Rep. Mike Thompson, the House Democrats’ point man on gun reform, has picked a dozen vice chairs – including another Bay Area member of Congress – for his task force and is planning a community forum next week in the North Bay.

Thompson, D-Napa, was named last month by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to head a task force on gun violence prevention. He’s a Vietnam combat veteran, gun owner and avid hunter.

“Our vice chairs have a wide range of expertise, come from different backgrounds representing all corners of the House Democratic Caucus, and will bring unique ideas to the table as we work to reduce and prevent gun violence while also protecting the rights of law-abiding individuals without a history of dangerous mental illness to own legitimate firearms for legitimate purposes,” Thompson said in a news release today.

Among the 12 vice chairs is Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, who survived being shot five times at close range in the 1978 assassination of her boss, Rep. Leo Ryan, on an airstrip near Jonestown, Guyana; she still carries two of the bullets in her body. Since then she has been a consistent advocate of gun control, and carried assault weapons ban legislation in California twenty years ago. She supports banning military-style assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, as well as closing loopholes in the background-check process.

Speier last month had noted California’s gun controls are among the nation’s strictest and should be a model for federal law – or perhaps exceeded.

“We’re way ahead of the curve,”’ she said, “but it still is not enough.”

The other 11 vice chairs will be Reps. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., who succeeded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords after she was severely wounded in an assassination attempt; John Dingell, D-Mich., a hunter who has carried background-check legislation before; Bill Enyart, D-Ill., the retired Major General of the Illinois National Guard; Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., who represents Newtown, Conn.; Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., who created a “Groceries for Guns” buyback program in Philadelphia; Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., whose husband was murdered and son critically wounded in a 1993 mass shooting ojn the Long Island Railroad; Grace Napolitano, D-Norwalk, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus; Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., who represented Aurora, Colo., during the July 2012 movie-theater mass shooting; David Price, D-N.C., the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which holds the pursestrings for first responders; Bobby Scott, D-Va., who has been active in juvenile justice issues; and Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the Congressional Sportsman Caucus.

The task force will hold meetings and hearings over the next month to identify the best policies to reduce and prevent gun violence, and will release a comprehensive set of proposals in early February.

Thompson also has announced he’ll hold a forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. next Wednesday, Jan. 9 at Vallejo City Hall, 555 Santa Clara St., to bring together law enforcement, school and local elected officials; mental health experts; community members and other stakeholders for a discussion on how to reduce and prevent gun violence.

The National Rifle Association’s Wayne LaPierre held a news conference this morning about his organization’s thinking on keeping America’s children safe in the wake of last Friday’s massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school:

From Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, whom House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi named earlier this week to chair a gun-violence task force:

“Everyone agrees our schools, movie theaters shopping malls, streets and communities need to be safer. But we need a comprehensive approach that goes beyond just arming more people with more guns to make this happen.

“Closing holes in our mental health system, addressing our culture’s glorification of violence, improving background checks for everyone who buys firearms, and reinstating the ban on assault weapons and assault magazines all must be part of a comprehensive approach to reduce and prevent gun violence.”

From U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who introduced bills this week to boost federal grants for school security and to offer federal reimbursement to governors who deploy National Guard troops to secure schools:

“The head of the NRA blamed everyone in sight – except his own organization – for gun violence in America, and showed himself to be completely out of touch by ignoring the proliferation of weapons of war on our streets.

“The NRA is now calling for stronger security at our schools. They should endorse my legislation, which would fund security upgrades for schools and trained law enforcement personnel to protect our kids.

“In the days ahead, I will work for a comprehensive strategy, which includes sensible gun laws, a focus on mental health and school safety.”

From Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez:

“To the NRA, gun violence is never about semi-automatic weapons and high capacity ammunition clips. Never. But to a majority of parents across the country, mass shootings and gun violence have everything to do with those types of assault weapons and people who have lost their minds. Congress needs to ban high capacity clips, reinstate a sensible ban on assault weapons, and dramatically increase access to quality mental health care in America as part of our effort to reduce gun violence.

