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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Member, Congressional Arts Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Farmer Cooperative Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Humanities Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Invasive Species Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Motorsports Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Nursing Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Organic Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Shellfish Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, present

Chair, Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Wild Salmon Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Wine Caucus, present

Member, House Law Enforcement Caucus, present

Member, House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, present

Member, House Specialty Crops Caucus, present

Chair, Military Veterans Caucus, present

Former Co-Chair, Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus

Co-Founder, Congressional Wine Caucus

Former Member, Tax Policy Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Education

  • AA, Napa Valley College
  • MA, Public Administration, California State University at Chico, 1996
  • BA, Political Science, California State University at Chico, 1982

Professional Experience

  • AA, Napa Valley College
  • MA, Public Administration, California State University at Chico, 1996
  • BA, Political Science, California State University at Chico, 1982
  • Former Maintenance Supervisor, Beringer Winery
  • Former Instructor, Public Administration, California State University at Chico
  • Former Instructor, Public Administration, San Francisco State University
  • Former Instructor, United States Army Airborne School
  • Fellow, California State Assembly, 1982-1983
  • Staff Sergeant, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army, 1969-1973

Political Experience

  • AA, Napa Valley College
  • MA, Public Administration, California State University at Chico, 1996
  • BA, Political Science, California State University at Chico, 1982
  • Former Maintenance Supervisor, Beringer Winery
  • Former Instructor, Public Administration, California State University at Chico
  • Former Instructor, Public Administration, San Francisco State University
  • Former Instructor, United States Army Airborne School
  • Fellow, California State Assembly, 1982-1983
  • Staff Sergeant, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army, 1969-1973
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2013-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2018, 2020
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 1, 1999-2013
  • Senator, California State Senate, 1991-1998

Former Committees/Caucuses

Member, Congressional Arts Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Farmer Cooperative Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Humanities Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Invasive Species Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Motorsports Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Nursing Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Organic Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Shellfish Caucus, present

Member, Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, present

Chair, Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Wild Salmon Caucus, present

Co-Chair, Congressional Wine Caucus, present

Member, House Law Enforcement Caucus, present

Member, House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, present

Member, House Specialty Crops Caucus, present

Chair, Military Veterans Caucus, present

Former Co-Chair, Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus

Co-Founder, Congressional Wine Caucus

Former Member, Tax Policy Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Joint Committee on Taxation

Member, Subcommittee on Health (Ways and Means)

Chair, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures

Member, Ways and Means Committee

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • AA, Napa Valley College
  • MA, Public Administration, California State University at Chico, 1996
  • BA, Political Science, California State University at Chico, 1982
  • Former Maintenance Supervisor, Beringer Winery
  • Former Instructor, Public Administration, California State University at Chico
  • Former Instructor, Public Administration, San Francisco State University
  • Former Instructor, United States Army Airborne School
  • Fellow, California State Assembly, 1982-1983
  • Staff Sergeant, 173rd Airborne Brigade, United States Army, 1969-1973
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2013-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, District 5, 2018, 2020
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 1, 1999-2013
  • Senator, California State Senate, 1991-1998
  • Member, Blue Dog Coalition, present
  • Member, Blue Dog Coalition Task Force on Oversight and Regulatory Review, present
  • Member, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, present
  • Member, The Eisenhower Memorial Commission, present
  • Member, American Legion
  • Member, Business and Professional Women's Association
  • Member, California Faculty Association
  • Member, California Trout
  • Member, Ducks Unlimited
  • Chair, E-Waste Working Group
  • Member, Native Sons of the Golden West
  • Former Member, New Democratic Coalition
  • Member, Redwood Chapter, Vietnam Veterans of America
  • Member, Sons of Italy

Other Info

Astrological Sign:

Aquarius

— Awards:

  • Purple Heart, United States Army; Edgar Wayburn Award, Sierra Club

  • 3

Spouse's Occupation:

Family Nurse Practitioner

Policy Positions

2021

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Crime

1. Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
- No

Defense

Do you support increasing defense spending?
- No

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
- Yes

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

Energy and Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

2. Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
- Yes

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
- No

2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
- Yes

Trade

Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
- Yes

California Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- X

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
- No Answer

7. Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles.
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

