Posted on 03/06/2006 10:10:07 AM PST by ElkGroveDan
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Republican Rep. Bill Thomas, the powerful and mercurial chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced Monday he will retire from Congress after this year.
Thomas, 64, who has spent more than a quarter century in Congress, made the announcement at a news conference in his hometown of Bakersfield. The development was widely expected because, under House Republicans' self-imposed term limits for committee chairmen, Thomas cannot serve after this year as head of the influential committee that writes tax laws.
"Today I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the United States Congress," he said.
For the past five years, Thomas has played a key role in shepherding President Bush's tax cuts and writing legislation on Medicare, Social Security and pensions. His deep knowledge of such complicated issues has made him indispensable to party leaders, despite complaints that he was difficult to work with and not conservative enough because of some votes for abortion rights and gun control.
Some colleagues believe Thomas rescued President Bush's tax cut proposal in 2003 after the Senate refused to go along with its initial cost. He was instrumental in securing congressional passage of Bush's Medicare prescription drug bill and of "fast track" trade promotion authority. That authority gives the administration the power to negotiate new international trade pacts that Congress must approve or reject but cannot change.
But even Thomas' attention could not keep alive Bush's bid to overhaul Social Security.
At the same time, his clashes with other lawmakers, usually Democrats, became famous on Capitol Hill. He called out the Capitol police three years ago to break up a meeting of Democrats on his committee, then expressed regret in tears on the House floor.
In the tussle over the trade bill, he labeled as "dumb and outlandish" questions from Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla. He had to apologize to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., after accusing her of lacking guts on the medical malpractice issue and wrongly attributing her position to the fact that the senator was facing reelection, which she was not.
Thomas came to Congress in 1979, after teaching American government at Bakersfield Community College for 10 years and serving four years in the California Assembly. His father was a union plumber, and neither of his parents graduated from high school. The annual financial disclosure forms lawmakers file each year showed Thomas to be among the most modest-meaned members of Congress. He regularly listed no assets or income beyond his congressional salary, now $165,200.
With Thomas' departure, several lawmakers will be eyeing the Ways and Means chairmanship. Among them is Rep. Jim McCrery, R-La., who chairs the subcommittee on Social Security and has worked closely with Thomas.
Thomas' 22nd Congressional District at the southern end of California's agriculture-rich Central Valley is expected to stay firmly in GOP control. Republicans make up 52 percent of registered voters in the district, compared to 30 percent for Democrats.
A contested GOP primary is already shaping up between California Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Thomas' protege and longtime ally, and state Sen. Roy Ashburn. The filing deadline is Friday.
In anticipation of Thomas' departure, the conservative California Republican Assembly passed a resolution over the weekend welcoming his "none-too-soon retirement" and accusing him of backing liberal Republicans, supporting federally
What is he going to run for instead?
Great news. Out with the tax collector for the welfare state and Planned Parenthood.
Wonder if the Duke had the goods on him
I bet there will be more retirements coming verrrrry soon...
"Good ridance" said the fool.
Yep, if they don't agree with you 100% on all of YOUR issues, they are evil and must be trashed. Who needs teamwork or actually getting things done? Much better to be a righteous carping locked out of power sub-minority than to actually deal with the political 'infidel' to get much of your goals accomplished. Why work when one can whine?
Ah, I see the Donner Party members are in full swing on this thread.
McCarthy will win.
McCarthy and Ashburn are both very conservative. I like them both. Roy Ashburn and I both worked together for the same employers back in the ealy 80's while he was being groomed for local politics.
You don't know squat about what he's done in California for the last 30 years. The man has been a nasty, angry thorn in the side of the GOP. He and his machine are constantly working to overthrow volunteer organizations, destroy the party platform and create conflict and dissent.
This isn't about his moderate views. Learn a bit about him.
As I said, good riddance.
I hope Kevin Does not win. I might vote for Dean over him in a general election.
McCarthy is a liberal pro-abort RINO. He's a Bill Thomas clone and he's got an ego a mile wide.
Good riddance to this RINO puke
Good riddance to this RINO puke
No question about their views. I only suspect McCarthy will win because of his higher profile in state politics.
This is a big loss for the GOP, conservatives, and the nation.
Does this mean there's a chance that an actual conservative might represent the southern San Joaquin Valley now?
You right about the Machine. Look won't happen to Mike when he refuse to roll over and allow Kevin to have the seat.
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