Congressman Mike Levin is proud to represent California's 49th Congressional District, which includes North County San Diego and South Orange County.
Currently serving his second term in the House of Representatives, Levin sits on the House Committee on Natural Resources, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where he serves as Vice Chair of the Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Levin was raised in South Orange County and attended local elementary and junior high schools. He spent his high school years at Loyola High in Los Angeles, and went on to study at Stanford University, where he served as the student body president. Upon graduation from Stanford, Levin served as a Coro Fellow and then attended Duke University School of Law.
There are approximately 80 locations in 34 states across the country where spent nuclear fuel is stored after it is removed from a commercial nuclear reactor. Additionally, 25 of these sites are co-located with nuclear power plants that are no longer in use, some of which have even been completely dismantled.
The current system of spent nuclear fuel storage is not sustainable, particularly for sites that no longer have operating reactors and could be redeveloped for other beneficial uses. It is also a violation of the promise, codified decades ago, that the federal government would take title to the waste in return for ratepayers' contributions to the Nuclear Waste Fund.
The Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus seeks to address the challenges associated with stranded commercial spent fuel across the country. It is a forum for Members who care about solving all commercial spent fuel issues, where Members can come together to make progress regardless of whether or not they have a preferred solution.
In order to inform Member discussion, the caucus invites guests - from government, academia, and more – to share their perspective on solving spent fuel challenges. It also serves as a vehicle through which Members can gather related information from the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other agencies.
Rep. Levin is an ardent supporter and active legislator on human and civil rights issues. He believes Congress has a critical role to play to ensure that all people are treated equally, regardless of their age, gender, race, or sexual orientation.
One hundred years after winning the right to vote, women continue to face injustices throughout our society, such as devastating wage gaps, pregnancy discrimination, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Our Constitution does not explicitly ban discrimination based on gender, and Rep. Levin believes it is long past time for that to change. He was proud to participate in a historic, bipartisan vote by the House of Representatives to remove an arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which states that equal rights under the law shall not be denied on account of gender.
He is also a strong supporter of the Paycheck Fairness Act to guarantee equal pay for equal work, and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act to protect survivors of domestic violence. In the 116th Congress, he was proud to support the SAFE Act to protect the economic security of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans are also denied basic legal protections in many states across the country and still face discrimination in many areas of their lives. Rep. Levin was proud to help introduce and pass the Equality Act to end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans in areas of employment, housing, education and much more. He also believes that any American who is willing and qualified to join the Armed Forces and risk their life for our country should have the opportunity to do so, and he supports the Biden Administration’s repeal of the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.
As a longtime clean energy advocate and environmental attorney, Rep. Levin knows that the climate crisis is the defining issue of our time. With California experiencing worsening droughts, heat waves, and rising sea levels, Rep. Levin believes we must take aggressive action now to limit the worst effects on our planet and preserve our natural resources for future generations.
Rep. Levin is proud to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. He knows that we can grow our economy, create new jobs in America, and combat the climate crisis at the same time, and he has introduced a number of bills over the last two Congresses to achieve those goals, including:
With over 50 miles of beautiful California coastline in the 49th District, Rep. Levin is particularly concerned about protecting our beaches, oceans, marine life, and coastal businesses from future oil spills. He was proud to introduce the American Coasts and Oceans Protection Act to prohibit any new leasing for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas along the Southern California coast, from San Diego to the northern border of San Luis Obispo County.
Rep. Levin has also worked to protect our natural resources by supporting the Endangered Species Act, making permanent and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and reforming the Bureau of Land Management's oil and gas leasing program.
Finally, he has fought for funding to support the world-class climate scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, and helped secure roughly $107 million to support research programs at Scripps to better inform management of water in California.
Rep. Levin is a strong advocate for strengthening voting rights, expanding access to the ballot box, and ensuring that our government works for everyday Americans.
He was proud to cosponsor the For The People Act, legislation passed by the House to ensure clean and fair elections by making it easier for citizens to vote, ending partisan gerrymandering, and enhancing federal efforts to secure voting systems. The bill also improves online political advertisement disclosure, strengthens rules on super PACs, expands conflict of interest laws, and more.
He also cosponsored the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would make elections more transparent, ensure that all Americans can participate in our democracy, and restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by requiring states with a recent record of voter suppression to seek federal preclearance for election changes.
