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Sander Levin Getting Ways And Means Gavel

Christina Bellantoni | March 4, 2010, 10:10AM

Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI)

Charlie Rangel, Pete Stark, Sander Levin, Ways and Means Committee

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Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) will take over as Ways and Means Committee chairman, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats today following Rep. Charlie Rangel's decision to step down from the post temporarily.

Levin will be "acting chair," Democrats say.

Early reports after Rangel's announcement had been that Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) would get the position. But a Democratic aide told TPMDC there were concerns that Stark was too liberal to head the tax-writing committee.

Rangel (D-NY) praised Levin speaking to TPMDC.

"Under the circumstances that exist, I can not think of anyone that would be able to serve the country, the Congress and our committee better than Sandy Levin," said Rangel, facing an ethics investigation.

Rangel also told reporters that Stark told Speaker Nancy Pelosi he would give up his role as acting chair of the committee. Rangel said Stark told Pelosi "he wants really to hold on to his Health subcommittee, which he would have to give up."

Levin and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) are brothers.

Late Update: Stark issued this statement:

"I have decided to remain as Chair of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. We are at the cusp of achieving health care reform and we must remain focused on moving forward.

"From COBRA coverage to keeping Medicare strong, I have devoted my career to making health care better and more accessible to Americans. I am committed to working to ensure that health care is affordable for people of all income levels and that we protect and improve Medicare for seniors and people with disabilities.

"Once we pass health reform, it will take careful oversight to make sure that it is being implemented correctly. I have chosen to remain Chair of the Health Subcommittee and look forward to working with my colleagues on these vital priorities."

Additional reporting by Brian Beutler

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dotkommissar

March 4, 2010 10:33 AM

This is such garbage. No one would turn down the ways and means chair for a health subcommittee. I guess House Democrats override seniority when a progressive might become too powerful.

We are the Plebeians. Corporations are the Roman citizens.

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KeithL

March 4, 2010 10:37 AM

We sure can't allow an honest-to-deity LIB'RUL anywhere near sacred tax writing power, can we? He might foolishly agitate for RAISING TAXES! Or maybe even something worse: TAXING INHERITANCES!!

Oh, the PLUTOCRACY!

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Mego

March 4, 2010 11:01 AM

Oh please...he stepped down so we COULD pass health care. If Pete Stark retained the chairmanship the news would be ALL ABOUT HIM AND THE CORRUPTION OF THOSE LIBRULS and not on passing the health care bill and moving on to the myriad of OTHER crap that needs to be done. Every once in a while you need to STOP feeding the vast right wing conspiracy.

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dotkommissar

March 4, 2010 11:18 AM in reply to Mego

Wow, thanks for disabusing me of my crazy paranoia about corporations influencing Congress. It's not like Rangel stepped down because he was accepting bribes from large corporations hoping to influence tax policy or anything.

Oh right. He did. I guess Stark can't be relied on to continue supporting hard-fought bipartisan efforts to grant large corporations big tax breaks, Caribbean junkets or no.

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JohnW1141

March 4, 2010 3:21 PM

Stark is "too liberal" heh heh heh. Not only is Stark liberal, he's got balls and takes no crap from the Repugs.

The problem with the business friendly Democrats is they're not liberal enough.

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Unemployment Gone MAD

March 16, 2010 5:41 PM

Sandy Levin, Ways and Means Committee New Chairman

How To Help the Unemployed Now!

Government Stop Taxing Unemployment Benefits!

So does it make any sense in 2010 to keep the tax man's hammer down on the unemployed? Did the government not give the banks a break who created this economic mess in the first place? Did the government's bail out money not provide profit, survival and fat bonuses for the Wall Street crews? Does the government not plan tax breaks for small business who reinvest in plant, equipment and rehires? Did the government not give big auto a Cash for Clunkers program to boost sales along with financial restructure for GM? Is there not a 8,000 dollar tax credit for first time home buyers who are fortunate to have jobs? So why is there no mention of 100% tax free unemployment compensation for the down trodden, displace and forgotten, we the unemployed.
Is it because we the unemployed have no voice? At the Unemployment Gone Mad community http://unemployment-gone-mad.com we are seeking to change this injustice with a new tax reform bill and one voice. The bill is called the "Jobless STUB Retro 2009 U/B Tax Free Act"? STUB, is like the paycheck stub we no longer have and stands for STOP TAXING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. The new legislative bill needs Sandy Levin, Ways and Means Committee New Chairman to step up and committee members to climb on board. This bill will make all unemployment collected in 2009 totally tax free not just the current law exemption of a ridiculous $2400 (about 6 checks). The Gone Mad opinion is 2009 life lines deserve tax free status during the 2009 new depression blues year. We feel this travesty of paying taxes on unemployment benefits when there are 5.8 million long term unemployed is truly deplorable and an issue worthy of action. Also, remember a record 20 million collected some unemployment in 2009. From the entire Unemployment Gone MAD community jump on board.

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