109th Congress

Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act (H.R. 233) and sent the bill to the president for his signature. The bill, authored by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), designates more than 273,000 acres of Northern California as wilderness, 21 miles as a scenic river and approximately 51,000 acres as a Recreation Management Area for off-highway vehicles and mountain bikes. The designation spans five counties in the 1st Congressional District and is the largest addition of wilderness to California in more than a decade.

Hailing the National Wildlife Refuge System as the premier wildlife land system in the world, the four leaders of the newly formed bipartisan Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus (CWRC) - Co-chairs Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Jim Saxton (R-NJ) and Vice Co-chairs Mike Castle (R-DE) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) -gathered with a diverse coalition of national conservation and recreation organizations today to celebrate the launch of the caucus and highlight the importance of protecting and preserving the Refuge System.

Today, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) and 63 of his colleagues introduced bipartisan legislation that would significantly improve federal health policies for rural communities, like those in Northern California. The Health Care Access and Rural Equity (H-CARE) Act would, among other things, change the way doctors, hospitals, pharmacists and other providers are reimbursed for medical expenses. It is expected to greatly increase rural patients' access to healthcare.

Today, President Bush signed a measure into law that will aid in the protection of thousands of acres of the nation's shrinking agricultural lands. Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), who serves on the Ways and Means Committee, spearheaded efforts to create the new tax provision. It will increase deductions available to farmers, ranchers and other landowners who donate their property for conservation purposes. These land donations, called conservation easements, allow farmers and ranchers to continue using the land, while protecting the property from future development.

Last week, the U.S. Senate unanimously agreed to the House resolution introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Napa Valley) recognizing the significance of the Napa Valley victory at the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting. House Concurrent Resolution 399 recognizes both the outstanding accomplishments of those responsible for the winning wines and also the many successes of the California wine industry in the thirty years since this event. In 1976, the world of wine was astounded when two Napa Valley wines won a blind taste test held by leading French wine experts in Paris, France.