112th Congress
In response to the elementary school shooting last week in Newtown, Conn., U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, will be leading a new task force in Congress that will examine potential changes in federal gun laws.
The move follows calls from Congressional Democrats to tighten restrictions on guns. U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., announced the formation of the task force to Democrats in the House of Representatives, the news website Politico reported Tuesday.
Co-owner Victor Titoni said a surge in sales is fairly typical amid the talk of tougher gun control laws that inevitably follows a mass shooting, in this case one that left 28 dead, 20 of them children, in Newtown, Conn., last week.
House Democrats are huddling today to develop gun control laws, starting with a ban on “assault weapons” and “assault clips,” the chairman of a new gun control task force said today.
“This is not a war on guns,” Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., who will chair the Democratic task force, said today. “[O]ur communities and our neighborhoods and our society receive no benefit from military-type assault weapons on the street or assault clips in the hands of anyone.” Thompson emphasized that they're “not going to try and take law-abiding citizens' guns away from them.”
“We are resolved in our caucus that the time to act is now,” Larson, who got emotional speaking about the shootings, said. “And that we know that taking no action, is to be complicit to a future event.”
The move came as Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told House Republicans at a closed-door conference they needed to “have a discussion on guns,” while the National Rifle Association spoke out for the first time since 20 schoolchildren were killed by a lone gunman in a crime that shocked the nation.
An important part of Congressman Thompson's job is to help residents of California's Fourth Congressional District navigate the complex federal agency system. If you are having trouble working with a federal agency—like the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the IRS—our office may be able to assist! Though we cannot guarantee a favorable outcome, we will do our best to ensure you receive a fair and timely response.
Each year, Congressman Thompson nominates outstanding high school graduates from California's Fourth Congressional District for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland; the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York.
WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERNSHIPS
Congressman Thompson's Washington, D.C. office is currently seeking interns in a fast-paced Congressional Office where they will gain valuable exposure to and knowledge of the legislative process and the United States Congress.