Rep. Levin believes political campaigns should be about persuading voters on values and ideas, not scamming people out of every last dollar they have. He was proud to introduce the Uncheck the Box Act, a bill that would prohibit the solicitation and acceptance of a recurring contribution or donation without affirmative consent.
Rep. Levin is a proud member of the End Corruption Caucus, a group of his colleagues who are determined to end the culture of corruption in Washington. Together, they support reforms to keep dark money, corporate PACs, and special interests out of our democracy; ensure accountability in all branches of government through transparency; and prohibit foreign actors from interfering in our elections.
All Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care, and one of Rep. Levin’s priorities is strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to expand access and lower costs.
In the 116th Congress, Rep. Levin defended the Affordable Care Act and worked to strengthen the law as the previous administration threatened to dismantle it. Rep. Levin has also worked with his colleagues to address the soaring price of prescription drugs. He voted for the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would establish a prescription drug price negotiation program, protect Medicare from excessive price increases, and establish an out-of-pocket limit for Medicare Part D enrollees. That bill passed the House and included Rep. Levin’s legislation to invest billions over the next ten years in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for biomedical research, which was of particular importance to research institutions in the 49th District.
Rep. Levin is also a strong supporter of the constitutional rights of women to make their own reproductive health care decisions. To this end, he supported legislation to ensure veterans receive the same access to free contraceptives that are already available to other Americans. He has also cosponsored a bill to ensure that all women, regardless of income, race or geography, have access to reproductive health care. He also cosponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act to prohibit laws that create unnecessary barriers to reproductive health services such as requiring doctors to conduct tests and procedures that are medically unnecessary, as well as the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which directs multi-agency efforts to improve maternal health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations.
Millions of Americans struggling with addiction and substance abuse issues do not receive the support they need despite numerous federal, state and local programs intended to help them. Rep. Levin has introduced the SOBER Homes Act to analyze the effectiveness of recovery housing to ensure those struggling with addiction receive the care they need to recover.
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the critical importance of preparation to fight widespread infectious diseases, such as those resistant to antibiotics. Rep. Levin introduced the Saving Us from Pandemic Era Resistance by Building a Unified Global Strategy (SUPER BUGS) Act to prepare us for future pandemics by directing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the Department of State, to enter into agreements with foreign countries to help develop and commercialize new pandemic drugs.
Rep. Levin also introduced a bipartisan resolution to establish October 1st as National Health Literacy Day. The resolution encourages individuals to assess their health knowledge and history, and urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adopt tools and incentives to improve health literacy.
Rep. Levin will continue to work with anyone who is focused on lowering costs, expanding access, and ensuring that everyone has protections for pre-existing conditions.
Rep. Levin’s maternal grandparents emigrated from Mexico because they wanted to achieve the American dream and create a better life for their children and grandchildren. Our country was founded on that promise, and we must continue to live up to that principle.
Rep. Levin knows that our immigration system is broken, and believes we need comprehensive immigration reform that includes protections for Dreamers, a path to citizenship, and increased funding for smart border security technology to protect our borders while treating people with respect and dignity.
As a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), Rep. Levin helped introduce the Dream and Promise Act, to create a pathway to citizenship for eligible Dreamers and secure permanent residency for those with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status.
Rep. Levin also cosponsored legislation to reunify families who were separated at the border, and to end the previous administration’s “Muslim Ban,” which has since been revoked by the Biden Administration. He also voted for legislation to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to the border, and signed onto a bill to create more oversight and accountability within the Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Levin has also voted to provide increased funding for smarter, more effective border security measures. Rep. Levin visits the border regularly, including the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the Otay Mesa Detention Center, and the Chula Vista Border Patrol Station, where he has seen both the flaws of our immigration system and the benefits of smart investments in border infrastructure.
Rep. Levin and his staff are prepared to assist constituents who have an immigration issue involving a federal agency, so please reach out if you or a loved one needs help. You can contact our Oceanside office at (760) 599-5000.
North County San Diego and South Orange County are home to some of the world’s leading biotechnology, research, and clean energy institutions, as well as a thriving tourism industry, and Rep. Levin is a champion for policies that help them grow jobs and put workers first.
Rep. Levin was proud to help introduce the Raise the Wage Act, which would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 in 2024, index future minimum wage increases to median wage growth, and ensure all workers are paid at least the full federal minimum wage by phasing out the subminimum wages for tipped workers, youth workers, and workers with disabilities.
