Mike Thompson RSS Articles

REP. MIKE THOMPSON ANNOUNCES YOUNTVILLE VETERANS HOME POST OFFICE OFFICIALLY RENAMED IN HONOR OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALEJANDRO R. RUIZ SR.

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) announced that the President today signed legislation that Thompson introduced to officially rename the Yountville Veterans Home Post Office the “Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building.” Congressman Thompson introduced this legislation in November to honor Alejandro R. Ruiz Sr., a Medal of Honor winner who spent his career in the U.S. Army and served in World War II. After retirement, Ruiz lived at the Yountville Veterans Home, located in Napa County, California, until he passed away in 2009 at the age 85.

“Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Sr. served his country with honor and distinction,” said Thompson. “Today we honor his life, courage and sacrifice by officially renaming the Yountville Veterans Home Post Office after one of its residents and heroes.”

On April 28, 1945, Private First Class Ruiz was deployed to Okinawa. While patrolling in a ravine, his unit was ambushed by heavy and camouflaged machine gun fire. Every soldier except Ruiz and his squad leader was killed or injured. With his entire unit pinned down, Ruiz grabbed an automatic rifle and started his solo charge on the bunker. When he reached the bunker his rifle misfired. After beating back enemy soldiers he quickly ran back to where his unit was pinned down to retrieve another weapon. On his second charge towards the bunker he was shot in the leg by enemy fire. By himself he eliminated 12 enemy soldiers and saved the lives of the platoon members.

Thompson’s bill, H.R. 3004, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 260 California Drive in Yountville, California, as the "Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building" was signed by the President on May 15th, 2012. Thompson’s legislation was cosponsored by the other 52 members of the California Congressional Delegation, and both California Senators supported the bill.

Ruiz was born in Loving, New Mexico to Mexican immigrants. Of the 3,400 Medals of Honor that Presidents of the United States have awarded, only 44 have been awarded to someone of Hispanic descent. Of the 55,000 residents to have lived at the Yountville Veterans Home, only five have been awarded the Medal of Honor.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and portions of Sonoma and Yolo counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Congressional Military Veterans Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON ANNOUNCES CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION WINNER

Mon, 14 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today announced that Julian Gordon of McKinleyville is the winner of the 2012 Congressional Art Competition. Julian’s artwork, an oil portrait on canvas titled “Erin”, will represent California’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. Capitol, where it will be displayed for one year. Julian, senior at Arcata High School who is taking Advanced Placement Art, and a guest will be flown to Washington, D.C. to attend an awards ceremony in June.

“Our district has extraordinary student artists. Every year I am impressed by their talent and creativity,” said Thompson. “Many thanks to the students who participated in this year’s competition, the parents, teachers and judges who make this annual competition possible, and the folks at the Artists of the Valley Gallery who hosted our wonderful reception. Congratulations to Julian. I am honored to be able feature his artwork in the U.S. Capitol. Every community across our district can be proud of Julian’s achievement.”

"I have been fortunate enough to have been a part of the Arcata Arts Institute for the past three years, where I not only learned a tremendous amount of new skills and techniques to apply to my art, but it is also where I discovered my passion for the arts,” said Julian. “Because of my amazing experience with the program, I know I always want art to play a major role in my life."

Julian will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall of 2012 with a major in studio art.

Julian was one of seven regional winners chosen by local artist judges. The six other finalists were:
•   Del Norte County: Amanda Robertson
•   Mendocino County: Amelia Hernandez
•   Lake County: Travis Evans-Britt
•   Sonoma County: Crysta Jojola
•   Napa County: Maia Rios
•   Yolo County: Camille Shea Lichter

The Congressional Art Competition began in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nation-wide competition.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and portions of Sonoma and Yolo counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON: HOUSE MAJORITY’S SPENDING PLAN IS THE WRONG CHOICE FOR AMERICA

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today voted against H.R. 5652, a spending plan offered by the House Majority that would make harmful cuts to Medicare for seniors, health care for kids, food and nutrition assistance for struggling families, and other vital safety net programs. The bill also protects tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

“We need to get our deficit under control, but the plan offered today by the House Majority is the absolute wrong choice for America,” said Thompson. “We can’t reduce the deficit on the backs of seniors, children and the poor. We need a balanced approach where we get rid of programs that aren’t needed, where we make sure that programs that are needed are running as efficiently as possible, and where everyone pays their fair share.”

