Rep. Levin Leads Letter on NAFTA Renegotiations

Rep. Levin Leads Letter on NAFTA Renegotiations

This week, Reps. Levin, Bill Pascrell, and Rosa DeLauro led 183 Members of Congress in writing to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressing concern with the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Specifically, lawmakers told Lighthizer it was important to end the outsourcing of good-paying American jobs by negotiating for strong labor standards that end wage suppression and support increased labor rights for Mexican workers. Click here to read the full letter.

With Offshore Drilling Put on the Table, Rep. Levin Writes to Interior Secretary Opposing Plan

Last week, Rep. Levin signed a letter to Interior Secretary Zinke in opposition to the Draft 2019-2024 National Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program). The Draft National OCS Program would open up new areas to offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific Oceans, and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.  Expanding drilling efforts would pose a major environmental risk, putting our waters, beaches, and coastal communities in jeopardy. You can review the letter here.

Rep. Levin Speaks Up for Office of National Drug Control Policy; Voices Opposition to Proposed Funding Cuts

Last week, Rep. Levin voiced his opposition to a proposal from the Trump Administration, which would drastically cut funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.(ONDCP). The ONDCP is based in the Executive Office of the President and it is responsible for coordinating drug control strategies across the federal government and for administering vitally important programs, including the Drug-Free Communities grant program. The Administration has proposed moving the Drug-Free Communities program from ONDCP, which would reduce its effectiveness by placing it in another agency without the funding and experience to oversee it. Rep. Levin and now-Senator Rob Portman were the original authors of the Drug-Free Communities program in 1997. Since its inception, the program has provided grants to local coalitions of law enforcement, faith-based organizations, schools, healthcare professionals, parents, and students in 600 communities to respond to emerging substance abuse problems for over 10 million youth across our nation.

Rep. Levin Will Join Congressional Delegation to Montreal for NAFTA Talks
This week Rep. Levin will travel to Montreal, Canada with other members of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee to attend the sixth round of NAFTA negotiations. Also attending will be Chairman Dave Reichert, Ranking Member Bill Pascrell, and other bipartisan members. Rep. Levin, and others, will have the opportunity to meet with negotiators, interest groups, business organizations and other officials on the state of the negotiations. Rep. Levin will continue to press the point that renegotiation of NAFTA must strongly and clearly address the outsourcing of American jobs caused by the lack of labor rights in Mexico. A seventh round of NAFTA talks is expected in late February in advance of a March deadline.