News

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to pass H.R. 5305, a critical government funding bill that includes Thompson’s legislation to reauthorize and fund the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. Thompson, whose district was hit hard by the LNU Lightning Complex and Glass Fires in 2020, first introduced his legislation in January 2021. The bill would reactivate the WHIP+ program, a critical lifeline for agricultural producers whose crops were ruined by smoke. A statement from Thompson is below.

Washington – Today House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to advance the Build Back Better Act, President Biden’s signature legislation to help tackle climate change, create jobs, cut taxes and support working families. That legislation is being voted on by other House committees of jurisdiction this week and will be considered on the House floor in the coming weeks. A statement from Thompson is below.

Washington – Today House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) delivered an opening statement at the third day of a committee markup of the Build Back Better Act. Below is a copy of his remarks as prepared for delivery.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that his nominee, Aldea Children and Family Services, has been chosen as the 2021 “Angel in Adoption” for California’s Fifth Congressional District. This award is granted to people and organizations across the country who make lasting differences in promoting adoption, permanency, and child welfare. A statement from Thompson is below.

Washington – Today House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) delivered an opening statement at the second day of a committee markup of the Build Back Better Act. Below is a copy of his remarks as prepared for delivery.

Washington – Today House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Chairman Mike Thompson (CA-05) delivered an opening statement at a committee markup of the Build Back Better Act. Below is a copy of his remarks as prepared for delivery.

Napa – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced the introduction of the Local Food Production Enhancement Act. This bill would use the tax code to increase investment in agricultural production, particularly in low-income communities and those that lack access to large grocery stores, by expanding eligibility to the New Markets Tax Credit to producers in those areas. A statement from Thompson is below.

Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to pass H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Thompson is an original cosponsor of this legislation to restore critical protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and keep the promise of our democracy for all Americans. Amid state-level efforts across the country to restrict the right to vote, H.R. 4 would prevent states and localities with a history of voter discrimination from restricting the right to vote by requiring these jurisdictions to preclear election changes with the Department of Justice. H.R. 4 passed in the House of Representatives today by a vote of 219 to 212.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), Chair of the Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, issued a statement following passage of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget resolution, which includes budget reconciliation instructions for Congress to craft sweeping legislation to invest in families, workers, and the middle class.

Vallejo – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration will formally begin the process of transferring the Mare Island Naval Cemetery from the City of Vallejo. This marks the start of important work to restore and maintain the cemetery. It follows specific authority under Thompson’s legislation passed last year as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report. A statement from Thompson is below.

Napa, CA – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced the start of his 2021 Congressional App Competition, open to all middle and high school-aged students in the Fifth Congressional District. The challenge invites students to design an app in an effort to increase awareness and participation in science, math, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and computer science education. A statement from Thompson is below.

Napa – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that an additional$2.45 billion for fire suppression efforts was included in the recently-passed government funding bill. A statement from Thompson is below.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) voted to pass H.R. 4502, a government funding bill that included money for crucial local priorities identified by leaders from across California’s Fifth Congressional District and requested by Thompson. These priorities boost local health care efforts, transportation and infrastructure investments and environmental upgrades. A statement from Thompson is below.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), co-chairs of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus, announced the introduction of the bipartisan Refuge System Protection Act. This legislation grants authority to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to collect civil damages to repair and restored damaged wildlife refuges.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that the House Agriculture Committee has advanced his bipartisan WHIP+ Reauthorization Act. This legislation would reactivate the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for all 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. It was introduced by Members of Congress from both parties who represent Western states hit hard by 2020 fires and boosts a program that is an important lifeline for agricultural producers whose crops were damaged by disaster, including smoke from fires.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that $19 million he requested for Tribal Health Programs in California to purchase power generators was included in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies’ Fiscal Year 2022 spending legislation. That funding would allow tribal health programs to buy power generators needed to boost resilience during power outages. Thompson wrote to the subcommittee in April 2021 asking it to include this funding in the legislation. A statement from Thompson is below.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Reps. Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18) and Mike Thompson (CA-05) introduced the Smoke Planning and Research Act, legislation to help state and local governments protect their communities from the public health risks of wildfire smoke.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) applauded the passage of the bipartisan PHONE Act, his legislation that allows survivors of natural disasters who lost their homes to keep their phone numbers at no cost to them while they rebuild. Often after homes are destroyed in natural disasters such as fires, the landline phone numbers need to be disconnected and if those numbers are offline too long, the service provider is required by law to reassign the phone number to other customers.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that his legislation, the Increase Federal Disaster Cost Share Act, was included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security Funding Bill. Thompson’s legislation would boost the Federal cost share from 75 to 90 percent for any federally declared disasters in 2020.

Washington – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) released the following statement marking the first round of expanded Child Tax Credit monthly payments that went out, estimated to help 80 percent of children in California’s Fifth Congressional District.