The House Majority’s bill that Thompson voted against today:
•   Slashes food assistance by nearly $36 million – reducing food stamps to all recipients and cutting access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to nearly two million people at a time when families can least afford it.
•   Permanently eliminates the Social Services Block Grant program, which provides assistance for roughly 23 million Americans, including:
     o   Child care and related assistance for 4.4 million children,
     o   “Meals on Wheels” and other home-based services for nearly 1.7 million older Americans,
     o   Child protective services for 1.8 million at-risk children,
     o   Transportation, respite care and other services for nearly 1 million disabled individuals.
•   Eliminates the Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Maintenance-of-Effort (MOE) requirement included as part of the Affordable Care Act, putting 300,000 children at risk of losing health insurance coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
•   Cuts the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which provided 61 communities and states with funding in fiscal year 2011 to implement health and wellness programs and benefited approximately 120 million Americans, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA REPS. CALL ON HOUSE MAJORITY TO PASS TRANSPORTATION JOBS BILL

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Northern California Members of Congress today called on the House leadership to immediately pass a long-term transportation jobs bill. In a letter to the House leadership, the members highlighted the Department of Labor’s April 2012 Jobs Report which shows that last month alone, close to 17,000 jobs were lost in the transportation sector. Traditionally, the warm spring and summer months are when transportation and construction jobs are at their peak. A transportation jobs bill like the one passed by a bipartisan vote in the Senate would fund long-term transportation and infrastructure projects, and is estimated by the U.S. Department of Transportation to create 177,500 jobs in California alone.

“We need to put politics aside and work across the aisle to put folks back to work,” said Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-1). “A bipartisan group of seventy seven U.S. Senators worked together and passed a transportation bill that will create or save more 177,000 California jobs. The American people need the House to do the same. I urge the House Majority pass the bipartisan Senate bill and send it to the President to be signed into law so we can get folks back to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, highways and railways.”

“House Republicans continue to stand in the way of new jobs for middle class Americans,” Rep. George Miller (CA-7) added. “Instead of supporting a bipartisan transportation bill that will create hundreds of thousands of construction jobs rebuilding roads, bridges and highways, House Republicans leave American companies and workers idling while doling out more tax breaks to the rich and famous."

“We need to focus on creating jobs in California. Investing in our infrastructure will create thousands of good-paying jobs and give businesses the access they need to prosper - jobs that people will be able to support their families on. We need to pass a comprehensive transportation bill and put people back to work. It’s long past time to put partisanship aside and put people back to work,” said Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-11).

“If a bipartisan Senate can agree on a transportation/jobs bill why can't the House Republicans sign off on it? There's no excuse for putting America's future on hold. We need to act now,” said Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-12).

“With unemployment above 11% in my district of Sacramento, passing a long-term transportation bill is critical to our economic recovery, and that of the nation as a whole. Make no mistake: every day a bill is delayed during these warm months, more construction jobs are lost. House Republicans must join us in standing for American jobs, and agree to a bipartisan solution that provides the kind of certainty that our transportation industry desperately needs to begin the 2012 construction season and make progress for the future. We cannot wait,” said Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-5).

“House Republican Leadership continues to avoid its basic responsibility of passing a transportation bill that puts American workers back to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure,” said Rep. John Garamendi (CA-10). “Construction workers and businesses cannot wait. We should pass the bipartisan Senate bill, so we can Make It In America again.”

