Carl Levin

Part I of the Committee’s Inquiry into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody

June 17, 2008 -- Today’s hearing will focus on the origins of aggressive interrogation techniques used against detainees in U.S. custody. We have three panels of witnesses today and I want to thank them for their willingness to voluntarily appear before the Committee.

Intelligence saves lives. Knowing where an insurgent has buried an IED can keep a vehicle carrying Marines in Iraq from being blown up. Knowing that an al Qaeda associate visited an internet café in Kabul could be the key piece of information that unravels a terrorist plot targeting our embassy. Intelligence saves lives.    » read more »

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, introduced legislation today to increase the resources and authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The CFTC is the federal agency responsible for regulating oil and commodity futures markets. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Carl Levin (D-MI), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).    » read more »

Senators push to put a ‘cop on the beat’ to crack down on manipulation and excessive speculation

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) today introduced, along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the Close the London Loophole Act, [PDF] which would ensure that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has the same authority to detect, prevent, and punish manipulation and excessive speculation for traders in the United States who trade crude U.S. oil or other energy commodities on foreign commodity exchanges as the CFTC has for traders who trade on U.S. exchanges.    » read more »

June 6, 2008 -- "Mr. President, I vote to invoke cloture in order to move forward with the debate and break the Republican filibuster so that we can amend and improve the bill in order to begin to address the problem of global climate change. I oppose it in its current form and would have voted “no” if the vote were on whether to pass the bill.

For this reason, I joined with other Senate colleagues in a letter [PDF] identifying many of my concerns and outlining a way to move forward. A copy of this letter is included at the end of this statement.

Chairman Boxer, and Senators Lieberman and Warner have taken on a matter of global significance, which will impact both present and future generations.    » read more »

Opening Statement of Senator Carl Levin, Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on DOD Acquisition of Major Weapons Systems

June 3, 2008 -- The Committee meets today to consider the performance of DOD’s major acquisition programs at a time when cost growth on these programs has reached crisis proportions.

F-35A “Lightning II” Joint Strike Fighter: Lockheed Martin photo by Tom Harvey    » read more »

June 2, 2008 -- With the summer harvest season right around the corner, and roadside produce stands popping up at country intersections across the state, the end of spring is a mouthwatering time to think about Michigan agriculture.

When, after months of delays, Congress recently passed the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the Farm Bill, the season was appropriate. This critical legislation – which was passed over a presidential veto – will offer a boost to the Michigan farmers who sell their produce locally and who send Michigan-grown agriculture across the country. The bill will also crack down on speculators who are driving high energy prices, and offer much-needed support for conservation, biofuels and nutrition programs.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- In a speech to the Economic Club of Detroit in May 1999, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., committed to speak often on the issue of gun crimes. To date, he has made 274 Senate speeches on gun crimes since 1999; his remarks follow:

Children with gun: Photo by j.r.trauben (CC)    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., today praised Senate passage of legislation to extend unemployment insurance benefits. The provision would extend benefits for 13 weeks, with an additional 13 weeks for states like Michigan with high unemployment rates.

Homeless man: Photo by EyeTunes (CC)

In the past year, 156,083 Michigan residents exhausted their unemployment benefits and could not find jobs. The legislation will next be taken up by the House of Representatives.

Levin’s statement follows:    » read more »

May 20, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., today released the following statement regarding the report released by the Department of Justice Inspector General entitled “A review of the FBI’s involvement in and Observations of Detainee Interrogations in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, and Iraq.”

Bush protesters, March 2007: Photo by Andrew Ciscel (CC)

“Some have suggested that the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody was simply the result of a few bad apples acting on their own. The report released today by the Department of Justice Inspector General is proof that that is simply not true.    » read more »

May 16, 2008 -- Day after day, record-high oil and gasoline prices are hurting millions of American consumers and businesses. Unless something is done to make energy more affordable, the record-high prices will continue to reverberate throughout our economy in Michigan and across the nation, increasing the prices of transportation, food, manufacturing and everything in between.

Chicago gas prices, May 2008: Photo by Matt Wood (CC)

Skyrocketing energy prices are a threat to our economic and national security, and the time is long past for action.    » read more »

May 12, 2008 -- "Mr. President, today my colleagues from the Great Lakes and I are introducing the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 in order to reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The Legacy program has been a program that has delivered real results in the Great Lakes and has broad support.

Lighthouses on Lake Michigan: Photo by Luiz Castro (CC)    » read more »

May 12, 2008 -- "Mr. President, day after day record-high oil and gasoline prices are hurting millions of American consumers and businesses. Unless something is done to make energy more affordable, the record-high prices will continue to reverberate throughout our economy, increasing the prices of transportation, food, manufacturing and everything in between.

A Rolls Royce parked in Dubai: Photo by Gavin (CC)

Skyrocketing energy prices are a threat to our economic and national security, and the time is long past for action.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Senator George Voinovich, R-Ohio, co-chairmen of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 to expand on legislation passed six years ago. The bill aims to clean up contaminated expanses in the Great Lakes known as “Areas of Concern” within 10 years.

Lake Michigan breakwater: Photo by Tom (CC)    » read more »

Bill would limit speculation in oil trading and close loophole for trades on foreign exchanges using U.S. terminals

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced the Oil Trading Transparency Act to ensure that energy commodities traded on foreign exchanges using trading terminals located within the United States are subject to the same speculative trading limits and reporting requirements as energy commodities traded on U.S. exchanges.    » read more »

May 6, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- With energy prices continuing to reach record highs, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) sent a letter to President Bush requesting the creation of a new federal task force to investigate whether speculators are driving up prices in energy commodity markets through manipulative or deceptive practices.

Oil drums: Photo by tripletrouble (CC)    » read more »