Mike Thompson RSS Articles

REP. MIKE THOMPSON STATEMENT ON MEMORIAL DAY

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today released the following statement in honor of Monday’s Memorial Day:

“On Memorial Day, we honor the men and the women who laid down their lives for our nation’s most treasured and highest ideals: that tyranny and oppression are worth fighting against, and that freedom and liberty are worth dying for.

“Because of our servicemembers and the sacrifices they have made, our country’s beacon continues to shine brightly above all others, guiding freedom-loving nations and people everywhere.

“So today, let us pause and remember the generations of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coastguardsmen, Marines, Merchant Mariners, and members of our intelligence community who have given their life to make our way of life possible. And let us honor their memory by praying for peace – for the day when war is not a reality, but a far-distant memory.”

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REPS. THOMPSON, KING ANNOUNCE LAW ENFORCEMENT ENDORSEMENTS FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS BILL

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Pete King (R-NY) today announced that a broad coalition of nine law enforcement organizations have endorsed H.R. 1565, the King-Thompson bipartisan compromise to expand the current background check system to all commercial firearm sales.

“Our law enforcement officials know firsthand the dangers of criminals, terrorist and the dangerously mentally ill getting guns, and they understand background checks are the first line of defense against firearms falling into the wrong hands. We will not give up on a bill that makes our law enforcement officials’ jobs easier and our streets safer. It should be passed and signed into law,” said Thompson and King.

The nine law enforcement organizations endorsing the legislation are the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA), the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), the International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP), the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC), the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), and the Police Foundation (PF). Collectively, the nine organizations make up the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence.

In a letter to Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, chair of the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, and Baltimore County Chief Jim Johnson wrote, “[b]ackground checks for firearm purchasers are highly effective in keeping guns from those too dangerous to possess them…We urge you to support this important legislation, and if you have not done so already, we ask that you add your name as a cosponsor to this bill that we in law enforcement know will save lives.”

The bipartisan King-Thompson legislation is identical to the bipartisan agreement on background checks struck by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA). More than 175 House members have cosponsored the bill.

The legislation helps prevent guns from falling into criminal hands and reinforces the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. It expands the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet or in classified ads. By closing these loopholes, the legislation greatly reduces the number of places that criminals and the dangerously mentally ill can buy guns. Right now, a criminal can buy a firearm at a table or out of someone’s trunk at a gun show, over the internet, or through a newspaper ad because no background check is required for these kinds of sales.

Last year, the background check system identified and denied more than 88,000 sales to criminals, domestic abusers, those with serious mental illnesses, and other prohibited purchasers. However, those same prohibited purchasers could buy those guns at a gun show or over the Internet without any questions asked. More than 40 percent of gun sales are conducted without a background check. The King-Thompson bill helps fix this by expanding the current background check system to close these loopholes. Under the bill, background checks will continue to be conducted though a licensed dealer in the same manner as they have for more than 40 years.

The legislation also strengthens the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners by banning the government from creating a federal registry and makes the misuse of records a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It provides reasonable exceptions for family and friend transfers and allows active military personnel to buy guns in the state they are stationed. It lets gun owners use a state concealed carry permit issued within the last five years in lieu of a background check and permits interstate handgun sales from licensed dealers.

The bill also improves the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by incentivizing states to improve reporting of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill and by directing future grant funds toward better record-sharing systems. The bill will also reduce federal funds to states that do not comply.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

A full copy of the letter to lawmakers is below.

May 22, 2013

Dear Members of Congress:

I write to convey the strong support of the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence (the Partnership) for H.R. 1565, the “Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act.”

The Partnership is an alliance of the nation's law enforcement leadership organizations concerned about the unacceptable level of gun violence in the United States. Our members include the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA); Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA); International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA); International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC); National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE); National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); Police Executive Research Forum (PERF); and the Police Foundation (PF).

We commend Representatives Peter King and Mike Thompson for introducing this legislation that will take two important steps forward in strengthening and expanding the existing background check system. First, extending the federal background check requirement to gun shows, to online advertisements, postings, displays and other listings, and to publications will block prohibited purchasers from acquiring firearms through these additional channels. Second, encouraging states to report all of their disqualifying records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) will improve checks by ensuring that all prohibited purchasers are in the background check system.

Ideally, the legislation would require background checks for all gun sales, closing more avenues for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill seeking to acquire guns. However, this extension of background checks to all firearm sales at gun shows, and to postings online and in publications is an important step forward.