The House Majority has twice refused to pass long-term transportation legislation, instead passing short-term extensions. The long-term authorization proposed by the House Majority in February contained many politically-driven and unrelated policy riders that prevented the bill from being passed. For example, the bill halted funding for high-speed passenger rail projects; opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska for oil drilling; ended competitive grant funding for road improvements, port upgrades, bridge maintenance and light rail; defunded bike and pedestrian projects; and ended funding that is used to build safer routes to schools.

Former Republican Congressman and current Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood called the long-term House bill introduced in February the most partisan and worst transportation bill in decades.

In the past, long-term transportation legislation has traditional received strong bi-partisan support. The last long-term transportation bill passed the House in 2005 by a vote of 412-8. Federal funding for transportation projects will run out on June 30, 2012 if not legislation is passed.

The full text of the letter is below.

May 9, 2012

Hon. John Boehner
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Hon. Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader
United States House of Representatives
H-204, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi,

We urge that the House of Representatives immediately consider and pass a long term transportation jobs bill. Passing this legislation is vital during a critical period of our economic recovery.

Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that despite the creation of 115,000 jobs during the month of April and the lowering of the unemployment rate to 8.1%, the transportation sector still lost close to 17,000 jobs during that same period. Meanwhile, the House has continued to postpone -- or has given up entirely -- consideration of a transportation bill. Then just a few weeks ago, the House took a series of procedural steps to go to a Conference Committee with the Senate to finally negotiate a long term transportation bill.

While we are encouraged that this Conference Committee began their discussions this week; talk of prolonged negotiations, the creation of bargaining working groups involving all 47 members of the Conference Committee, and the insistence that issues unrelated to transportation like the Keystone XL Pipeline be part of a transportation bill, cause us to fear that a long term transportation bill is not going to be agreed to any time soon let alone before the critical summer construction season.

Our top priority, and the top priority of the American public, is job creation. It is therefore incomprehensible to us that the House leadership has not even brought up a long-term transportation bill up for a vote, when this indecision has unnecessarily put so many Americans out work; 17,000 people last month alone. With Federal funding for transportation projects set to run out on June 30, 2012, we urge that the House either immediately consider the long term transportation bill that was overwhelmingly agreed to in the Senate, or instruct House Conferees to cede to the Senate language in its entirety so that a transportation jobs bill can be signed into law as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance for your immediate consideration of this very time sensitive request.

Sincerely,

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON LEADS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO REJECT AMENDMENT THAT WOULD HARM PACIFIC COAST SALMON

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Wild Salmon Caucus, last night with Republican Rep. Don Young (AK-At Large) led representatives in rejecting an amendment to H.R. 5326, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Commerce, Justice and Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, that would harm Pacific Coast salmon. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Paul Broun (GA-10), would have eliminated $15 million from Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funds (PCSRF). The amendment was struck down by bipartisan vote of 239-168. The bill would fund PCSRF at $65 million for FY2013.

“A strong salmon population is an important component of a strong economy,” said Thompson. “The PCSRF has been tremendously successful in rehabilitating salmon and by cutting the fund by more than 23 percent would devastate salmon recovery and kill local jobs.”

“Alaskans know firsthand the economic benefits of a strong fishing industry,” said Young. “By helping to rehabilitate salmon populations across America, these recovery funds go a long way in building and maintaining healthy fishing industries. I was happy to see that my colleagues recognized this last night and rejected this misguided amendment in a bipartisan manner.”

The PCSRF was established by Congress in 2000 to restore, conserve, and protect Pacific salmon and steelhead and their habitats. PCSRF also seeks to maintain the healthy populations necessary for exercising tribal treaty fishing rights and native subsistence fishing.

With funding from the PCSRF, states and tribes have undertaken 10,214 projects, which have resulted in significant changes in habitat conditions and availability, as well as the establishment of planning and monitoring programs that support prioritization and tracking for salmon and steelhead population conservation.

The salmon industry is important to California’s economy. When the salmon industry was shut down in 2008 it was found that the salmon industry contributed $1.7 billion to California’s economy and 23,000 jobs were lost. Studies show that if salmon could be fully recovered it could contribute up to $5 billion to California’s economy and create 94,000 jobs.

