The Thompson Times - January 2016 Edition

Friends,

I hope you all enjoying a very happy and healthy start to 2016.  In Congress, the first few weeks of this year have been busy, continuing a trend from 2015.

Reform supported by huge bipartisan majorities highlighted the past two months.  A new law governing elementary and secondary education was signed into law by President Barack Obama.  Members from both sides of the aisle also joined to pass bills to permanently extend tax cuts which help families and small businesses, while funding the government through Sept. 30, 2016.

As always, it remains the highest honor to serve as your representative in Washington.  Please keep in touch online, where I and my staff members are ready to assist you with a range of issues dealing with the federal government. 

Sincerely,

Glenn 'GT' Thompson

Member of Congress

Education Reform Returns Control to Our Schools

In December, the House and Senate passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, which replaces No Child Left Behind, the federal law governing elementary and secondary education.  I was proud to be appointed by House Speaker Paul Ryan to the committee tasked with settling differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.  The finished bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama. 

The ESSA ends the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), which has controlled education on the state and local levels.  It also greatly reduces the power of the U.S. Secretary of Education and eliminates nearly 50 programs which were determined to be unnecessary or duplicative.  

This new law puts power where it belongs: in the hands of our states, school districts, teachers, students and parents.  It allows school districts and teachers to use federal funding in ways that work for their particular classrooms - while also giving states the ability to replace assessments at the high school level with any nationally recognized test, including the SAT and ACT.

The ESSA will be in place by the 2017-2018 school year.  Between now and then, I will be meeting with educators across the district to discuss how the ESSA will affect them.

Congress Votes to Repeal Affordable Care Act

Early this month, for the first time, Congress passed a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.  The repeal was sent to President Obama's desk, where he vetoed it.

The ACA has never represented real reform of our nation's health care system.  In fact, it has had a negative effect, driving up health care costs for families, senior citizens and small businesses.

Although I was disappointed by the President's decision to veto this bill, I look forward to working in the future with my colleagues in the House in bringing smart, market-based solutions to our nation's health care system - which will increase access, affordability, quality of care and the patient-physician relationship.

Working Toward Comprehensive Tax Reform

In December, Congress took the first step toward comprehensive reform of our nation's archaic and complicated tax system - by making tax cuts permanent for small businesses and families across the nation.

The Protecting Americans for Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and Senate.  It was signed into law by President Barack Obama and makes sure a variety of expiring tax provisions are permanent.

The PATH Act ends the year-to-year tax extension guessing game, providing more certainty within the tax code.  I hope to continue this direction toward comprehensive tax reform and closing loopholes that can only be utilized by special interests with armies of accountants.  The tax code must help the economy and promote growth.  I look forward on building upon the success of the PATH Act in 2016.

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, I welcomed Bald Eagle Area High School Agriculture Teacher Todd Biddle to Capitol Hill as my guest for President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address.

I admire Mr. Biddle's work in getting young people involved in agriculture, both as a teacher and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor.  I commend his dedication to the future of Pennsylvania's agriculture industry and commitment to public service.