Rep. Levin has consistently fought for federal investments in biomedical and climate research, which helps to support thousands of local jobs, and he helped secure billions in federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), which support research conducted by institutions in the 49th District.
To offset the rising costs of living for middle class families, Rep. Levin has advocated for the elimination of the cap on State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, which unfairly hurts taxpayers and municipalities in California and other states. He has long advocated for the restoration of the full SALT deduction, and he has cosponsored the bipartisan SALT Deductibility Act and he also led a letter with 40 other Members of California Congressional Delegation urging President Biden to support elimination of the SALT deduction cap.
In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Rep. Levin helped pass the American Rescue Plan, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and several other key pieces of legislation to provide relief for families, workers, and small businesses, including expanded unemployment insurance, paid emergency leave, forgivable small business loans, and much more. He will continue to work across the aisle with his colleagues on legislation to address the long-term economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis.
Rep. Levin believes that investment in our education system is critical to our success as a nation. He is committed to making sure all children have access to a quality education.
Rep. Levin has been a tireless advocate for our public school systems and believes we must make robust investments to attract high-quality teachers, reduce overcrowded classrooms, and ensure that learning environments are safe and healthy. He continues to fight for increased federal funding for our schools.
Rep. Levin is a leader in the fight to end child hunger. He was proud to introduce the Stop Child Hunger Act, which would provide families who have children eligible for free and reduced-price school meals with an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card when school is not in session, or when schools are operating remotely or in a hybrid model.
Rep. Levin also believes we need comprehensive higher education reform to address the growing student loan debt crisis and ensure that all young people can afford to go to college. In the 116th Congress, he was proud to cosponsor and author several provisions of the College Affordability Act, a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that would lower higher education costs for students and families and improve the quality of colleges and universities.
Rep. Levin has introduced several bills to improve outcomes for students, including the Higher Education Standards Improvement Act, which would provide stronger protections for students if their college or university closes. He introduced the Student Loan Contract Act to ensure that students understand the commitment they are making when they take out loans, and he introduced the Veteran Service Equity Act, which expands the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program for individuals who work at Veteran Service Organizations. Rep. Levin was pleased to see all these bills included in the College Affordability Act during the 116th Congress.
Rep. Levin is a champion for the benefits and programs that older Americans rely on, and he strongly opposes any effort to undermine Social Security or Medicare.
Rep. Levin cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act to repeal provisions of law that unfairly reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for some Americans who devoted their careers to public service. Rep. Levin will continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen, protect, and expand Social Security benefits that older Americans depend on.
He is also a strong proponent of Medicare and will always work to strengthen the program and ensure that older Americans receive the highest quality health care.
Rep. Levin was also proud to support the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020. This law reauthorizes the Older Americans Act and provides robust investments in critical programs such as Meals on Wheels.
Rep. Levin is committed to ensuring our older Americans can age with dignity. Constituents are encouraged to contact Rep. Levin’s office for assistance with Social Security and Medicare benefits, or any other issues seniors may be having with a federal agency. While our office cannot guarantee favorable outcomes, many of the constituents who have contacted our office have received previously-denied benefits.
Rep. Levin’s top concern is keeping his constituents safe from all threats, whether it is the plague of gun violence or preventing unnecessary military conflict.
As the representative for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Rep. Levin knows that our servicemembers are prepared for any mission, but the military families he represents – like most Americans – do not want unnecessary military conflict.
Rep. Levin voted for legislation to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq, which would help strengthen Congressional oversight over war powers and prevent any President from misusing that authorization.
Rep. Levin has also worked across the aisle with Republicans to protect his constituents from the epidemic of gun violence in our country. As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, he helped introduce the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, which was the first major congressional action on gun safety in decades when it passed the House in 2019. The landmark bill would institute universal background checks on all gun sales and transfers – including private vendors, online sellers, and sellers at gun shows – with very limited exceptions such as gifts to family members and temporary transfers for hunting.
He also authored the Prevent Family Fire Act of 2019 with Representatives Rodney Davis (R-IL) and other colleagues from both parties to reduce gun violence — particularly suicide and accidental shootings — by providing a modest tax credit for retailers to incentivize the sale of safe storage devices for firearms.
In the 116th Congress, he helped secure $25 million for federal research into our nation’s gun violence epidemic, and cosponsored additional gun safety legislation, such as the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019, the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019, and Jaime’s Law.