With the help of the PCSRF, there have been significant improvements from 2000 to 2011 including:
•   879,194 acres of habitat improved or added for salmonid use
•   5,336 miles of stream made accessible to spawning populations
•   Marking programs tagging 238,643,775 fish, improving stock identification and supporting more effective fishery management practices.
•   Biologists are predicting that as many as 820,000 fish - the most in at least seven years - will return to spawn in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta this year.
•   The California King Salmon Fishery is open for the first time in four years.

In 2010, 787,740 pounds of salmon were caught in U.S. waters, totaling 11 percent of all fish captured that year, and generating more than $554 million dollars.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON RELEASES STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) today released the following statement on marriage equality following President Obama’s statement that he supports same-sex marriage.

“Today, the President took an historic stand for love, equality and civil rights. All couples – gay or straight – should have the right to marry who they love, and I commend the President for his public support of same-sex marriage,” Thompson said.

Thompson co-authored legislation that ended Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and has supported legislation that gives state and local law enforcement the tools to prosecute hate crimes based on sexual orientation.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REPS. MIKE THOMPSON, JOHN GARAMENDI, LYNN WOOLSEY INTRODUCE BILL TO DESIGNATE BERRYESSA SNOW MOUNTAIN A NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA

Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-1), John Garamendi (CA-10) and Lynn Woolsey (CA-6) today introduced H.R. 5545, the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area Act. The legislation would designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Conservation Area (NCA). Under this designation, all currently owned federal lands within the NCA boundary would be united under one management plan, allowing the region to be managed according to the site-specific needs. The region would also be permanently protected under a NCA designation, ensuring continued recreational opportunities while safeguarding the region’s natural beauty, wildlife, rare plants, and waters – which include important sources of drinking water and irrigation for nearby communities.

“The Berryessa Snow Mountain Region is a unique national treasure and we have a responsibility to preserve it for our kids and grandkids,” said Thompson. “Designating the region as a National Conservation Area will preserve the land, help our local economies, and protect a wide variety of plants and animals. This is the right way forward for the region and our communities.”

“Designating the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Conservation Area allows for the coordination of federal land management for the benefit of the public,” said Garamendi, a Member of the Natural Resources Committee and former Deputy Secretary of the Interior Department. “This legislation will help preserve the region’s natural beauty, increase tourism and outdoor recreation, spur business growth, and create jobs in Northern California. By protecting the Berryessa Snow Mountain region, this commonsense bill gives visitors the ability to appreciate its splendor while providing economic opportunity for local communities.”

“The Beryessa Snow Mountain region is a natural wonder that unquestionably deserves the protection that this designation would provide,” said Woolsey. “For our wildlife who call this area home; for the cleanliness of local drinking water; for the recreational opportunities it will provide for residents and visitors alike, Congress should pass this bill.”

The Berryessa Snow Mountain region stretches more than 100 miles from the lowlands of Putah Creek below Lake Berryessa, across remote stretches of Cache Creek, and up to the peak of Snow Mountain. It encompasses more than 319,000 acres across Napa, Mendocino, Lake and Yolo Counties. The area is rich in biodiversity, including bald and golden eagles, black bears, mountain lions, tule elk, and rare plants found nowhere else on Earth.

Establishment of a NCA will improve coordination between federal agencies; protect essential migratory corridors for wildlife adapting their ranges to a changing climate; keep water clean; and provide additional federal funding opportunities for conservation protection, invasive plant eradication, recreation management, and a coordinated multi-agency fire management plan.

“We’re pleased that Congressman Thompson has recognized the natural wonders and recreational opportunities offered by the Berryessa Snow Mountain region—and the strong desire by community members to protect this scenic treasure so that it can be enjoyed by future generations,” said Sara Husby, Executive Director of Tuleyome. “His National Conservation Area proposal is a win-win for everyone.”

