In the News
The Levin Letter: Keeping Our Promise to Veterans Through Critical Funding
Every year, Congress funds the agencies and programs that touch millions of American lives, including the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. The bill that funds the Department of Veterans Affairs, along with military construction projects, is one of the clearest tests of whether Washington keeps its word to those who have served. It funds the facilities where our troops live and train, the infrastructure that supports military families, and the programs that deliver the care and … Continue Reading
April 16, 2026
The Levin Letter: Energy Costs Are Too High. Here’s My Plan to Fix It.
Over the past year, household electric bills have risen by as much as 13% and are expected to climb even higher as new data centers come online. Millions of American families are already making impossible choices, deciding whether to pay for gas, groceries, rent, electricity, or health care. The war in Iran has made a difficult situation dramatically worse. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and a quarter of all seaborne oil trade normally flow, … Continue Reading
March 19, 2026
The Levin Letter: Betting on War and Death Should Never Be a Sport
Seventy-one minutes before the news broke that the United States had struck Iran, someone placed a bet on a prediction market platform that it would happen. A Polymarket account called “Magamyman” walked away with more than half a million dollars within minutes. We don’t know who was behind that account or what information they had access to beforehand, but someone profited off a bet that our service members would be put in harm’s way. War is not a commodity. Human life is not a trading … Continue Reading
February 12, 2026
The Levin Letter: Government Must Do More to Remove SONGS’ Nuclear Waste
It has been more than a decade since the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) shut down, and roughly 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel still sit on our coastline, wedged between Interstate 5 and the Pacific Ocean—far from an ideal long-term solution. Since entering Congress, one of my top priorities has been the safe removal of that nuclear waste from our region. While we still have work to do, we have made important progress in recent years that is bringing us closer to fully … Continue Reading
February 06, 2026
OC Register: Olympic surfing must put surfers first
As the Olympic Winter Games open next month, the world will once again be reminded of what the Olympics represent: excellence, preparation, and legacy. After they conclude, the torch travels to our backyard in 2028. The Olympic rings will be front and center at Lower Trestles, in our region, for two weeks of Olympic surfing competition. The global spotlight will be on Southern California — the beating heart of American surfing. But, an ongoing debate about the future of surfing governance … Continue Reading
January 21, 2026
San Diego Union Tribune: Why reprocessing San Onofre nuclear waste is not a short-term fix
The 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel stored at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) are a symptom of a national failure that has left nuclear waste stranded at more than 80 sites across the country. Nuclear waste was never meant to stay at SONGS long term. But because the United States still has no permanent repository for spent fuel, we have been left with no other option. One of my first actions after being elected to Congress in 2018 was to convene the SONGS Task Force … Continue Reading
January 08, 2026
The Levin Letter: Our Constitution Requires Congress to Authorize Venezuela Operation
Nicolas Maduro was an illegitimate authoritarian ruler who dismantled Venezuela’s democratic institutions and presided over repression, corruption, and economic collapse. Millions of Venezuelans have paid the price, and their country is better off without him. But that reality does not relieve the Trump Administration of its constitutional obligations.I want to thank the men and women of our military and intelligence community for their professionalism and courage, and I am relieved that no … Continue Reading
December 11, 2025
The Levin Letter: Why Southern California Should Reject Offshore Drilling
Few places in the country are as shaped by their coastline as our communities in South Orange County. For so many of us, the ocean defines daily life. It draws visitors, supports family businesses, sustains property values, and provides a sense of place that is impossible to replicate. When you represent these communities, you learn quickly that protecting the coastline is not an abstract environmental issue. It is a matter of economic stability, public safety, and local identity. That … Continue Reading
November 14, 2025
The Levin Letter: Support for Our Marines Is Not Partisan or Performative
One of the greatest honors of my seven years in Congress has been serving the Marines and families of Camp Pendleton. They are the best of us. They serve with discipline and humility. They stand watch in every time zone so the rest of us may sleep in peace. Their families carry the weight of sacrifice that most Americans will never fully understand. That is why the conversation about how we support them must be grounded in truth. Recently, a Letter to the Editor in this paper claimed that if … Continue Reading
September 11, 2025
The Levin Letter: Public Trust or Private Profit? We Must Ban Congressional Stock Trading
Trust in government rests on one simple principle: the people you elect should be working for you, not for their personal gain. Unfortunately, when members of Congress are allowed to buy and sell stocks while in office, it undermines that trust and creates the perception that lawmakers are using privileged information to enrich themselves. That’s why I joined a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans to introduce legislation banning all members of Congress from holding and trading … Continue Reading