One of Rep. Levin’s top priorities is increasing oversight and accountability at the decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), and moving the spent nuclear fuel out of the region as quickly and safely as possible.
Early in his first term in Congress, Rep. Levin launched a SONGS Task Force made up of local stakeholders and experts to address the safety challenges at SONGS and formulate policy recommendations to address the hazardous waste. The Task force is led by former Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Gregory Jaczko and Rear Admiral Leendert “Len” Hering Sr., USN (Ret). To read the Task Force's report, released during the 116th Congress, click here.
The SONGS site faces unique and precarious challenges, with millions of people living nearby, active fault lines running through the region, and rising sea levels. In the 116th Congress, Rep. Levin introduced the Spent Fuel Prioritization Act to prioritize the removal of spent nuclear fuel from decommissioned nuclear sites in areas with large populations and high seismic hazard. With over nine million people living within 50 miles of SONGS, and Southern California experiencing some of the greatest seismic hazard in the country, the bill would make San Onofre one of the highest priority sites in the nation for spent nuclear fuel removal.
Rep. Levin also introduced the Increasing Nuclear Safety Protocols for Extended Canister Transfers (INSPECT) Act, which requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to keep a resident inspector at decommissioning nuclear power plants until all spent fuel is transferred from its spent fuel pools to canisters. That bill mirrors recommendations made by Rep. Levin’s Task Force. He followed up on the Task Force recommendation by securing report language under an appropriations bill in 2020 that encourages the NRC to use its existing regulatory authority to assign resident inspectors at nuclear power plants while the plant is in the fuel handling and transfer phases of decommissioning. Rep. Levin has regularly pressed the NRC to increase safety and accountability measures at SONGS, and met with former NRC Chair Kristine Svinicki and current Chair Chris Hanson to express his constituents’ strong desire for greater oversight at the facility.
Rep. Levin has worked hard to advance solutions to the problem of stranded nuclear waste such as that at SONGS, whether through permanent disposal or interim storage. Regardless of the solution, he believes a consent-based process must include local, state, and tribal stakeholders. He has advocated to fund the consolidated interim storage program at the Department of Energy. Rep. Levin helped lead the effort to secure $27.5 million for the Department to restart its work on nuclear waste disposal. Under that funding, $20 million was designated for interim storage in order to help prepare for a site that can accept spent fuel from shutdown commercial nuclear plants like SONGS.
He also introduced the Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Research and Development Act, which would set up a research and development program at the Department of Energy to find new and innovative solutions for the storage, disposal, and transportation of spent nuclear fuel. Parts of that bill were drawn from the recommendations of the Task Force. He also cosponsored the STORE Nuclear Fuel Act, directing the Secretary of Energy to create a consent-based program for the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel.
In July 2021, Rep. Levin launched a bipartisan Spent Nuclear Fuel Solutions Caucus, which he co-chairs with Rep. Davis of Illinois. In the caucus, Rep. Levin leads a bipartisan group of House members who drive progress on the safe storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel across the country.
Rep. Levin will continue to fight for action from the federal government to address challenges related to spent nuclear fuel, and will remain in constant contact with local stakeholders regarding the future of SONGS.
As a native Southern Californian, Rep. Levin has first-hand experience with the critical infrastructure and transportation needs our communities face.
He is a strong supporter of the INVEST in America Act, which includes nearly $20 million in federal investments for communities in the 49th Congressional District. These investments will bring necessary upgrades to sidewalks, rails, and roads, while also enhancing pedestrian safety and supporting our local economy.
For generations, water pollution in the Tijuana River Valley has plagued communities in the region. To address this issue, Rep. Levin played a leading role in securing $300 million as part of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) Trade Agreement to help clean up this hazardous water pollution. Parts of the final agreement closely mirror legislation introduced by Rep. Levin, the Border Water Infrastructure Improvement Act. Rep. Levin and the San Diego Democratic delegation also secured an amendment included in the INVEST in America Act that will help the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spend that funding to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
Additionally, Southern California’s coastal bluffs have become increasingly vulnerable over the years due to climate change, rising sea levels, and high-energy storm swells. In August 2019, a bluff collapsed at Grandview Beach in Encinitas, taking the lives of three residents of Rep. Levin’s district. Several days before this tragic event, Rep. Levin called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide long-overdue federal funding to secure bluffs in the area as part of the Encinitas-Solana Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project. After Rep. Levin hosted Dr. Pat Davis, who lost three family members in the collapse, as his guest for the State of the Union address, the Army Corps of Engineers allocated $400,000 in federal funding for the Planning, Engineering & Design (PED) phase of the Encinitas-Solana Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project. One year later, the Army Corps allocated an additional $1.5 million to complete the PED phase of the project. Rep. Levin also fought to secure more than $9.3 million in House appropriations legislation to begin construction on the San Clemente Shoreline Project. This project, for which Rep. Levin also helped secure $505,000 in PED funding, will address severe erosion along the coast in San Clemente.