Background checks for firearm purchasers are highly effective in keeping guns from those too dangerous to possess them. According to the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, since the Brady Law took effect in 1994, background checks blocked more than 2 million prohibited purchases from acquiring guns through federally licensed firearm dealers.

We urge you to support this important public safety measure, and if you have not done so already, we ask that you add your name as a cosponsor to this bill that we in law enforcement know will save lives.

Sincerely,

Chief Jim Johnson, Baltimore County, MD

Chair, National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA)

Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA)

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC)

National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE)

National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)

Police Foundation (PF)

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Rep. Mike Thompson Votes NO on House Majority Bill That Would Increase Student Debt by $3.7 Billion

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today voted against H.R. 1911, the House Majority’s Making College More Expensive Act, which would make college more expensive for students and families by forcing them into loans with interest rates that fluctuate year by year. This would further compound the student debt crisis. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would charge millions of students and families $3.7 billion over the next decade in additional interest payments relative to current law.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the House Majority’s bill is even worse for students and families than allowing interest rates to double on July 1st as currently scheduled. Under H.R. 1911, students who borrow the maximum amount of subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans over five years would pay nearly $2,000 more in interest costs than if interest rates doubled.

“Our students and families deserve better than a bill that makes many students pay higher interest payments than they would if Congress did nothing and interest rates doubled,” said Thompson. “Total student debt currently stands at $1.1 trillion, greater than credit card debt. This bill would increase that debt. Instead we should pass the bill that I co-authored which would prevent student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st and would save hard working families millions of dollars.”

Under the House Majority’s bill, interest rates on loans would be reset every year. So, the interest rate on a loan taken out next year by a freshman may start off low, but she doesn’t get to keep that interest rate for the life of the loan. It will change every year, potentially skyrocketing.

The House Marjory’s Leadership refused to allow the House to consider the Democratic bill co-sponsored by Thompson to block student loan rates from doubling on July 1st.

This bill, H.R. 1433, the Student Loan Relief Act, continues to allow college students to benefit from historically low interest rates by freezing the current low 3.4 percent rate on subsidized Stafford loans for the next two years.

“The one essential element to our nation’s long-term economic success is education. We need to work together to keep college costs down,” said Thompson.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON ANNOUNCES CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION WINNER

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced Benjamin Yu from Jesse M Bethel High School in Vallejo as the winner of the 2013 Congressional Art Competition. Benjamin’s artwork, titled “Monotony” will represent California’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. Capitol, where it will be displayed starting June 4th for one year. Benjamin and a guest will be flown to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June.

“Every year I am impressed by our student artists’ talent and creativity,” said Thompson. “Many thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s competition, and the parents, teachers and judges who make this annual event possible. Congratulations to Benjamin. I am honored to be able feature his artwork in the U.S. Capitol.”

“He really has a gift for embracing discoveries in his work. Although, he’s a perfectionist and spends a lot of his time pre-thinking what he is going to do, he does come across some experimental moments and he actually discovers in his work something new,” said Jesse M Bethel High School Art Teacher, Dr. Randall Goni.

Benjamin is a senior in high school. This fall he will attend the Academy of Art University in San Francisco as a Fine Arts Major on a full scholarship.

Benjamin was one of five regional winners chosen by local artist judges. The four other finalists were:
•   Contra Costa: Jessica Loyd from John Swett High School
•   Napa winner: Maia Rios from Vintage High School
•   Lake County winner: Micah McDaniel from Kelseyville High School
•   Sonoma County: Annika White from Cardinal Newman High School

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nation-wide competition.

A photo of Benjamin's work can be seen here.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REPS. MIKE THOMPSON, JOE HECK, MARK AMODEI INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL ADDING QUAGGA MUSSELS TO NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES LIST

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-5), Joe Heck (NV-3), and Mark Amodei (NV-02) today announced that they introduced H.R. 1823, the Protecting Lakes Against Quagga Act of 2013 which would add quagga mussels to the national list of invasive species. This listing gives federal agencies greater ability to prevent the spread of the invasive species.

“These invasive species wreak havoc on boats, concentrate pollutants and litter shores with razor sharp shells,” said Thompson. “When these mussels clog pipes, they suppress our ability to deliver water, protect our communities against fires, and irrigate farms. This bill will help us prevent the spread of quaggas and save taxpayers millions in maintenance costs.”

"Quagga mussels pose a constant threat to our local environment and economy. In Nevada, the Bureau of Reclamation at Hoover Dam alone spends $1 million annually on quagga mussel control”, said Heck. “This is a commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation that will ease the burden on taxpayers in Nevada, protect Lake Mead from further being invaded by this species, and prevent other lakes across the country from being affected in the future.”