“The fact is, the NRA’s approach would require armed guards not just in schools, but everywhere in America – at every store in every mall, every movie theatre, every supermarket, every church, synagogue, and mosque, and every sporting arena, because that is where America’s families and children spend their time outside of the home. And yet those locations would still be vulnerable to a deranged person wearing bulletproof vests and carrying hundreds of rounds of ammunition and semi-automatic pistols and rifles.

“For most of us, everything has changed since Newtown. Sadly, one of the only things that hasn’t changed is the way the NRA thinks about the epidemic of gun violence in America.”

From state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, who authored a state law – struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2011 – to prohibit sale of certain violent video games to children:

“I find it mind-boggling that the NRA suddenly cares about the harmful effects of ultra-violent video games. When our law was before the Supreme Court – while several states, medical organizations, and child advocates submitted briefs in support of California’s efforts – the NRA was completely silent. Now, rather than face reality and be part of the solution to the widespread proliferation of assault weapons in America, they attempt to pass the buck. More guns are not the answer to protecting our children, as evident by the fact that armed guards weren’t enough to stop the tragedy at Columbine High School. The NRA’s response is pathetic and completely unacceptable.”

From state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento:

“The predicted Mayan Apocalypse apparently materialized today in the form of the NRA’s vision for America.

“The NRA’s suggestion that we militarize our schools is not the solution, and references to other militarized institutions simply reinforce the problem our nation has with gun violence. What next? Armed guards at Starbucks and little league games? This is completely the wrong direction.

“The NRA’s grotesque demonization of mental illness feeds ignorance. It insults the one in four Americans who suffer – overwhelmingly in silence – some form of mental health problem annually.

“What was billed as a constructive conversation spiraled into extreme rhetoric and profitable fear mongering. As I set out in a letter to Vice President Biden yesterday, we must focus our efforts on multiple fronts, including health care and gun control, to curb disturbingly familiar and horrific scenes of mass murder.”

Two Bay Area cities are among 10 statewide that have received sizeable federal grants to boost their numbers of firefighters, members of Congress announced today.

Oakland got more money from the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program than any other city in the state in this round of funding: $7,782,240.

“This highly competitive funding is critical to improving public safety and ensuring 24-hour staff coverage by hiring new and laid-off Oakland firefighters,” Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said in a news release. “As Oakland and our nation continue to recover from the greatest economic downturn since the great depression, federal investments in public sector hiring are critical to moving our economy forward.”

Pinole got $1,239,456.

“This grant is a vital boost to our local fire department which plays such an important safety role in our community,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez. “First responders all over California have been hit especially hard by the recent economic downturn and I’m glad to see the federal government stepping in with critical financial resources to help carry out the vital mission of our local firefighters. I congratulate the Pinole Fire Department on winning this grant.”

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, called Pinole’s grant “a win for the public” as well as the fire department.

“It will enhance public health and safety by making sure our local fire department has the resources and personnel it needs to keep our community safe and respond to fire and fire-related emergencies,” he said. “I am proud to support these grants and thank our firefighters and first responders for their service.”

The SAFER program designed to strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards and improve the nation’s overall level of preparedness, with the goals of enhancing local departments’ ability to reach and maintain 24-hour staffing and to assure that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. In other words – it’s to help the departments increase the number of frontline firefighters, and to rehire firefighters who were laid off due to the economy.

Other cities for which SAFER grants were announced today include:

El Medio Fire Protection District, Oroville – $312,000

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District – $5,632,152

Santa Rosa Fire Department – $2,560,068

City of Oxnard – $2,227,581

Downey Fire Department – $1,886,958

City of Hesperia Fire Protection District – $2,012,583

City of San Bernardino Fire Department – $3,055,989

Colton Fire Department – $1,986,300

Rep. Mike Thompson will be House Democrats’ point man seeking new steps Congress can take to reduce gun violence and prevent massacres like the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday morning.

