In the News
Patch Oceanside-Camp Pendleton: Rep. Mike Levin Visits Frazier Farms, Touts Stop Child Hunger Act
OCEANSIDE, CA - U.S. Representative Mike Levin visited the Oceanside Frazier Farms on Monday to discuss his Stop Child Hunger Act that will expand nutrition benefits for children who struggle with food insecurity. Prior to his remarks, Levin took a tour of Frazier Farms with owner Nick Frazier and company CFO Matt Poucher. The three discussed the current supply chain issues, hiring challenges and the extensive measures the store took to adapt to the pandemic. After the tour, Levin … Continue Reading
September 10, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune: Opinion: To move nuclear waste from San Onofre, interim storage is needed
The recent launch of a new coalition - Action for Spent Fuel Solutions Now - deserves a round of applause. The bipartisan coalition, if it gets traction, will help find practical ways to move nuclear fuel from sites like the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The initial membership is drawn from across society, including labor, business and community organizations, and Native American and environmental leaders and involves Southern California Edison, which operated the plant. Now that … Continue Reading
September 09, 2021
San Clemente Times: The Levin Letter: Federal Relief Arrives for Cherished Local Businesses
South Orange County residents know the value of the small businesses that anchor our community. Locals and tourists alike come together to build memories in the many restaurants, recreational venues, and other locally owned establishments that line our streets. Amidst a pandemic that threatened many of these small businesses, federal relief has enabled many to keep their lights on. By now, you've probably heard of the American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive federal effort to address the … Continue Reading
August 23, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune: Oceanside to get $3.5 million for new fire station
Oceanside will get a $3.5 million federal grant to help build the city's new downtown fire station because of the location's proximity to Camp Pendleton. The relocated fire house on Civic Center Drive will replace the original Fire Station No. 1, built in 1929 on Pier View Way and said to be one of the oldest operating stations in the nation. Located just 2.3 miles from the main entrance to the Marine Corps base, the city's Fire Station No. 1 could be called to help extinguish a large fire … Continue Reading
August 18, 2021
The Coast News: Rep. Mike Levin visits Del Mar to discuss moving rail line off coastal bluffs
DEL MAR - Congressman Mike Levin paid a visit to the city of Del Mar on Tuesday to emphasize the importance of project funding to move the region's rail line away from the Del Mar bluffs. In February, a section of bluffs, located precariously close to train tracks, collapsed in Del Mar. While bluff repairs are ongoing, area officials continue to discuss stabilization projects for other sections of the bluffs. But the movement of the tracks away from the bluffs entirely remains a focus of … Continue Reading
August 13, 2021
Capistrano Dispatch: Mission San Juan Capistrano Receives Federal Relief Funding
Nearly $19 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding will go to local entertainment venues, theaters, and museums in North County San Diego and South Orange County-including Mission San Juan Capistrano. The historic Mission is one of 28 regional sites receiving assistance funds through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Mike Levin's office. "The Mission Preservation Foundation is grateful for this critical funding. The pandemic's … Continue Reading
August 09, 2021
Times of San Diego: Rep. Levin Announces $19 Million in Federal COVID Relief Delivered to Local Entertainment Venues
U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) announced nearly $19 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding will go to local entertainment venues, theaters, and museums through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. A total of 28 venues in North County San Diego and South Orange County received $18,982,835 to help cover payroll, rent and mortgages, worker protection costs, and other qualified expenses. Rep. Levin helped pass the funding as part of COVID relief legislation in December … Continue Reading
August 05, 2021
San Clemente Times: Levin Announces Caucus to Explore Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions
On July 21, U.S. Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) announced the formation of their Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group of House members who will drive progress on the safe storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel across the country. Levin represents the 49th Congressional District, which includes Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano-and the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Including SONGS, there are approximately … Continue Reading
August 05, 2021
San Clemente Times: The Levin Letter: New Federal Funding will Increase Community Access, Fight Coastal Erosion
Roads, rails, and sidewalks connect our neighborhoods and enable freedom of movement throughout South Orange County. Unfortunately for our coastal community, erosion presents a growing threat to the safety of our people and the structural integrity of our crucial transportation infrastructure. Over the past several decades, our beaches and bluffs have been placed under enormous stress due to sea-level rise and other environmental factors. The results of these forces are entirely predictable: … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego's water desalination efforts could get boost in federal funding
Desalination projects in the San Diego area could get millions in federal funding under a bill Rep. Mike Levin introduced Tuesday. The Desalination Development Act would provide $260 million over five years for desalination projects across the country, including the City of Oceanside's Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility, which converts brackish flows into potable water, said Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. It also sets environmental standards for projects that get federal funding, … Continue Reading
July 23, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board: Opinion: San Onofre nuclear waste needs somewhere to go. Rep. Mike Levin is pushing for a solution.
