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U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson today announced a $2,834,293 magnet school development grant for the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD). The school district is also eligible to receive up to $2,834,293 in each of the next two years. The grant is paid for by the U.S. Department of Education with funds approved by Congress through the annual appropriations process. The funds will go to Harvest Middle School, Napa Junction Elementary and Pueblo Vista Elementary.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson today announced a number of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) block grants totaling $802,141 to help support economic opportunities and grow local markets for specially crops. The grants, made through the 2013 Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) Program, will assist growers of specialty crops and help strengthen and expand markets for their products. The goal of the grant program is to promote and increase opportunities for specialty crop producers. The grants are paid for by the USDA with funds approved by Congress through the annual appropriations process.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today voted against House Resolution 59, legislation that defunds the Affordable Care Act and puts the federal government on a path towards a shutdown. The Senate is not expected to pass any legislation that defunds the Affordable Care Act and the President has said he would veto the House resolution. A resolution must be passed by Congress and signed by the President by October 1st, 2013 or the government will shutdown.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today announced a COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grant of $1,066,584 to the City of Vallejo to hire or rehire four law enforcement officers. The grants were made available through the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

“These grants put cops on the beat and make our streets and communities safer,” said Thompson. “I am a proud supporter of the COPS Hiring Program and will continue working to make sure our cities and towns have the resources they need to keep our people safe.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) today voted against H.R. 3102, a House Majority bill that would cut $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The cuts made in H.R. 3102 would take food assistance away from nearly 4 million Americans next year. Three-fourths of households receiving SNAP include a child, senior, or someone who is disabled. A record-high of one-in-five children, or 16 million children, struggle with hunger.

Today, Congressmen Mike Thompson (CA-05) and Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), along with more than 100 other members of the House of Representatives, sent a letter to the leadership of the House urging them to adopt language from the Senate Farm Bill, S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, which maintains the decades old compact between taxpayers and producers known as conservation compliance, when the Farm Bill goes to conference with the Senate.

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, released the following statement today on the bipartisan Mayor's Against Illegal Guns collation's investigation that found 1 in 30 would-be gun buyers on the popular website Armslist.com are prohibited from possessing a firearm and could not pass a background check if they attempted to purchase a firearm though a licensed dealer. Current federal law does not require background checks for internet sales.