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The benefit of the 2015 omnibus bill now headed for the president's desk is that it prevents another government shutdown — as well as the prolonged threat of one.

But the positives end there for the $1.1 trillion appropriations package approved by the House and Senate last week.

President Barack Obama is poised to sign legislation from U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, that would require security assessments of American oil refineries, including Valero Benicia Refinery, and railroad infrastructure, such as Union Pacific that has tracks through Benicia.

Austin Vevurka, Thompson's spokesperson, said Thursday that Thompson's legislation is part of House of Representatives Bill 4681, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.

Five U.S. Representatives for Northern California, including districts encompassing Martinez, voted Tuesday against H.R. 5781, the "California Emergency Drought Relief Act." Despite their opposition, the bill that would mandate the pumping of Delta water to south of the Delta will move forward to the Senate.

House lawmakers are planning the largest funding increase for background checks on gun purchases.

The trillion-dollar "cromnibus" bill to fund the federal government would set aside $73 million to help states improve their record keeping systems, which aim to keep guns out of the hands of convicted criminals and the dangerously mentally ill.

States can apply for grants to "upgrade criminal and mental health records," which are stored in the federal database and checked by federally licensed gun dealers during all in-store purchases.

Legislation by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson to improve security at America's embassies and for rail and refineries passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday and now heads to the president's desk for his signature, the St. Helena Democrat's office announced.

H.R. 4681, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, grew partially out of the 2012 terrorist attack out the U.S. Consular facility in Benghazi, Libya, Thompson said.

It's a given that recent rains and prospects of a major storm on Wednesday offer hope of relief for California, but they do little to mollify concerns about the state's historic drought conditions.

It's also a given that the Golden State needs federal financial and political help if it is avoid becoming known as the Perennially Brown State. But a Republican-driven bill now being pushed through Congress is not the answer.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, the Napa Democrat who represents Benicia in the House of Representatives, said Tuesday that all five counties within the Berryessa Snow Mountain Region, including Solano, have endorsed permanent protection for the area.

Mendocino County was the final agency to vote to endorse permanent protection for region, Thompson said. Napa, Lake, Yolo and Solano counties previously voted to support its permanent protection.

The Mendocino vote was unanimous, he said.

President Obama recently used his executive authority to permanently safeguard two of California's natural treasures. He officially expanded the California Coastal National Monument to include the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands and he designated 346,000 acres of public land in Southern California as the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

The President should be applauded for these actions, and I am proud to have worked with our local communities and the White House to make sure the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands received the permanent protection they deserved.