Research Briefing

Meet The Union “Frontman” Who Just Became Latest Winner In Pelosi’s Tax Panel Musical Chairmanship

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi Has Announced That Rep. Sander Levin Will Be The Interim Ways And Means Committee Chairman.  … Levin Effectively Becomes The Panel’s Third Chairman In A Matter Of 25 Hours.” (Jay Heflin, “Second Ways & Means Boss Ousted; Levin Replaces Liberal Loose Cannon,” The Hill, 3/4/10)

OVER NEARLY THREE DECADES IN CONGRESS, SANDY LEVIN HAS BEEN ONE OF LABOR’S BIGGEST ALLIES

“Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), A Pro-Union, Anti-Free-Trade Liberal Who Is A Close Ally Of The Auto Industry …”  (Paul Kane, “Levin To Take Reins Of Ways And Means,” The Washington Post, 3/4/10)

Levin Is “The AFL-CIO Frontman On Capitol Hill.” “As we say, we think Mr. Rangel wants to do the right thing. The real power behind this Democratic trade backflip is Sander Levin, the Michigan protectionist who is the AFL-CIO’s frontman on Capitol Hill. He, too, praised the original trade deal. But once his union minders told him otherwise, he turned against it and lobbied Ms. Pelosi to demand that Mr. Rangel follow suit.” (Editorial, “Trade Double-Cross,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/5/07)

• Since 1981. Levin Accepted Over $2 Million From Organized Labor. (“PAC Contributions Totaled By Industry Classification,” CQ MoneyLine, Accessed 3/4/10)

The Atlantic’s Mark Ambinder: “Is Sander Levin’s Ascension To The Ways And Means Post The Biggest Victory For Labor Since Obama Was Elected?” (Mark Ambinder, Twitter Account, 3/4/10)

• “Labor Would Love A Levin Committee.” “Rep. Sander Levin, the number three Democrat on the taxwriting committee, who is a Michigan Democrat with close ties to organized labor … Labor would love a Levin committee…” (Marc Ambinder, “Life After Rangel: Who Will Be the Next Chairman?” The Atlantic, 3/3/10)

Levin Has “Stronger Ties To Organized Labor” Than Charlie Rangel. “This is not the first time business and labor group representatives have wondered if Levin and Rangel had different positions on a key trade issue. Most of those lobbying on talks between House Democrats and the administration on trade saw Levin as having stronger ties to organized labor, and Rangel being more interested in reaching a deal.” (Ian Swanson, “Levin Sees No Rift With Rangel On China Trade,” The Hill, 5/22/07)

• The Hill: “Levin, Whose 94 Percent Pro-Labor Voting Record Gives Him Solid Credentials With Organized Labor …” (“Gephardt’s Dilemma,” The Hill, 4/26/00)
  
  
• The New York Times Calls Levin A “Champion Of Organized Labor.” “Mr. Levin, a champion of organized labor who represents suburban Detroit, was elected in 1982 and is serving his 14th term.” (David M. Herszenhorn And Robert Pear, “Levin To Replace Rangel As Ways And Means Chairman,” The New York Times’ The Caucus Blog, 3/4/10)
  
  
• Politico: “A Michigan Democrat With Strong Ties To Organized Labor …” (Carrie Budoff Brown, Patrick O’Connor, “Dems Protect Backroom Deals,” Politico, 2/3/10)
  
  
• McClatchy: “A Liberal Democrat Who Traditionally Votes With Organized Labor …” (Lawrence M. O’Rourke, “White House Puts Cabinet To Work Lobbying On China Deal,” McClatchy Newspapers, 5/4/00)

NOW LEVIN GOES FROM UNION “FRONTMAN” TO PELOSI FRONTMAN …

“It Doesn’t Matter Who The Chairman Of The Ways And Means Committee Is,” As Pelosi Is The “De Facto Power Behind The Panel.” “It doesn’t matter who the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is to K Street, because Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been the de facto power behind the panel for some time, according to lobbyists and congressional staffers.” (Jay Heflin & Kevin Bogardus, “K St.: Speaker Pelosi Really Holds Reins Of Power On Ways And Means Committee,” The Hill, 3/3/10)