Rep. Levin is a vocal opponent of proposals by the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) to extend toll roads in South Orange County. He believes we need to mitigate traffic in the area without an extension encroaching on existing communities, schools, and protected open space. In early 2019, Rep. Levin asked California Governor Gavin Newsom to ensure that appropriate ethical and transparency measures were in place for TCA after allegations of potentially overspent and misused public funds were reported.
Rep. Levin has also worked to strengthen Southern California’s water independence by supporting water supply resiliency projects in the 49th District. His bill to raise the funding authorization for the Bureau of Reclamation’s desalination grant program passed the House of Representatives during the 116th Congress, and could deliver federal funding for local projects like the South Coast Water District’s Doheny Ocean Desalination Project and the City of Oceanside’s Mission Basin Groundwater Purification Facility Well Expansion and Brine Minimization project. He has already helped secure $28.5 million dollars in total for these projects.
Rep. Levin also believes that Congress should pursue comprehensive investments in our nation’s infrastructure that include investments in climate action to meet the scale of the challenge we face. He led more than 130 House colleagues in a letter calling on President Biden to ensure infrastructure legislation includes robust investments to combat the climate crisis.
As Chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, and the Representative for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, one of Rep. Levin’s top priorities is working across the aisle to support veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Rep. Levin believes that everyone who has served our country deserves the highest quality VA services, health care, and economic benefits that we can provide. He has said many times that not a single veteran should go hungry, homeless, or jobless, and that is his primary focus as the leader of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee.
Rep. Levin has introduced dozens of bipartisan bills and amendments to support veterans that have passed the House, including 15 bipartisan bills that have been signed into law. That includes legislation to prioritize economic programs at the VA, expand access to STEM programs for student veterans, help maintain liquidity in the veteran home loan market, improve the Transition Assistance Program for servicemembers returning to civilian life, and much more. His subcommittee is one of the most productive in Congress, with more than 50 bills passing into law since he became Chair.
To properly honor the legacy of US Army CPT Jennifer M. Moreno, a highly decorated combat veteran from San Diego who was killed in action during a 2013 deployment to Afghanistan, Rep. Levin introduced H.R. 3665, which would designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego as the Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The bill also recommends that a facility within the VA Medical Center in San Diego be named after U.S. Navy CAPT Kathleen M. Bruyere, a longtime San Diego resident who helped shape the military’s policies on sexual discrimination and was instrumental in expanding opportunities for women in the Navy.
Rep. Levin has also focused on delivering results for active duty servicemembers at Camp Pendleton. He has secured more than $250 million in federal funding for much-needed infrastructure projects at Camp Pendleton.
Rep. Levin believes all servicemembers who honorably serve our nation—including guard and reserve forces—should receive benefits that enable them to continue to serve their communities after military service. He introduced the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act to provide parity in GI Bill benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve who increasingly conduct similar training and missions as other servicemembers, but do not receive equal benefits.
The first bill Rep. Levin authored as a Member of Congress was the Ensuring Safe Housing for our Military Act, a bipartisan effort to increase accountability and oversight over private housing for military families, which has suffered from serious health, safety, and environmental problems. Many of his proposals were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and signed into law.
Rep. Levin also sponsored the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, to strengthen and expand a wide range of veterans’ benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This includes allowing VA to provide more services for homeless veterans, improving the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for servicemembers returning to civilian life, increasing transparency and accountability among educational programs that receive GI Bill funds, and much more. After this bill became law, Rep. Levin went one step further by introducing and passing the THRIVE Act, which makes updates to VA job training and education programs to further serve our veterans.
As Chair of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, Rep. Levin has held field hearings in the district and welcomed constituents to testify in Washington, D.C. He holds regular meetings with local veterans and servicemembers at Camp Pendleton, and he will continue to do so as long as he has the honor to serve them.