112th Congress
Humboldt County Deputy District Attorney Allan Dollison spent parts of 2005 and 2006 serving in Afghanistan's war-torn Helmand province.
Consequently, he said he felt three strong emotions upon learning Sunday that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden, the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed thousands of civilians and led to the war in Afghanistan.
"Tonight, President Obama confirmed that Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. The search for the world's most wanted terrorist has finally ended, nearly a decade after the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Mr. Speaker, it is with both great sadness and a sense of great honor that I rise today, along with my colleague, Lynn Woolsey, to honor and pay tribute to Mitchell ``Mitch'' Mulas, of Sonoma, California, who passed away March 31, 2011 of complications following heart surgery.
It is no exaggeration to say that Mitch Mulas was an icon in Sonoma County and a role model for generations of fire fighters, teachers and students, and farmers. He represented the best in community service and in devotion to his family.
Although a report from the White House assessing the federal government's efforts to recycle its electronic trash has been delayed a month, U.S. EPA and members of Congress are moving ahead with their own efforts aimed at combating the growing problem of handling waste from devices such as cellphones and computers.
Following close to 10 years of searching for Osama bin Laden, the United States learned Sunday night that the world's most sought-after terrorist had been killed.
President Barack Obama announced the news to the nation in a televised Sunday evening address that came with little explanation beforehand regarding the topic.
Between 1982 and 2008, there was no reason to worry that an oil well blowout could contaminate the wild, often inaccessible coast that defines so much of the character and ecology of Northern California. During that time, there was a mostly bipartisan agreement that offshore oil wells should be banned there.
The "Farms & Salmon Summit: Bringing the Sacramento Delta Together," was the third regional meeting aimed at generating solutions to restore and protect salmon populations and to fight diversion of the area's water resources, which are rerouted to other farming regions.
The summit runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in Antioch.
According to a press release from Thompson's office, Delta-dependent communities, jobs and families are at stake in the tug-of-war over California's water. The summit will focus on supporting policies that protect the Delta and its fish.
On Monday night, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, hosted a community meeting at Napa City Hall to discuss the country's debt crisis, asking local residents to chime in on where they believe cuts should be made.
In all, more than 150 people turned out for the meeting, where Thompson outlined the financial woes that have come to dominate political discussions in Washington.
Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today issued the following statement on Earth Day:
"On Earth Day, we celebrate America's commitment to preserving our environment for future generations. In Northern California, we are fortunate to enjoy some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the country. But our rivers, forests, open lands, and coastline are more than just picturesque - they are the economic and cultural cornerstone of our community.