“As we mourn the unspeakable tragedy in Newtown, we must respond with more than words; we must take action. We must be able to tell our children that we are doing everything in our power to prevent this from happening again,” Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said in a news release. “I am pleased to appoint Congressman Thompson to lead our task force to reduce and prevent gun violence. He is a Vietnam veteran and an avid hunter, and he is ideally suited to lead this effort, working with the Administration and in a bipartisan way, to ban assault weapons and assault magazines.”

Thompson, D-Napa, said that as a father and grandfather, he’s “deeply shocked and saddened by the senseless act of violence we’re mourning in Newtown,” and he’s honored to chair an effort seeking ways to reduce and prevent such things.

“I am a gun owner, hunter, former co-chair of the Congressional Sportsman Caucus, supporter of the second Amendment and a combat veteran who carried an assault rifle in Vietnam,” Thompson said. “I understand guns, their purpose and how they are used. Military-type assault weapons and assault magazines have no place on our streets or in our communities. We also need to consider instituting more detailed background checks and making sure appropriate mental health services are available. As chair of this task force I will be working on these issues as part of a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence and strengthen our nation’s gun laws while protecting law abiding citizens’ right to own legitimate firearms.”

UPDATE @ 9 A.M.: Here’s how Thompson answered the four questions we put to all California House members for today’s front-page story:

Do you support re-enacting the federal assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004? Why/why not?
“Yes. I am a gun owner, hunter, former co-chair of the Congressional Sportsman Caucus, supporter of the second Amendment and a combat veteran who carried an assault rifle in Vietnam. I understand guns, their purpose and how they are used. There is absolutely no reason why people should have access to military-type assault weapons or assault magazines. They serve no sporting purpose, they aid criminals, and they open the door to mass shootings like the one we’re mourning in Newtown.”

Do you believe citizens have an inalienable right to own weapons like the Bushmaster .223 rifle, along with multiple 30-round magazines, used in Newtown?
“No. I believe law-abiding, responsible Americans have the right to own legitimate firearms for legitimate purposes. But the second amendment was not written with the purpose of providing everyone with the inalienable right to sell or own military-type assault rifles and assault magazines.”

Should the right to own firearms be predicated upon a background check, including mental health, of others residing in that home?
“Yes. We need a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence. Conducting background checks and getting mental health information are an important part of an all-the-above approach to preventing gun violence.”

Would you support a federal law requiring user education, user licensing and registration of all firearms, much as we already require with cars?
“I support a comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence that includes detailed background checks, meaningful mental health improvements, strict firearm registration rules, assault weapon bans and assault clip bans.”

Who says the House can’t agree on anything?

Though apparently not making progress on a solution to the “fiscal cliff,” the House voted 402-0 today to pass a bill that would cut down on wasteful spending in part by creating a government-wide “Do Not Pay List” to block improper payments before they go out and to stop payments to deceased individuals, such as for Social Security.

“Taxpayers deserve to know that there money is being spent wisely and monitored closely,” Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, one of the bill’s original co-sponsors, said in a news release. “Every dollar counts. This bill will help us lower our debt by cutting down on billions in wasteful spending.”

H.R. 4053, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act (IPERIA), will better identify, prevent and recover payment error, waste, fraud and abuse within federal spending by making sure federal agencies have policies in place to prevent and recover improper payments.

The Government Accountability Office has reported that federal agencies logged an estimated $125.4 billion in improper payments in FY2010.

This legislation builds on a similar improper payments law passed last year, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010, which was part of the Blue Dogs’ Blueprint for Fiscal Reform – a 15-point plan to balance the budget and lay the groundwork for sound long-term fiscal policies.

All in all, it was a dismal night for Republicans in California House races.

Of the 11 California House races deemed competitive by the renowned Cook Political Report, Democrats won seven outright and are on top in two too-close-to-call other races. Another way of slicing and dicing it: All of the three endangered Democratic incumbents in these races won re-election, but only one of the four Republicans might’ve. And of the new or open seats, Democrats won three of the four.