• “Pelosi Has Had A Major Say On The Committee’s Agenda Since Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) Came Under Fire Last Year For Several Ethics Controversies, These Sources Said.” (Jay Heflin & Kevin Bogardus, “K St.: Speaker Pelosi Really Holds Reins Of Power On Ways And Means Committee,” The Hill, 3/3/10)

Pelosi Has Set Ways And Means Agenda, As Former Chairman Charlie Rangel Couldn’t Even Take Action On His “Chief Priority” Tax Reform. “Pelosi’s influence on the panel can be seen in its agenda, several sources argued. Rangel’s chief priority, tax reform, has been given little attention at the committee level since he came under scrutiny. ‘No one expects tax reform to happen this year, but you could at least hold a couple of hearings on the subject and mark something up,’ one lobbyist said.” (Jay Heflin & Kevin Bogardus, “K St.: Speaker Pelosi Really Holds Reins Of Power On Ways And Means Committee,” The Hill, 3/3/10)

Maybe That’s Why “[E]ven Though Pelosi Has Known Since 2008 That The Embattled Rangel May Need To Be Replaced, The Speaker Fumbled In Picking His Successor.” (Bob Cusack, “Speaker Pelosi Fumbles In Dealing With The Ouster Of Chairman Rangel,” The Hill, 3/4/10)

• “The Shuffling Of Chairmen Is Sure To Raise Questions About How Pelosi Handled The Issue ...” (Jay Heflin, “Second Ways & Means Boss Ousted; Levin Replaces Liberal Loose Cannon,” The Hill, 3/4/10)

WHO WILL USE THE POWER OF THE TAX PANEL TO SUPPORT PELOSI’S LIBERAL AGENDA 

Unions Pushing Dems To Pass Stock Transaction Tax To Pay For More Binge Spending. “The AFL-CIO labor federation is pushing for a jobs package far bigger than the $15 billion bill the Senate passed, and it wants to fund the package in part through a tax on securities transactions.” (Kris Maher, “Union Pushes For Its Own Jobs Plan,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/1/10)

• Pelosi And Obama’s Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner Open To Stock Transaction Tax. “Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her strongest endorsement yet of a global financial transaction fee Thursday after raising the issue directly with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in a conversation this week. ... But after their phone conversation Wednesday, Pelosi told colleagues that the secretary indicated he was more open to some such fee than had been reported.” (David Rogers, “Pelosi Pushes Global Financial Fee,” Politico, 12/3/09)

Levin Supported Pelosi’s Government-Run Health Care Experiment. (H.R. 3962, Roll Call Vote #887; Approved 220-215; D 219-39; R 1-176, 11/7/09)

• And Tax Hike In Pelosi’s Bill On Individuals Who Can’t Afford Insurance Would Hit Many Americans Earning Less Than $200,000. “You asked about the proposal for the tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage.  And, it’s a tax on the individual’s wages over an AGI threshold.  And, the AGI threshold says, I pointed out this morning, in 2009, would be $18,700 on a joint return, $9,350 on an individual return.  So, yes, one would have to say that there would be taxes on individuals with adjusted gross income less than $200,000 in that circumstance.” (Thomas Barthold, Deputy Chief Of Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation, House Ways And Means Committee, Testimony, 7/16/09)

And Levin Supported Pelosi’s National Energy Tax “Cap-And-Trade” Scheme. (H.R. 2454, Roll Call Vote #477; Approved 219-212; D 211-44; R 8-168, 6/26/09)

• That Could Mean Nearly 1 Million Jobs Lost Per Year. “Overall, a cap-and-trade system that reduces annual GDP by 0.34 percent per year can be expected to reduce U.S. employment by roughly 964,900 jobs per year ...” (Andrew Chamberlain, “Who Pays For Climate Policy?,” Tax Foundation, 3/09)