“Halting the spread of the invasive quagga mussels is vital from practical and environmental perspectives,” said Amodei. “The quaggas do costly damage to our water infrastructure, which in the West is a serious matter, and they pose a threat to ecosystems, such as Lake Tahoe, which we work so hard to protect. If we wait for administrative action to declare the quaggas an invasive species, it may already be too late.”

The most common way for quagga mussels to spread from lake to lake is by “hitchhiking” on recreational boats. Listing quagga mussels as an invasive species will give federal agencies more authority to check boats crossing state lines or entering federal land.

While quagga mussels can only spread by “hitchhiking,” once they are established in a lake they multiply quickly and are extremely expensive and difficult to remove.

Since their invasion in the 1980’s, quagga mussels, and their close relative Zebra mussels, have cost more than $5 billion in prevention and control – more than any other aquatic species. While Zebra Mussels are on the invasive species list, quagga mussels are not.

In the 5th Congressional district, Clear Lake, Lake Sonoma, and Lake Berryessa are all rated at the highest possible risk for quagga invasion. Currently none of these lakes has been invaded by quagga mussels. However, if quaggas invade one of these lakes, control and treatment would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year and impact the water supply for residents in Sonoma, Lake, and Solano Counties.

If quagga mussels invade the state water infrastructure it could cost millions every year to keep the pipes clear.

Administrative action to put quagga mussels on the invasive species list takes an average of 10 years. HR 1823 would do the same thing right now.

HR 1823 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON VOTES NO ON THE PATIENTS’ RIGHTS REPEAL ACT

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) voted for the 37th time against a partisan attempt to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This is the House Majority’s 37th vote in the last 2 years to repeal the healthcare law and take away the patient protections it provides. The 37 votes have cost taxpayers more than $52 million.

“This is a shameful waste of time and taxpayer dollars,” said Thompson. “Instead of spending more than $50 million to repeal a law that is saving lives and money, we should be working to improve our healthcare system and expand on the benefits the law provides.

“It’s time to put these political games aside. By building on the reforms made in the Affordable Care Act, we can make sure every American can afford to go to the doctor. And that’s what matters.”

Since the ACA was signed into law in 2010, more than 800,000 jobs have been created in the health care industry. The law has made investments to increase the number of health care providers and strengthen the primary care workforce. Specifically, it makes investments to help alleviate the current shortage of primary health care providers, including physicians, physician assistants, and nurses.

According to the latest available estimates by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the health care law is also expected to reduce the federal deficit by $109 billion over the next 10 years and over $1 trillion over the following decade.

The law is also saving money for consumers and slowing health care spending. Since the ACA was enacted, the growth in overall health care spending and Medicare spending has decreased to record lows. As a result, Medicare and Medicaid will now spend $700 billion less over the 10-year period from 2011 through 2020 than previously projected. And, last summer nearly 13 million Americans benefited from $1.1 billion in consumer rebates provided by the ACA. Insurers were required to provide rebates if they failed to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on health care.

Other patient protections are also in place in the ACA are:
•   Women can no longer be dropped by their insurance company if they become pregnant
•   Young adults can now join or stay on their parents’ health plan until their 26th birthday, if they do not have coverage of their own
•   Children younger than age 19 can no longer be denied coverage by an insurance company for having a pre-existing condition; starting next year, no one can be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition
•   Small businesses can receive tax credits if they choose to offer coverage to their employees
•   Privately-insured Americans can no longer be dropped from coverage by their insurance company because they get sick, and their insurance company can no longer place a lifetime limit on their coverage

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REPS. THOMPSON AND REICHERT INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN MEDICARE SECONDARY PAYER AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ACT

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Today, U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Dave Reichert (R-WA) introduced the bipartisan Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers’ Compensation Settlement Agreement Act, H.R. 1982 into the House of Representatives.

The legislation aims to protect injured workers whose workers’ compensation claims overlap with Medicare coverage. Far too often, these claims are subjected to lengthy and cumbersome reviews by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to determine appropriate set-aside amounts to pay for future medical costs in which Medicare may have an interest. The delays associated with this review place unfair burdens upon the injured party.

“The last thing injured workers should have to worry about is if needless bureaucracy is going to prevent their medical bills from being paid,” said Thompson. “This bill will make sure hard working families’ medical claims are processed efficiently and quickly, it will reduce bureaucratic headaches for businesses, and it will save taxpayers money. I will continue working with Congressman Reichert to get this bipartisan bill signed into law.”

