Bill Thomas

Thomas was born in Wallace, Idaho, moving with his parents to Southern California. He graduated from Garden Grove High School, 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 for and winning a seat in the California State Assembly in 1974. He won election to the House of Representatives in 1978, representing the 18th congressional district.

Thomas married the former Sharon Lynn Hamilton in 1968. They have two grown children. He and his wife are Baptists.{{citation needed|date=May 2010}}

File:BillThomasOfficialPortrait.jpg]]

When Washingtonian magazine polled congressional aides on the "best and worst" of Congress, Thomas was voted #2 for "brainiest", #3 for "workhorse", and #1 for "meanest" and overwhelmingly for "hottest temper" in the House.{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonian.com/inwashington/bwcongress.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518071513/http://www.washingtonian.com/inwashington/bwcongress.html|url-status=dead|title=Calendar of Events (washingtonian.com)|archive-date=May 18, 2008|access-date=Aug 26, 2019}} Thomas is known for being able to comprehend and communicate the intricacies of obscure legislative matters, studying testimony and research reports himself instead of relying on executive summaries from his aides. Thomas is also known for losing his temper when people are unprepared, earning a reputation for sharp interrogations. "He's revered, but he's also reviled to some degree", fellow representative Mark Foley told CQ Weekly.

Thomas voted against the Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987.{{Cite web |title=TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS S 858, ABANDONED SHIPWRECK … -- House Vote #532 -- March 29, 1988 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/100-1988/h532 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}} The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing treasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. Despite him voting against hit, President Ronald Reagan signed it into law on April 28, 1988.{{Cite web |title=Laws - Division of Historical Resources - Florida Department of State |url=https://dos.fl.gov/historical/archaeology/underwater/laws/#:~:text=On%2028%20April%201988,%20President,authority%20over%20those%20abandoned%20shipwrecks. |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=dos.fl.gov}}

Thomas voted 'yea' on all four articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton in 1998, including both perjury charges{{Cite web |date=2024-12-25 |title=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225210113/https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998543 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=web.archive.org}}{{Cite web |date=2023-04-03 |title=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403212421/https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998544 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=web.archive.org}}, obstruction of justice{{Cite web |date=2024-11-30 |title=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241130000740/https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998545 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=web.archive.org}}, and abuse of power.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-13 |title=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213065928/https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998546 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=web.archive.org}}

Thomas was a key proponent of several of President George W. 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.

On March 6, 2006, Thomas announced 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.{{citation needed|date=May 2010}} Thomas endorsed a former aide, Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, who was elected to replace him. Following McCarthy's vote to decertify the 2020 presidential election, Thomas said that McCarthy was a "hypocrite" and generally lambasted his behavior in regard to that election."[https://thebulwark.com/kevin-mccarthy-is-a-disaster/ Kevin McCarthy Is a Disaster]" by A. D. Stoddard. The Bulwark. 1 February 2021. Accessed 1 February 2021."[https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-01-22/kevin-mccarthy-trump-riot-capitol House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy backs away from blaming Trump for Capitol insurrection]" by Seema Mehta. Los Angeles Times. 22 January 2021. Accessed 1 February 2021. Thomas has criticized McCarthy in several interviews since that time.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/26/what-kevin-mccarthy-will-do-to-gain-power|title=What Kevin McCarthy Will Do to Gain Power|first=Jonathan|last=Blitzer|date=December 19, 2022|magazine=The New Yorker}}

In 2007, after leaving the House, Thomas joined the American Enterprise Institute as a visiting fellow working on tax policy, trade policy, and health care policy.American Enterprise Institute, "[http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.25619/pub_detail.asp Former Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas Joins AEI]," news release, February 13, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313124703/http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.25619/pub_detail.asp |date=March 13, 2009 }} Thomas also joined law and lobbying firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney.Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, "[http://www.bipc.com/news.php?NewsID=2101 Former Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas Joins Buchanan]," news release, May 2, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090721033529/http://www.bipc.com/news.php?NewsID=2101 |date=July 21, 2009 }}

On September 8, 2016, Thomas was named to the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees for Area 1, filling the seat of Rick Wright.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/education/kccd-poised-to-appoint-longtime-congressman-bill-thomas-to-board/article_6602c2b6-02a7-5417-b28e-a55ce629e1f8.html|title=KCCD poised to appoint longtime congressman Bill Thomas to board|first=HAROLD|last=PIERCE|website=The Bakersfield Californian|date=7 September 2016 |access-date=Aug 26, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kccd.edu/board-trustees/board-members|title=Board Members | Kern Community College District|website=www.kccd.edu|access-date=Aug 26, 2019}} He did not run for reelection in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/politics/election-2018/other-school-boards/two-seats-up-for-grabs-in-kern-community-college-district/article_e7e77922-c373-11e8-be1b-7fe4f49be147.html|title=Two seats up for grabs in Kern Community College District race|first=JOSEPH|last=LUIZ|website=The Bakersfield Californian|date=October 2018 |access-date=Aug 26, 2019}} He was replaced by Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bakersfield.com/news/politics/election-2018/schools-roundup-retired-teachers-win-kern-high-school-district-races/article_d5009634-e242-11e8-aea0-bb990e215424.html|title=SCHOOLS ROUNDUP: Retired teachers win Kern High School District races|first=The Bakersfield|last=Californian|website=The Bakersfield Californian|date=6 November 2018 |access-date=Aug 26, 2019}}