August 15, 2025
The Levin Letter: Congress Must Act to Fix Broken Immigration System
For too long, immigration has been used as a political weapon. Politicians have spent years in gridlock unable to act and failing to deliver real solutions to our immigration challenges. For decades, Congress has kicked the can down the road, hoping to one day pass bipartisan immigration reform. The American people deserve better, and now we have a real shot at fixing our immigration system with dignity and strength. I recently joined a bipartisan group of House members — 10 Democrats and 10 … Continue Reading
July 30, 2025
San Diego Union Tribune: It’s time to lead with strength and compassion on immigration
When it comes to immigration, I’m sick and tired of the same old partisan finger-pointing and failure to act. That’s why I’m encouraged that this past week, something different happened. I stood among a group of 20 House Members — 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans — to reintroduce the Dignity Act, a serious and bipartisan effort to finally help fix the system. I’ve supported this bill in the past, but I’m more hopeful than ever that this version has a real shot at becoming law. It offers a path … Continue Reading
July 17, 2025
Military.com: The New VA Budget Pushes to Privatize Care, Risking the Veterans Health System
While the recent headlines have been dominated by the passage of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and its impacts on Medicaid and food assistance, something critical is happening that every veteran -- and every American who honors their service -- needs to know. On the surface, the new Department of Veterans Affairs budget proposal from the Trump administration and House Republicans looks generous. It increases total VA health care funding. However, nearly 75% of all new medical … Continue Reading
June 12, 2025
THE LEVIN LETTER: A Warning About the ‘Big Ugly Bill’
House Republicans recently passed a sweeping budget bill that slashes health care, cuts food assistance, raises energy costs, and adds trillions to the national debt—all to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. They call it the “Big Beautiful Bill.” I call it the “Big Ugly Bill.” But don’t take my word for it Nonpartisan experts at the Congressional Budget Office, Moody’s, and Wharton—the President’s own alma mater—have all reviewed this legislation. Their verdict is clear: it’s … Continue Reading
May 15, 2025
THE LEVIN LETTER: This Deportation Exposes Flaws in Immigration System
For the past 35 years, Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez lived in our community and made it their home. Laguna Niguel residents, they raised three daughters and recently welcomed their first grandchild. Nelson worked as a phlebotomist, and Gladys was a stay-at-home mom. They went to church, paid their taxes, and never had a criminal record, not even a traffic ticket. But on Feb. 21, they were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine check-in appointment. … Continue Reading
April 10, 2025
THE LEVIN LETTER: Hands Off Our Social Security
If you’ve worked hard, paid taxes, and played by the rules, you should be able to count on Social Security when you retire. That’s been the American promise for the last 90 years. Social Security isn’t a luxury—it’s a contract between government and the people. Today, that contract is under threat—not from some distant crisis, but from deliberate choices being made right now in Washington, D.C. Some are happening out in the open. Others are being pushed quietly. But all of them point to the … Continue Reading
March 13, 2025
THE LEVIN LETTER: The Truth About Musk’s Destruction of Government
I want to be clear: I strongly believe we need to get our debt and deficits under control. But the only responsible way to do that is through a balanced approach—one that looks at both spending and revenue while protecting programs that seniors, veterans, and working families rely on. That’s why, for example, I’ve supported plans to keep Social Security solvent for decades by ensuring the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of payroll taxes—just like middle-class workers already … Continue Reading
February 13, 2025
THE LEVIN LETTER: We Can’t Abandon Checks and Balances
My job as your representative is to serve our entire district, to listen, and to fight for what’s best for our communities. I am proud to represent you—whether you voted for me or not. Since entering Congress in 2019, I’ve worked across the aisle to get things done. I believe in finding common ground where possible and standing firm on principle where necessary. That approach has led to real results: I’ve passed 34 bipartisan laws—16 signed by President Trump and 18 signed by President Biden. … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
THE LEVIN LETTER: We’re in a Stronger Position Than Ever to Invest in Our Community
Earlier this month, I was proudly sworn in for my fourth term in Congress. As the 119th Congress begins, there are many challenges facing our district, including the cost of living, homelessness, border security, and climate change. I’m more committed than ever to working on a bipartisan basis for the good of our communities. As always, I’ll be focused on finding common ground and delivering results—regardless of the party in power. Also this month, I was greatly honored to be appointed to … Continue Reading
November 17, 2024
How to save $2 million a day … and remove radioactive waste from earthquake country
Memo to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy: We can imagine how excited you must be to star in “Honey, I Shrunk the Government!” We suspect you’d frown upon the idea of a brand new agency, sprouting like a delicate green tendril from the federal forest, but we’re here to argue that’s wrong. If you’re truly interested in governmental efficiency, here’s a no-brainer: Immediately stop the half-century of federal dithering that has let highly radioactive nuclear waste pile up in neighborhoods all over … Continue Reading