Press Release
Posted:
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) released the following statement upon voting for the bipartisan budget deal that passed by a vote of 240 – 186:
“Once again, the federal government shut down under a Republican-controlled House, Senate, and White House.
“This is not the bill that I would have written, but it is a bipartisan compromise that funds the government, suspends the debt limit, and outlines a budget path going forward.
“Critically, the bill provides nearly $90 billion in disaster relief, including fire relief and recovery funds for our district. It ensures that the federal government pays 90 percent of the costs for debris removal which will help our disaster communities stay financially solvent as they deal with the enormous costs of recovering from the fires. And, it provides much needed tax relief that I authored that makes it easier for fire survivors and businesses to rebuild and recover. Local leaders have informed me that that without this disaster relief, our fire communities could go into a financial tail spin.
“For all the good that this disaster relief does for our communities, it is appalling that Congress still has not taken action to protect our Dreamers.
“At a minimum, Americans deserve a commitment from Speaker Paul Ryan that he will bring the Dream Act up for a vote, and I will continue to put pressure on the Republican majority to take up the bill.
“I stood with Minority Leader Pelosi as she held the floor for eight hours in the U.S. House of Representatives, telling the stories of Dreamers, people who are our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and members of our communities.
“I also stand with the overwhelming number of our neighbors, the millions of Dreamers, and the 84 percent of Americans that support passage of the Dream Act.
“There is still a great deal of work to do in charting a fiscal path for the country. I stand ready to do that work.”