U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means – Chairman (2001–2007)

U.S. House Committee on Administration – Chairman (1995–2001)

In the 1992 Rubbergate banking scandal, involving House members writing checks when the funds were not available, Thomas bounced 119 checks, the tenth-highest amount for a Republican member of Congress. A brief overdraft of $16,200, occurred in October 1989, as he wrote a $15,300 check to buy a car.{{Cite web|date=March 24, 1992|title=Rep. Thomas Admits He Overdrew House Account 119 Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-24-me-4244-story.html|access-date=July 27, 2021|via=Los Angeles Times}}

The Bakersfield Californian published an article on Thomas about an affair with Deborah Steelman,{{cite web|title=Patrick Kennedy|url=http://motherjones.com/politics/2002/09/patrick-kennedy.html|access-date=2002-10-01}}{{Dead link|date=October 2014}} a lobbyist for Cigna, Pfizer, Aetna, United Healthcare Corporation, the Healthcare Leadership Council, and Prudential. Thomas was then chair of the House subcommittee that regulates HMOs. "Any personal failures of commitment or responsibility to my wife, family or friends are just that, personal," the former congressman wrote in an "open letter to friends and neighbors." Neither he nor Steelman explicitly denied the allegations. She was promoted to Vice President of Eli Lilly, a position which she used to steer huge campaign gifts to Thomas's war chest.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jun-27-mn-45289-story.html House Medicare Activist Denies Conflict of Interest], Los Angeles Times, Nick Anderson, June 27, 2000. Retrieved July 27, 2021.

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 prohibited Medicare from negotiating prescription prices with the drug industry, for instance.{{citation |title=108th Congress Public Law 173 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |number=DOCID: f:publ173.108 |pages=2065–6 |url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-108publ173/html/PLAW-108publ173.htm|access-date=July 27, 2021}}

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.{{cite web|last=Novak|first=Robert|date=2003-07-24|title=Thomas's 'police state'|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/24/column.novak.opinion.thomas/index.html|access-date=2006-12-30|publisher=cnn.com}}{{cite web|date=2006-07-26|title=Tears From the Gruff Chairman|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30B15FA3B5B0C758EDDAE0894DB404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fT%2fThomas%2c%20Bill|access-date=2006-12-30|work=The New York Times}}{{Dead link|date=November 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

File:President George W. Bush Signs Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.jpg George W. Bush shortly after signing the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003]]

File:Vice President Dick Cheney and Chairman Bill Thomas' Remarks at a Town Hall Meeting on Social Security.jpg Dick Cheney at a Town Hall meeting on Social Security in 2005]]

• 1974 – Defeated Raymond Gonzales – 54–46%
• 1976 – Defeated Stephen W. Schilling – 57–43%
• 1978 – Defeated Bob Sogge – 59–41%
• 1980 – Defeated Mary Pat Timmermans – 71–29%
• 1982 – Defeated Robert J. Bethea – 68–32%
• 1984 – Defeated Michael T. LeSage – 71–29%
• 1986 – Defeated Jules H. Moquin – 73–27%
• 1988 – Defeated Lita Reid – 71–27%
• 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

{{Reflist}}

{{CongBio|T000188}}

• {{C-SPAN|2599}}
• [http://ontheissues.org/CA/Bill_Thomas.htm OnTheIssues]
• [https://www.nndb.com/people/701/000040581/ Bill Thomas at nndb.com]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060314212701/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/t000188/ Voting record maintained by the Washington Post]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060615160829/http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=H0340103 Voting record maintained by the Vote-Smart.org]

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Category:1941 births

Category:California Republicans

Category:Living people

Category:People from Wallace, Idaho

Category:Baptists from California

Category:Republican Party members of the California State Assembly

Category:San Francisco State University alumni

Category:American Enterprise Institute

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California

Category:People from Morro Bay, California

Category:People from Shoshone County, Idaho

Category:Politicians from Bakersfield, California

Category:Baptists from Idaho

Category:Santa Ana College alumni

Category:People associated with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney

Category:21st-century California politicians

Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature