BREAKING NEWS: House Ways and Means Chairman Thomas to Retire

Statement from Congressman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.)

“Today, I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the United States Congress.”

“Over the past several weeks, I have weighed this decision. Ever since I was first elected to Congress in 1978, I set a goal to study the issues and become as effective a legislator as I could be to promote the interests of my constituents, the State of California, and our nation. In doing so, I have been extremely grateful to the voters who have returned me to office over the past four decades, and I hope, through legislation, advocacy, and constituent service, that I have returned that appreciation.”

“One of the great honors I have received was being selected House Ways and Means Chairman in 2001, not because I was the first Californian to achieve this post, but because of the great challenge it offers to legislate in wide-ranging national issues. We passed over $2 trillion in tax relief for hardworking American families, we provided the President with trade promotion authority so that he could seek freer and fairer trade markets, and we approved a long overdue voluntary prescription drug benefit in Medicare for the first time in the program’s history.”

“Over the next nine months, I intend to continue to work hard and finish my congressional term with the same vigor as my first. Challenges lie ahead, and I intend to work hard to tackle the problems caused by our outdated entitlement programs and our currently flawed income tax structure.”

“My constituents’ interests and the interests of our state and our nation will determine my decisions on the last day just as they have from my first day in office.”

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