The white water rapids of Cache Creek, Lake Berryessa’s bass fishery, and hiking and horseback riding opportunities make the Berryessa Snow Mountain region a major outdoor recreation destination. Permanent protection for the region would improve management of recreational trails and campsites. It would also increase user education and help draw visitors to the area.

“Protecting this area will help the waterways that so many people already love and use,” said Steve Karr, Chairman of the Board for Putah Creek Trout. “A National Conservation Area goes hand in hand with our ongoing efforts to improve the wild trout fishery in Putah Creek and will help foster better outdoor experiences for visitors and residents alike.”

Outdoor recreation and protected lands help the local economy. Recent studies by Headwaters Economics, a non-partisan, independent, nonprofit research group, have found that jobs and real personal income rose in local communities after nearby areas were permanently protected. That same potential is offered by the Berryessa Snow Mountain region.

“Permanently protecting the Berryessa Snow Mountain region makes good business sense,” said Denise Rushing, a Lake County supervisor. “Gateway communities – including many here in Lake County – will benefit from the increased tourism and job creation that a National Conservation Area will bring.”

"Proponents of this project have worked hard to bring our community together. It will be good for the public having the federal agencies work together," said Napa County Board of Supervisor Chair Keith Caldwell.

"Lake County is a great place to visit. The National Conservation Area will be good for the environment and for our local economy," said Rob Brown, Chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

“We are excited to know that the National Conservation Ares is moving forward and that it will protect the federal public lands near our Lake Berryessa ranch for future generations,” said first generation cattle ranchers John and Judy Ahmann. Judy is the former president of the California Cattlewomen’s Association.

The NCA designation only applies to lands managed by the federal government. Current access to and uses of private land will not be changed.

No legally-open roads or motorized vehicle trails will be closed as a result of the NCA designation. Federal agencies will retain their existing authority to open new roads and trails or to temporarily close them when necessary, such as during major storms or emergencies.

Hunting and fishing will still be allowed in the NCA and the California Department of Fish and Game will retain its authority over these forms of recreation. The NCA designation would not impose any new regulations on hunting, fishing, or firearm use.

Existing laws and policies regarding firefighting will not be changed by the establishment of the NCA. Federal agencies can continue to reduce fuels before fires start by thinning trees, establishing fuel breaks, and by using controlled-burns and other appropriate tools.

Lake County, Napa County, the Winters City Council, the Davis City Council, the Clearlake City Council and the Calistoga City Council all passed unanimous resolutions of support in favor of designating the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a NCA.

Also in support of the designation are:
•   52 elected officials including former Congressman Pete McCloskey, co-author of the Endangered Species Act.
•   148 Businesses representing all four involved counties
•   29 landowners and farmers
•   28 Conservation and Recreation groups including the Blue Ribbon Coalition, California Waterfowl Association and the Yolo Audubon Society

The legislation was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $10.6 MILLION IN FUNDS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-01) today announced $10,659,512 in grants for local community health centers across California’s 1st District. The funds will be allow the health centers to expand its facilities, improve existing serves and serve more patients. The awards are part of a series of capital investments made available through the Affordable Care Act.

“Community health centers are a critical component to the accessibility of quality and affordable health care,” said Thompson. “These funds, which were made possible through the Affordable Care Act, will improve health care and support local jobs for folks across our communities.”

Health Centers who received the grants include:

CommuniCare Health Centers in Davis – $5,000,000
Sonoma Valley Community Health Center in Sonoma – $5,000,000
Community Health Clinic Ole in Napa – $175,000
Open Door Community Health Centers in Arcata – $484,512

“We were so excited to find out that CommuniCare Health Centers received a $5 million grant to help us build a new facility in Woodland, CA,” said Robin Affirme, CEO of CommuniCare Health Centers. “We will now be able to move forward with our vision to consolidate all of the services we provide currently in two outdated sites into one larger site and estimate that we will be able to serve over 2,000 additional patients in the first year of the new health center. We are shovel ready and expect to meet our time line of moving into the new site by May of 2013. This is great news!”

