Bill Thomas
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| Bill Thomas | |
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| In office 1979–2007 |
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| Preceded by | William M. Ketchum |
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| Succeeded by | Kevin McCarthy |
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| Born | December 6, 1941 Wallace, Idaho |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sharon Thomas |
| Religion | Baptist |
William Marshall Thomas (born December 6, 1941), commonly known as Bill Thomas, American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979–2007, representing the 22nd District of California (map). He last served as the Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and retired to private life at the end of the 109th Congress.
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[edit] Early life and family
Thomas was born in Wallace, Idaho, moving with his parents to the Southern California area. He attended Santa Ana College, earning an associate's degree before transferring to San Francisco State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree in political science in 1963 and 1965, respectively. He became an instructor at Bakersfield College before running in the California State Assembly in 1974. He won election to the House of Representatives in 1978.
Thomas married the former Sharon Lynn Hamilton in 1968. They have two grown children, Christopher and Amelia.
[edit] Career
When Washingtonian magazine polled congressional aides on the "best and worst" of Congress, Thomas was voted #1 for "brainiest", "workhorse", "meanest" and overwhelmingly for "hottest temper" in the House.[1] Thomas is known for being able to compehend and communicate the intracacies of obscure legislative manners, studying testimony and research reports himself instead of relying on executive summaries from his aides. Thomas tends to lose his temper when people are unprepared, earning a reputation for his sharp interrogations. "He's revered, but he's also reviled to some degree", fellow representative Mark Foley told CQ Weekly.
Thomas was a key proponent of several of President Bush's agenda items, including three major tax cut bills and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (PL 108-173), and was also instrumental in the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
Thomas announced on March 6, 2006, that he would not seek reelection, retiring after 28 years in the House. A major influence on his decision was the internal GOP term limits that would require him to relinquish his Ways and Means chairmanship even if he were re-elected. Thomas endorsed a former aide, Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, who was elected to replace him.
[edit] Partial election history
- 1986 - Defeated Kasey Glenn
- 1988 - Defeated Lita Reid
- 1990 - Defeated Michael Thomas - 60%-34%
- 1992 - Defeated Deborah Vollmer - 65%-35%
- 1994 - Defeated John Evans - 69%-28%
- 1996 - Defeated Deborah Vollmer - 66%-27%
- 1998 - Defeated John Evans - 79%-21%
- 2000 - Defeated Pete Martinez - 72%-25%
- 2002 - Defeated Jaime Corvera - 73%-24%
- 2004 - Unopposed
[edit] Congressional committees
- U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means - Chairman (2001-2006)
- U.S. House Committee on Administration - Chairman (1995-2001)
[edit] 2003 controversy involving U.S. Capitol police
In July 2003, Thomas called the U.S. Capitol Police to eject Democrats from a meeting room. A few days later, he tearfully apologized on the House floor for what he called his "just plain stupid" decision to ask the police to eject the Congressmen.[2][3]
[edit] External links
- OnTheIssues
- Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
- Voting record maintained by the Vote-Smart.org
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.washingtonian.com/inwashington/bwcongress.html
- ^ Novak, Robert (2003-07-24). Thomas's 'police state'. cnn.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
- ^ Tears From the Gruff Chairman. New York Times (2006-07-26). Retrieved on 2006-12-30.
| Preceded by William M. Ketchum |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 18th congressional district 1979–1983 |
Succeeded by Richard H. Lehman |
| Preceded by Barry Goldwater, Jr. |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 20th congressional district 1983–1993 |
Succeeded by Calvin M. Dooley |
| Preceded by Elton Gallegly |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 21st congressional district 1993–2003 |
Succeeded by Devin Nunes |
| Preceded by Lois Capps |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 22nd congressional district 2003–2007 |
Succeeded by Kevin McCarthy |
