Rep. Levin Joins Community in Welcoming New Macomb Community College President

Rep. Levin Joins Community in Welcoming New Macomb Community College President

Rep. Levin joined with community members on Friday at the inauguration of Dr. Jim Sawyer as the sixth president of Macomb County Community College. Dr. Sawyer takes over as president after Dr. Jim Jacobs’ retirement last year.

As one of the largest community colleges in the United States, Macomb has distinguished itself through its diverse offerings to students seeking an associate’s degree, professional certificate, or professional retraining for emerging industries. As a strong supporter of the college, Rep. Levin welcomed Dr. Sawyer, who has worked with MCC since 2002 focusing on student experience and pathways to success.

Under Dr. Sawyer’s leadership and continued community support, Macomb Community College will continue to provide opportunities to students seeking to begin or enrich their career.

Amid Calls for Action Needed on Infrastructure, Rep. Levin Adds Voice to Proposal

Infrastructure is a critically important issue as the condition of our roads, bridges, wastewater and drinking water systems, airports, and other critical infrastructure that move people and facilitate commerce continues to deteriorate.  The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates the United States must invest $4.69 trillion by 2025 to bring our infrastructure up to a state of good repair.  That’s why Rep. Levin recently joined with colleagues in the House of Representatives in writing to the President on the issue.  Specifically, they wrote to urge the inclusion of a National Infrastructure Bank in the administration’s infrastructure plan that would leverage private dollars and finance a broad range of projects.  The letter explains that establishing a National Infrastructure Bank would be an important step forward in addressing the massive shortfall in infrastructure investment, create jobs, generate long-term economic growth, and improve our global competitiveness.  You can read the letter here.

It’s Tax season once again!

IRS has begun accepting and processing tax returns. Paper returns will begin processing in mid-February as the IRS continues its system updates. The IRS encourages to file returns electronically if faster returns are desired.  The filing deadline for this year is April 17.

There are several resources available to taxpayers to assist with their tax returns.  Answers to questions on topics such as filing status, claiming dependents, tax credits and more are available on the IRS’ Interactive Tax Assistant.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) offers free tax return preparation to taxpayers who generally earn $54,000 or less and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly effort provides assistance to taxpayers aged 60 and older and focuses on tax issues unique to senior citizens.  You can find VITA or TCE sites by zip code here.  Before going to a VITA or TCE site, review Publication 3676-B for services provided and check out the what to bring page to ensure you have all the required documents.

The AARP Foundation also offers free, individualized tax preparation assistance as well.  You can find a Tax-Aide Locator here.

The IRS also encourages taxpayers enlisting the services of a tax preparer to do so carefully to avoid problems or issues later. The IRS has information on qualifications and credentialing of tax preparers on it website.

And if taxpayers are having difficulty obtaining your refund, you can contact my district office in Roseville at (586) 498-7122.

Rep. Levin Votes to Preserve FDA Menu Labeling Standards

This week, Rep. Levin opposed H.R. 772, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act. The bill undermines federal efforts to strengthen restaurant menu labeling.  National menu labeling standards, set to go into effect in May of 2018, require chain restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores with 20 or more outlets to label calories and accurate serving sizes. H.R. 772 would undo progress made to implement these standards and will only lead to confusion for consumers.

In recent years, obesity and diet related chronic diseases are at an all-time high. Experts believe that the primary driver for this public health crisis is due to the increase of caloric intake. More transparent menu labeling will allow consumers to make informed choices about the food they are buying.

This Week on the House Floor:

This week the House considers a bill that would undermine progress made to implement menu labeling standards and could lead to consumer and industry confusion (H.R. 772) and legislation that would make changes to the qualified mortgage rule related to the points and fees imposed on qualified mortgages.  The House is also considering legislation reforming the process for addressing sexual harassment complaints in congressional workplaces.

Finally, government funding expires February 8th, requiring House and Senate action to extend funding for government operations.