1. Agriculture
- Maintain Status

2. Arts
- Slightly Increase

3. Defense
- Maintain Status

4. Education
- Slightly Increase

5. Environment
- Slightly Increase

6. FEMA
- Slightly Increase

7. Homeland security
- Slightly Increase

8. International aid
- Slightly Increase

9. Law enforcement (Federal)
- Slightly Increase

10. Law enforcement (State)
- Slightly Increase

11. Medical research
- Slightly Increase

12. National parks
- Slightly Increase

13. Public health services
- Slightly Increase

14. Scientific research
- Maintain Status

15. Space exploration programs
- Slightly Decrease

16. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

17. United Nations
- Slightly Increase

18. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

19. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

20. Armed forces personnel training
- Greatly Increase

21. Intelligence operations
- Greatly Increase

22. Military hardware
- Greatly Decrease

23. Modernization of weaponry and equipment
- Slightly Increase

24. National missile defense
- Eliminate

25. Pay for active duty personnel
- Slightly Increase

26. Programs to improve troop retention rates
- Slightly Increase

27. Research and development of new weapons
- Slightly Decrease

28. Troop and equipment readiness
- Greatly Increase

29. Less than $12,000
- Greatly Decrease

30. $12,001-$40,000
- Slightly Decrease

31. $40,001-$100,000
- Slightly Decrease

32. $100,001-$180,000
- Slightly Decrease

33. $180,001-$350,000
- Maintain Status

34. $350,001 and above
- Slightly Increase

35. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

36. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

37. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

38. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

39. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

40. Inheritance taxes
- Maintain Status

41. Charitable contribution deduction
- Maintain Status

42. Child tax credit
- Slightly Increase

43. Earned income tax credit
- Slightly Increase

44. Medical expense deduction
- Maintain Status

45. Mortgage deduction
- Maintain Status

46. Student loan credit
- Slightly Increase

47. Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
- No

48. Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
- Yes

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- No Answer

2. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer

3. Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer

4. Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
- No Answer

5. Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
- X

6. Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
- No Answer

7. Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
- No Answer

8. Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
- No Answer

9. Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
- X

10. Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
- X

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- X

2. Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
- X

5. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer

6. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- No Answer

7. Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
- X

8. Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
- X

2. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
- X

5. Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
- X

6. Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
- X

7. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X

8. Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
- X

9. Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
- X

10. Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- X

11. Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

Employment

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today?s job market.
- X

2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
- No Answer

3. Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- X

4. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- X

5. Support the right of workers to unionize.
- X

6. Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer

7. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

8. Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- X

2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- X

3. Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
- No Answer

4. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

5. Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

6. Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
- No Answer

7. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
- X

8. Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
- X

9. Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
- No Answer

10. Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
- X

11. Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
- X

12. Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
- No Answer

13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

1. Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

2. Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
- No Answer

3. Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Maintain Status

4. Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Maintain Status

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

1. Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
- No Answer

2. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
- No Answer

3. Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
- No Answer

4. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- X

5. Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
- X

6. Support expanding child healthcare programs.
- X

7. Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

Immigration

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer

2. Establish English as the official national language.
- No Answer

3. Support a temporary worker program.
- X

4. Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
- X

5. Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
- No Answer

6. Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
- No Answer

7. Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
- X

8. Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

1. Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- X

2. Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X

3. Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- X

4. Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

6. Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
- Yes

7. Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes

8. Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
- Yes

9. Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
- Yes

10. Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
- No

11. Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
- Yes

12. Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
- Yes

13. Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

14. Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

15. Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
- No

16. Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
- No

17. Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
- No

18. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
- Yes

19. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Yes

20. Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
- No

21. Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
- Yes

22. Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
- Yes

23. Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
- No Answer

24. Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
- No Answer

25. Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
- No Answer

26. Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
- Yes

National Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

1. Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
- No

2. Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- No

3. Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
- Yes

4. Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
- Yes

5. Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
- No

6. Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
- No

7. Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
- No

8. Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

1. Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
- Yes

2. Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
- No

3. Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
- Yes

4. Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
- Yes

5. Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
- Yes

6. Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
- Yes

7. Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
- No Answer

2. Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
- No Answer

3. Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
- No Answer

4. Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
- No Answer

5. Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

1. Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
- X

2. Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
- X

3. Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
- X

4. Abolish all federal welfare programs.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

2019

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Unknown Position

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Unknown Position

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- No

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No

Congress Bills
Speeches
Articles

The Press Democrat - Close to Home: For Inciting a Riot, Trump Must Go

Jan. 7, 2021

By Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman Wednesday was a heartbreaking day to serve in Congress. We were elected to represent our constituents and this week, as we began to certify the free and fair election of President-elect Joe Biden, we witnessed a violent insurrection in the halls of the Capitol. The United States has been a beacon of democracy for almost 250 years. Our peaceful transfer of power has long been seen as the model for other countries that aspire to a free and democratic form of government. In fact, there are only two nations, America and the United Kingdom, that have existed since 1800 without seeing their governments turned over by violence. But this week, the eyes of the world saw us differently. The global standard-bearer for democracy teetered on becoming a tinpot dictatorship. The riot that took place on Wednesday was provoked and encouraged, repeatedly, by the president. No president has ever done anything remotely like this. Desperate to maintain power, he attacked our electoral process and the rule of law, which hold our democracy together. On Twitter, at rallies and through surrogates, he spewed craven lies and deliberately pushed his followers down the path of violence and insurrection. He engaged in textbook sedition, and he must be held accountable. Anyone who was somehow still willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt -- on his character, his veracity and his intentions -- can no longer do that after this debacle. All doubt about the president's unfitness and the growing threat he poses to our republic has been removed. That's why we are calling upon the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the president from office immediately. This is necessary to protect our nation from further violence and damage to our democratic structure. We are also joining dozens of House colleagues in calling for the president to be impeached -- a second time. It is undeniable that the president has engaged in gross abuse of power and committed serious crimes, including sedition and incitement of election fraud. It is unlikely that the president's impeachment in the House and conviction in a Senate trial can be completed before he leaves office. Nevertheless, it is our constitutional duty to pursue this remedy to ensure that his crimes and abuses never happen again. Wednesday's breach of the Capitol by armed rioters was among the darkest days in recent American history. But it also showed our resilience and our resolve. Just hours later, Congress reconvened to certify the Electoral College results. We affirmed that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 as president and vice president of the United States. We affirmed that our nation is governed by the will of the people, not mob rule. And we affirmed that our legislative body, enshrined in Article I of the Constitution, will not be intimidated. With the eyes of the world upon us and the future of American democracy at stake, we are committed to ensuring that Congress defends the peaceful transfer of power and the rule of law. Our country is so much better than what transpired on Wednesday. We must come together to defeat these attacks on our republic and to protect and strengthen our democracy for future generations.

The Hill - Business Interruption Insurance Bills Will Help Small Businesses Through National Emergencies

May 6, 2020

By Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Thompson The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives. One of the hardest hit has been our small businesses. The mom and pop bagel store, the sporting goods store your neighbor owns, and the hardware store that gave your kids their first jobs, are all wondering how they will pay rent and pay their employees. Both of our states, California and Pennsylvania, are under statewide stay-at-home orders. In addition to these orders, Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania have ordered the closing of all non-essential businesses. This means that the suffering small businesses are going through is not because of fraud or business malpractice, but so that we can attempt to flatten the coronavirus curve and get through this pandemic. During a time like this, most businesses would look to access their business interruption insurance, to help them through weeks of lost income. Business interruption insurance typically allows a business to protect against losses caused by the inability to operate because of a hazard or peril "insured against," such as a fire or storm that causes physical damage to a business' physical plant or real property. Unfortunately, most insurance companies have stated that claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic are not covered under business interruption insurance. We are both proposing legislation that provides assurance to businesses that in the case of future national emergencies that they will never have to go through such excruciating uncertainty ever again. Congressman Fitzpatrick's Never Again Small Business Protection Act would require that business interruption insurance provide coverage for businesses and nonprofits for losses that stem from any federal, state, or local government-ordered business shutdown following the declaration of a future national or health emergency. This coverage would support businesses that are impacted for at least 30 days if businesses keep their employees employed and maintain their health insurance coverage. To ensure transparency for policyholders, insurers would only be able to exclude coverage for emergencies if the insurer has received a written statement from the policyholder that affirmatively authorizes the exclusions, or if the policyholder fails to pay premiums associated with the coverage. To provide adequate stability for insurers, the government would put in place a federal backstop that would cover the costs of insurers saving the small businesses within their communities. Finally, the Never Again Small Business Protection Act would require the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance to conduct a study on the feasibility of a federal backstop for small business access to business interruption insurance. For the mandate on business interruption insurance to come into effect prospectively, the secretary of Treasury will need to certify that an adequate federal backstop has been put in place. Congressman Thompson's Business Interruption Insurance Coverage Act would ensure businesses who purchase interruption insurance won't get their claims denied because of major events, such as the coronavirus pandemic, public safety power shutoffs, or evacuations. This bill will allow businesses to have their future insurance claims honored during these kinds of crises and compensate the owners for lost revenue. Business owners will then be able to take care of rent or mortgage obligations, meet overhead costs, and pay their employees. This insurance will be a vital piece of their lifeline through these major events that disrupt our everyday lives. In many cases, it's the difference between a business staying open and closing permanently. We have heard from so many local businesses in our districts who are getting denied and are worried about making necessary expenses, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses employ over 50 percent of the American workforce and they are the backbone of our economy. It is time for the insurance industry to stop moving the goalpost and shirking its duty to act as a responsible stakeholder. The insurance industry does have a role to play going forward and must be a part of the solution--not run away from it. Though our bills differ in the details, we have come together across party lines with the same goals in mind -- saving our small businesses. It is time for all of us to come to the table and work in good faith to protect our communities, just as the many small businesses across our country are doing now. Forced closures should not mean the end of the local businesses that power our economy. Main Street America is looking for help, and they need it now.

Events

2020

Oct. 17
Oct. 14
Connecting Latino Voices

Wed 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT

Oct. 13
Virtual Town Hall

Tue 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM EDT