“SVCHC is honored to be selected for this wonderful opportunity! Thanks to the diligent efforts of Congressman Thompson and his staff, SVCHC will be able to enhance our current services as well as offer expanded services including dental. SVCHC’s Board and staff welcome the opportunity to serve even more residents as we strive to meet the needs of the Sonoma Valley community,” said Cheryl Johnson Interim Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center.

“We are enormously grateful for these funds which will be used to update our Calistoga health center, where we provide nearly 600 medical and dental visits each month,” said Tanir Ami, CEO of Community Health Clinic Ole. “Our staff there has been working with an antiquated phone system and hand-me-down computers and dental equipment and without a dedicated computer server since 1999. Updating this site will improve the quality of care we provide by making sure providers have immediate and consistent access to our electronic health record system with a dedicated server on site; a reliable and less expensive phone system, and dental equipment that doesn’t break down, delaying patient treatment.”

The grants announced today will help expand access to health care to an additional 860,000 patients nationwide.

To date, the health care law has supported 190 construction and renovation projects at health centers and the creation of 67 new health center sites nationwide. Over the next two years the law will support more than 485 new health center construction and renovation projects and the creation of 245 new community health center sites.

Overall, since the beginning of 2009, employment at community health centers has increased by 15 percent. And, primarily due to the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act, community health centers are serving nearly 3 million additional patients today and will serve an additional 1.3 million additional new patients in the next two years.

These health centers improve the health of the nation’s underserved communities by ensuring access to primary health care services. Currently, more than 8,500 service delivery sites around the country deliver care to more than 20 million patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPON HOSTS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON STUDENT LOANS

Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-1) joined by university leaders and students, today hosted a roundtable discussion at Sonoma State University on college affordability and student loan interest rates. If Congress does not pass legislation by July 1st, seven million students across the country would see their interest rates double on need-based student loans. During the roundtable discussion, Thompson highlighted the impact a rise in interest rates would have on students and families who must borrow to attend college.

“If interest rates for students double to 6.8 percent on July 1, more than 572,000 students across California will see their debt load increase by more than $476 million,” said Thompson. “If our nation is going to continue producing the world’s best entrepreneurs and innovators to compete in the global economy, then a college education must be an affordable option for working families. College is already costly, and our government doesn’t need to make the price tag even higher by allowing interest rates to double. Congress needs to act now to keep this from happening.”

If Congress doesn’t act, more than 7 million students will incur an additional $6.3 billion in repayment costs for the 2012 – 2013 academic school year. That means college next year, and every additional year Congress doesn’t act, gets $1,000 more expensive for each student borrower.

In 2007, Thompson voted to pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act which made historic investments in student aid. The law halved interest rates on these need-based federal student loans to 3.4 percent, making them more affordable for low- and middle-income students. Without Congressional action, the rate will jump back up to 6.8 percent on July 1st. Thompson is a co-author of legislation that would keep the interest rate on the need-based student loans at 3.4 percent.

To help make college more affordable, Thompson has also voted to increase Pell Grants to $5,550, and to create the American Opportunity Tax Credit which provides a $2,500 tuition tax credit to eligible families and students.

Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, and Yolo. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON SECURES COMMITMENT THAT IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE AT VA OAKLAND REGIONAL OFFICE

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-01), Laurence Carroll, Director of the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center and new Veterans Affairs (VA) Oakland Regional Office Director Michael Bragg today held a roundtable discussion with local veterans in California's 1st Congressional District. Thompson shared a letter from Brigadier General Allison A. Hickey, detailing the improvements that will be made at the VA Oakland Regional Office. The Oakland office is one of the slowest regional offices in the nation for claims processing.

“It is unacceptable that our veterans have to wait so long to receive the benefits they have earned,” said Thompson. “We have a responsibility as a nation to do better, and I look forward to working with the new leaders at the regional VA office in Oakland to make sure veterans’ claims are processed in a timely manner.”