Since Mike Levin was elected in 2018 to represent northern San Diego County and southern Orange County in the House of Representatives, the Democratic lawyer from San Juan Capistrano has kept a welcome and much-needed focus on pushing the federal government to live up to its responsibilities to safely store the radioactive waste from the decommissioned San Onofre nuclear plant located 20 miles north of Oceanside. Some 1,600 tons of spent nuclear fuel is stored in 123 canisters at the … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Rep. Levin forms bipartisan caucus for safe disposal of nuclear fuel waste
Rep. Mike Levin Wednesday announced the formation of a Spent Nuclear Fuels Solutions Caucus in Congress to guide the disposal of nuclear waste from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and other power plants around the United States. The radioactive material is being held in temporary storage around the country, including at San Onofre. "The current issue of spent nuclear fuel is simply not sustainable," said Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. "It is also a violation of the promise, codified … Continue Reading
July 20, 2021
Dana Point Times: House Appropriations bills earmark funding for local infrastructure projects
House appropriations legislation making its way through Congress currently includes more than $22 million in funding to largely support infrastructure projects in North San Diego County, along with Dana Point and San Clemente, Rep. Mike Levin's office announced last week. Levin, a Democrat whose district includes South Orange County and North San Diego County, secured the funding for several projects in the bill that was recently approved by an appropriations subcommittee. If the bill is … Continue Reading
July 08, 2021
San Clemente Times: The Levin Letter: We Can't Let New Offshore Drilling Devastate the South OC Economy
As most people in South Orange County know, our coastal waters are the lifeblood of our local economy. From boating to surfing to hospitality, ocean-based economic activity employs tens of thousands of Orange County residents. However, offshore drilling threatens our waters, along with the communities that rely on the ocean to make ends meet. We must eliminate the possibility of new drilling along our shores. As an environmental attorney and an advocate for coastal preservation, I've long … Continue Reading
July 07, 2021
The Coast News: House passes bill proposing $20M for local infrastructure projects
REGION - Millions of federal dollars could be coming to the 49th Congressional District after a huge infrastructure bill made it through the House of Representatives. Last Thursday, July 1, the House passed the INVEST in America Act, a $715 billion, comprehensive surface transportation and clean water bill that aims to create "good-paying jobs" that will rebuild and "reimagine" the nation's roads, bridges, rail and other transit options as well as wastewater and drinking water infrastructure … Continue Reading
July 05, 2021
Associated Press: New infrastructure deal must focus on climate, activists say
WASHINGTON (AP) - Climate activists and their Democratic allies in Congress are pressing with renewed urgency for huge investments to slow global warming, after a bipartisan infrastructure plan cut out some of President Joe Biden's key climate initiatives. Supporters say a larger, Democratic-only package now being developed in Congress must meet Biden's promise to move the country toward carbon-free electricity, make America a global leader in electric vehicles and create millions of jobs in … Continue Reading
June 21, 2021
Times of San Diego: Opinion--To Fight Poverty, Congress Must Support Permanent Expansion of Child Tax Credit
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of families have struggled under the weight of child care expenses. With two young children of our own at home, my wife and I know firsthand how costly child care can be. A key federal program to help parents with these expenses is the Child Tax Credit, which has lifted millions of children out of poverty. During the public health and economic crises of the past year, it became clear that parents needed even more help, which is why Democrats in … Continue Reading
June 16, 2021
The Coast News: Levin: New plan curbs childcare costs, gets Americans back to work
OCEANSIDE - With summer here and more pandemic restrictions being lifted, summer camps have started to keep children entertained and cared for while school is out and parents are at work. Due to the growing costs of childcare, Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano) met with Oceanside Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Jodi Diamond to discuss how additional federal funds can help childcare become more affordable for parents and the non-profits that run them. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a quarter of … Continue Reading
June 12, 2021
San Clemente Times: The Levin Letter: South OC Veterans Remind Us of Public Service
This past Memorial Day, those of us who are vaccinated were able to safely gather again with friends and family, returning to all of the traditions that we cherish. While the day marked a new milestone in the pandemic-a sense of normalcy as we begin the summer-it's important for us to remember what Memorial Day really means. The veterans honored in South Orange County continue to remind us of the service and sacrifices that have been made for our country. I had the opportunity to join … Continue Reading
June 02, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune: How San Diego’s veterans will benefit from the American Rescue Plan
SAN DIEGO - Thousands of veterans who lost their jobs, paid medical bills and dealt with other hardships as a result of the coronavirus pandemic will be eligible for financial assistance and other benefits under the country's $1.9 trillion federal relief package. The American Rescue Plan, an economic relief package President Joe Biden signed into law in March, allocates money for direct payments to individuals, aid to state and local governments, and a range of other efforts to help … Continue Reading