Press Releases

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) today introduced legislation (H. Con. Res. 348) that would call for the redeployment of American forces in Iraq following the completion of the Iraqi constitutional amendment process. If passed, the bill would also honor the members of the U.S. armed forces and reserves for their service and express the sense of the Congress that the United States should not maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq or interfere with Iraqi oil revenues.

“I am opposed to the takeover of operations of American ports by any foreign government and I support legislative and legal efforts to block this particular transfer. If anything good can come out of this latest fiasco, it would be the importance of re-focusing our federal government's attention on the critical role that our ports serve in protecting our national security. Only 6% of the 9 million shipping containers that currently enter our ports each year are being inspected. This is unconscionable.

In an effort to help guide seniors through what they are calling confusing and ill-conceived changes in Medicare prescription drug coverage, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) introduced a bill today that would add $100 million to funding for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). Known as HICAPs in California, SHIPs are federally mandated programs that provide Medicare beneficiaries with unbiased information about their coverage options. Lately, they have been focused on helping seniors sign up for the new drug benefit and resolving Part D enrollment disputes.

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) released the following statement in reaction to the President's State of the Union Address tonight. Rep. Mike Thompson is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally responsible Democrats.

"The President is right, 2006 will be a decisive year. However, suggesting that we face a choice between ‘pursuing the enemies of freedom' or ‘retreating from our duties,' is not only unnecessarily divisive but also just plain wrong.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Napa Valley) today called on President George W. Bush to include $31 million in his upcoming budget to expedite the completion of the Napa River - Napa Creek Flood Protection Project.

In a detailed letter delivered to the White House today, Thompson and Feinstein expressed to the President the value of the Napa Flood Protection Project and the urgency of completing its construction in light of the recent storm damage.

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) will deliver the following speech today during floor debate of the Republican Tax Reconciliation bill. Thompson is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition.

Text as prepared for delivery:

The House of Representatives today unanimously passed legislation that will streamline the management of Redwood National and State Parks. North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson worked with California Senator Dianne Feinstein to include the legislation in a California lands bill (S. 136) which the Senate approved in July.