112th Congress
A Republican move to expedite offshore oil drilling in response to $4-a-gallon gasoline includes a bill, scheduled for a House vote this week, that could bring oil wells to the Sonoma and Mendocino coast.
"They have the votes to do it," said Richard Charter of Bodega Bay, an anti-drilling advocate with Defenders of Wildlife.
The first of three drilling-related bills sponsored by Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., House Natural Resources chairman, passed last week, 266-149, with 33 Democrats in support and only two Republicans opposed.
“These six young men and women are extremely talented artists with bright futures,” said Rep. Thompson.
Between March 15 and 27, a series of storms swept across Northern California, causing significant damage in 17 counties statewide, including Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties on the North Coast.
The letter stated that damages are estimated to be more than $44.5 million statewide.
More than 75 percent of domestically grown flowers are grown in California, accounting for 20 percent of all flowers sold in the United States and directly supporting more than 10,000 California jobs, according to the statement.
“The March storms brought a lot of devastation to communities across California,” said Rep. Thompson.
“Cinco de Mayo is an important celebration of the rich cultural contributions of Mexican Americans here in the United States. Their music, art, language, and traditions have made communities across our nation stronger and more vibrant.
California 1st District Congressman Mike Thompson (D.-St. Helena) joined a worldwide chorus commenting on the death of Osama bin Laden, a chief architect of terrorist activities worldwide at the hands of a group of U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan late Sunday.
“Each year, there are over 384,000 crashes involving trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles,” Congressman Thompson said. “Many of these accidents could have been prevented if advanced safety technologies had been in place.
Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released a statement referring to bin Laden's death as "a defining moment in our nation's history and, I hope, a turning point in the ongoing war on terrorism."
"The impact of Bin Laden's death cannot be overstated," he wrote.