosphere.”

Raise your glass to Mike. He has been on a roll. For starters, he was voted 6th most effective lawmakers by the Center for Effective Lawmaking and the 8th most effective member in the House on defense and veterans’ issues. That is a big accomplishment. Mike introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation of which 14 bipartisan bills were signed into law. He recently reintroduced his bipartisan Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021 with PP leader Nancy Mace (R-SC) to provide parity in GI Bill benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve. Oh, and Mike announced that $125 million in Federal Relief to open schools will be awarded to his area from the America Rescue Plan. We are burning up here at Political Playlist!

Inspired by the nationwide push to end systemic racism, Mike fathered a virtual panel of local Black leaders in education to discuss the challenges for black students in the area. The panel included college students from Howard University, the vice president of student affairs and diversity and inclusion at San Diego State University, a UC San Diego professor and critical race theorist, and the Encinitas Union School District trustee. The panel covered how each of these education leaders has tackled racism in their upbringing and careers and how familiarizing current students with stories like theirs can help to move the needle further. Kudos to Mike for putting together this innovative discussion!

Mike is known for holding frequent town halls, which had to shift from in-person to virtual during the pandemic. Now, Mike is taking it one tech-step further and is coming to an App Store near you with the launch of his new podcast called Listening With Levin. On the eve of its release, Mike reminded folks that his “most important responsibility is keeping my constituents informed about my work and my policies.” In the first episode, he updates folks on the latest Covid news, before talking Climate with Dr. David Victor. Indeed, information is power, and it’s always great to see our elected officials actually communicating with their constituents. Speaking of, does your Congressperson have a podcast yet? Maybe it’s time to “@” them.

The environment is at the top of Mike’s agenda and not just because he represents a SoCal district heavily impacted by the changes in climate. Much of his background is actually in energy as a former environmental attorney and he founded a clean energy association. Mike congratulated Biden’s executive order to combat the climate crisis, protect public lands, and foster clean energy job creation. Many bills Mike introduced in the 116th Congress were aligned with this mission, as are some of the bills he plans on reintroducing like the Restoring Community Input and Public Protection in Oil and Gas Leasing Act. He also introduced the Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Act during the 116th Congress to facilitate nationwide adoption of zero-emission vehicles, and the Green Spaces, Green Vehicles Act to fund the installation of ZEV charging infrastructure. Environmental bills galore!

Right before the breach of the Capitol, an important veterans’ benefits bill that Mike introduced was signed into law by then-President Trump. The bill widens the range of services provided to benefits and authorizes officials to collaborate with outside groups to operate shelters for homeless veterans among several other points dealing with housing insecurity and veteran health benefits. It also helps reduce barriers to women who are seeking access to Veterans Administration services. While this news was overshadowed by the wild week that followed, it’s important to be reminded that things worked once and a while too.

While the Capitol was stormed and members of Congress sheltered in their offices for safety, Mike decided to put pen to paper and take a written stand for posterity. In penning an op-ed literally while hiding in place, he professed his commitment to seeing this election certification to completion because of the oath he took just three days prior to “defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Since it’s publication the following day, Mike has vocally come out in support of Trump’s immediate removal and voted for his unprecedented impeachment yesterday.

Congress is expected to pass two bills before the end of the year that will bring millions to Mike’s region for local construction priorities. The Water Resources Development Act is a “critical piece of legislation” for the 49th District because it includes an authorization for a flood protection project in Oceanside and for a Del Mar bluffs shoreline project. As well, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the Fiscal Year 2021, includes $152.5 million for construction projects on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Not only did Mike get some much-needed federal funds for his district, but he also introduced legislation to strengthen and expand services for veterans which include VA health care services, supporting women veterans, increasing VA oversight, and more.