“This is a common-sense measure to ensure that hard-working Americans are not left in limbo because of inefficient bureaucratic procedures,” said Reichert. “Injured workers must have the confidence that their heath care claims will be processed in a fair and timely manner. By introducing this bill, Rep. Thompson and I aim to do just that: protect our hard-working citizens by making sure our systems serve them and their families.”

Background
The Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers’ Compensation Settlement Agreements Act establishes clear and consistent standards for an administrative process that provides reasonable protections for injured workers and Medicare. It would benefit injured workers, employers and insurers by creating a system of certainty, and allows the settlement process to move forward while eliminating millions of dollars in administrative costs that harm workers, employers and insurers.

The legislation has widespread support from groups such as the American Insurance Association, the American Bar Association, the National Council of Self-Insurers, Property Casualty, Insurers Association of America, UWC-Strategic Services and the Workers Injury Law and Advocacy Group (WILG).

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON LEADS CALL TO PROTECT LOCAL CLEAN ENERGY ROYALTIES

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) today announced that he has led a bipartisan letter with Reps. Mark Amodei (R-NV), Steven Pearce (R-NM), Joe Heck (R-NV), Jared Huffman (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA) and Juan Vargas (D-CA) calling on President Obama to protect local clean energy royalties from harmful budget cuts. The letter urges the President to not repeal the sharing of geothermal royalty payments with counties. Because of the high burdens that geothermal production places on the counties where it is developed, counties currently share in the revenue of the federal receipts. Revenue sharing was targeted for cuts in the President’s FY 2014 budget.

“Geothermal development comes at a cost so if a community invests in developing geothermal energy they deserve to get their fair share in returns,” said Thompson. “Repealing geothermal royalty payments to counties is a short sighted, fiscally irresponsible plan that will have no meaningful impact on deficit reduction. It will strip away funds that our counties use to pay for public safety, road maintenance and law enforcement.”

Revenue sharing was first started through the bipartisan Energy Policy Act of 2005. Ending this sharing would negatively impact counties while having no meaningful deficit reduction impact. Over a ten year period, revenue sharing accounts for less than one tenth of one percent of the federal debt.

Currently, counties use geothermal revenues to pay for governmental services, such as road maintenance, public safety and law enforcement, and conservation easements. Many of the counties receiving revenue from geothermal receipts are small, rural counties facing uncertain budget situations. The loss of such revenue for these counties could result in the elimination or reduction of essential services.

Last year, Lake County received more than $760,000 a year in geothermal royalties.

Last year, Sonoma County received $1 million in geothermal royalties.

The full text of the letter is below.

May 9, 2013

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama,

We are writing to express our disappointment that your Fiscal Year 2014 Budget proposal repealed the sharing of geothermal royalty payments to counties. We understand the need to propose a fiscally prudent budget, but repealing geothermal royalty payments to counties is a short sighted method that does nearly nothing to solve our fiscal problems.

In the bipartisan Energy Policy Act of 2005, Congress decided that because of the high burdens geothermal production places on the counties where geothermal development is located, these counties should share in the revenue of the federal receipts.   In turn, counties have used these revenues to pay for critical governmental services, such as road maintenance, public safety and law enforcement, and conservation easements. This revenue sharing has also made counties vested partners, and ultimately champions, in the continued development of geothermal energy—a clean, renewable, and domestic energy source that provides jobs in rural areas.

Ending the geothermal revenue sharing plan would have a significant negative impact on our districts, while the overall effect on our nation’s fiscal well-being would be miniscule—$4 million in 2014 and $48 million over 10 years. Many of the counties that receive revenue from geothermal receipts are small, rural communities facing precarious budget situations. The loss of such revenue for these counties could result in the elimination or reduction of essential services. We strongly support geothermal revenue sharing with counties and we encourage you to reconsider its repeal in future budget and deficit reduction proposals.

We appreciate your attention to this issue and look forward to working with you to promote geothermal energy production and provide support for the surrounding communities.

Sincerely,

MIKE THOMPSON                   MARK AMODEI
Member of Congress                   Member of Congress

JARED HUFFMAN                   STEVAN PEARCE
Member of Congress                   Member of Congress

JOHN GARAMENDI                   JOE HECK
Member of Congress                   Member of Congress

JUAN VARGAS
Member of Congress

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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CHAIRMAN MIKE THOMPSON LEADS CALL TO END GUN RIDERS IN APPROPRIATIONS BILLS

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, today led more than 100 of his colleagues in sending a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi urging that Fiscal Year 2014 appropriations bills not include legislative language, or “riders”, that would block efforts to reduce and prevent gun violence.