According to the Oakland office’s statistics, Oakland has 30,765 pending disability claims. On average, the wait time on these claims is more than 263 days, 50 days longer than the national average. Of those disability claims, more than 9,200 have been pending for more than a year.

Last month Thompson met with Hickey, to express his concerns about the Oakland office. Hickey, the Under Secretary for Benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is responsible for overseeing all non medical benefits and services provided to veterans and their families, including all operations at the VA Oakland Regional Office.

A full copy of the letter is below.

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR BENEFITS
WASHINGTON D.C. 20420

The Honorable Mike Thompson
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman,

Thank you for your concern for the California Veterans and their families who are experiencing long delays in the processing of their claims as a result of workload and performance issues at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Oakland. We share your concern and are taking aggressive action to improve the performance of the Oakland RO. A similar response is being sent to Congressman Herger.

During our meeting on March 27, 2012, I briefed you, your staff, and other members of the Northern California Delegation on the several actions I directed to improve performance at the Oakland RO. This letter lists the elements of the plan to improve services delivery that we began implementing at the Oakland RO on March 27th. Our goal is to achieve significant improvements in the quality and timeliness of claims processing. We have also made it a priority to enhance our communications with congressional stakeholders.

   The performance improvement plan includes the following:

•   Implementing “Challenge” training for the entire regional office in June 2012 to improve employee skill levels and decision quality. Mr. Thomas Murphy, Director of the Compensation Service, will schedule experienced trainers to lead the RO through intensive Challenge training using nationally developed training curricula. This is a major undertaking and a step never executed before – to retain an entire RO.

•   The Western Area Director. Mr. Willie C. Clark, Sr., will work from the Oakland RO for the next several months to oversee the execution of the improvement plan and mentor the new RO leadership team.

•   In addition to technical training, the RO will receive team training, supervisory training, and communications training. Utilizing these types of curricula will sharpen focus and improve cooperation and cohesion to achieve mission requirements.

•   The RO shifted 27 employees to the Rating Veterans Service Representative position and four employees to the Decision Review Officer position to increase the number of employees assigned to its congressional liaison staff in order to improve service and responsiveness to congressional inquiries.

•   As part of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Transformation plan, the new Simplified Notification Letter process (SNL) was recently implemented at the RO. The SNL initiative allows decision makers to prepare decisions using simpler language and more concise text, resulting in increased productivity and easier-to-understand decision documents with a higher level of quality and consistency.

•   The RO also established a Quality Review Team, another national Transformation initiative that provides for in-process quality reviews to eliminate errors at the earliest possible stage of the claims process.

•   The RO is receiving brokering assistance from other VA regional offices to reduce the pending claims inventory. Specifically, new claims and ready-for-decision claims are being sent to regional offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Muskogee, Oklahoma, fore processing. This effort began in March 2012. We will establish points of contact at these other regional offices for your staff to call and check on the status of your constituents’ claims.

•   The new Oakland RO Director, Mr. Douglas Bragg, will engage in face-to-face discussions with each of the 21 Northern California congressional district offices over the coming months. Mr. Willie Clark, the Western Area Director, will participate in many of these visits. These visits will introduce the station’s leadership team (which will shortly include the new Assistant Director, whose appointment is in the final stages of processing) to congressional stakeholders. They will provide opportunities to address individual and overall service-delivery issues. Mr. Bragg fully intended to begin these visits immediately after the March 27 meeting. Sadly, he unexpectedly experienced the loss of his daughter. Due to family bereavement and burial needs over these last 2 to 3 week, he has not been able to begin these visits. Mr. Bragg and Mr. Clark will be available to begin these visits next week.

I am confident that the planned investments in employee training, management oversight, and additional resources focused on Oakland’s workload will improve the RO’s performance. Our efforts will be enhanced though continued information sharing and open communications with you and your staff. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Allison A. Hickey

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