“These riders aid criminals and make our communities less safe,” said Thompson. “They are nothing more than backdoor legislative tactics that prevent the Centers for Disease Control or the National Institutes of Health from conducting research on the causes of gun violence. And, they restrict our law enforcement officers’ ability to track and combat the spread of illegal guns. The American people deserve an open debate."

In previous appropriations bills, gun-related riders have been added without open debate and have acted as roadblocks to reducing and preventing gun violence.

These riders have prevented law enforcement from requiring federally licensed firearm dealers from keeping an inventory of their firearms, prevented law enforcement and academic institutions from using gun trace data to better understand the pattern of criminal gun transfers, and stifled scientific research into the causes of gun violence and the means of preventing it.

Thompson’s task force recommended that Congress should act to repeal these riders and restore funding for public safety and law enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence. The task force urged Congress to fund law enforcement’s efforts to reduce gun violence, while supporting federal research into the causes of gun violence.

In policy principle number nine found here the task force recommended that Congress remove the Dickey, Rehberg and Tiahrt restrictions.

The full text of the letter is below.

May 7, 2013

The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi:

As the House Committee on Appropriations develops each of the twelve fiscal year (FY) 2014 appropriations bills, we urge that you ensure the committee’s legislation not include any legislative language or “riders” that impact the enforcement of gun laws, the operations of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL), or research into the causes of gun violence and how to prevent it. Gun violence reduction and prevention is an important and sensitive issue. Given the renewed national focus on gun violence prevention, now is not the time to include controversial appropriations riders that impact gun laws.

Instead, gun violence prevention measures must be seriously and properly considered by Congress through the regular order. This must be done in an open and transparent process where a full range of options can be frankly discussed and debated by the proper committees of jurisdiction and the entire House of Representatives. We believe that the appropriations process, which determines funding levels for the federal government, is not the appropriate way to modify or implement gun laws. In addition to bypassing the proper congressional process, these riders have had unintended consequences that would have come to light had they been properly discussed.

As you know, previous appropriations riders have acted as a roadblock to reducing and preventing gun violence. The Tiahrt and Rehberg amendments, among others, have prevented law enforcement from requiring FFLs to keep an inventory of their firearms, prevented law enforcement and academic institutions from using gun trace data to better understand the pattern of crime gun transfers, and chilled unbiased scientific research into the causes of gun violence and the means of preventing it.

As the FY 2014 appropriations process begins through its respective subcommittees, we urge you to support the development of legislation that is free from all gun related riders. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REPS. THOMPSON, KING STATEMENT ON GROWING MOMENTUM FOR BIPARTISAN BACKGROUND CHECK BILL

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Pete King (R-NY) today released the following statement on the growing momentum in support of the H.R. 1565, the King-Thompson bipartisan compromise to expand the current background check system to all commercial sales. The bill currently has more than 150 co-sponsors. Joining them are original co-authors Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Pat Meehan (R-PA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Peter Defazio (D-OR).

“The support we have received for this commonsense legislation that will strengthen the Second Amendment rights of lawful Americans, and keep guns from criminals, terrorist and the dangerously mentally ill has been overwhelming. We’re more than half-way home, but we still have a lot of work to do. We’re not giving up. The American people deserve for this bill to be signed into law,” said Thompson and King.

The bipartisan King-Thompson legislation is identical to the bipartisan agreement on background checks struck by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA).

The legislation helps prevent guns from falling into criminal hands and reinforces the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. It expands the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet or in classified ads. By closing these loopholes, the legislation greatly reduces the number of places that criminals and the dangerously mentally ill can buy guns. Right now, a criminal can buy a firearm at a table or out of someone’s trunk at a gun show, over the internet, or through a newspaper ad because no background check is required for these kinds of sales. Under the bill, background checks will continue to be conducted though a licensed dealer in the same manner as they have for more than 40 years.

The legislation also strengthens the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners by banning the government from creating a federal registry and makes the misuse of records a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It provides reasonable exceptions for family and friend transfers and allows active military personnel to buy guns in the state they are stationed. It lets gun owners use a state concealed carry permit issued within the last five years in lieu of a background check and permits interstate handgun sales from licensed dealers.

The bill also improves the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by incentivizing states to improve reporting of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill and by directing future grant funds toward better record-sharing systems. The bill will also reduce federal funds to states that do not comply.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

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