More specifically:

The battles to unseat Reps. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, and Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, remain too close to call with some mail-in and provisional ballots yet to be counted, but both trail their Democratic challengers by narrow margins.

Reps. Jerry McNerney; John Garamendi, D-Fairfield; and Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara all turned away their Republican challengers to win re-election. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Modesto, is the only Republican incumbent definitely left standing in these competitive races.

Democrats Julia Brownley, Mark Takano and Alan Rosenthal won open or new seats in southern California. Republican David Valadao prevailed in his new-seat race.

Not than anyone considered it competitive, but Democrat Jared Huffman trounced Republican Dan Roberts to succeed Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-San Rafael, in the North Bay’s newly drawn 2nd Congressional District, which reaches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border.

In the Bay Area, as usual, the only question for most Democratic incumbents (with the exception, of course, of Pete Stark) was by how enormous a margin they would dispatch their challengers. See how that all stacks up as of this hour, after the jump…
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Here’s what some California politicos are saying about the slaying of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

From Gov. Jerry Brown:

“All Californians mourn the loss of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the other three Americans killed in Libya on September 11th. As a graduate of Piedmont High School and UC Berkeley, Ambassador Stevens represented the very best that California and the United States have to offer. His dedicated service to our country and our world will never be forgotten.”

From U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.:

“I am heartbroken by the loss of four Americans in Libya, including United States Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, a Californian who dedicated his life to service and diplomacy.

“These extraordinary public servants were working to help the Libyan people build a better future and will go down in history for their contributions to the cause of peace and freedom.

“Today we must all stand together to honor the service of these exemplary Americans and commit ourselves to bringing the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice.”

From House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco:

“Our thoughts and prayers rest with the families and loved ones of Ambassador Stevens and the three other Americans killed in this vicious and heinous attack against the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi. We condemn this brazen assault in the strongest possible terms.

“These American diplomats served on the front lines of our efforts to work with the Libyan people toward a future of democracy, freedom, justice, and stability. Their commitment to peace and security stand in stark contrast to those who perpetrated this violent act.

“On my visit to Libya and the region earlier this year, I met with some of the courageous foreign service officers representing our nation in the Middle East, despite enormous risk to their own safety. As we mourn the loss of the Americans in Benghazi, we pay tribute to all of the men and women standing their post abroad on behalf of our values and our partnerships across the globe.”

From Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland:

“I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our diplomatic post in Benghazi and I extend my thoughts and prayers to the families, friends and loved ones of all the victims of these heinous acts. Among those killed was a son of California and the Bay Area, Ambassador Chris Stevens, who attended Piedmont High School and Cal Berkeley in my congressional district. By any account, his service to our nation was exceptional. Those who knew him well describe him as an “unflappable” diplomat. Certainly, his service, and the service of those lost must be held up as an example of what is best about our nation and the better, stronger future for our country they were working to achieve.”

From Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo:

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic killings of Chris Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya, and three State Department workers in Benghazi, Libya who worked toward the development of democratic institutions in the war-torn country. I strongly condemn the acts of violence by extremists who attacked the consulate.

“Ambassador Stevens, a Northern California native, dedicated his professional life to conflict resolution and aiding countries in transition from conflict to peace.

“He, and the other State Department workers and their families are in my thoughts and prayers at this time.”

From Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa:

“Last night, four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens who grew up in my district, lost their lives in a senseless, coldblooded and violent attack on the American consulate in Benghazi. The families of those we lost are in our thoughts and prayers. And those responsible will be brought to justice.

“Now is not the time for politics or politically provocative language. Now is a time to honor these brave Americans and ensure that all American diplomats serving the United States are safe, and their mission of international peace and partnership is continued.”

From Rep. John Garamendi, D-Fairfield:

“I strongly condemn the murder of Ambassador Stevens and the three other members of the diplomatic mission to Libya. These men and women dedicated themselves to selflessly serving our country and partnering with the Libyan people to build a new democratic government. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these patriots. Their legacy of service will live on.”

From Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Modesto:

“I condemn the violent assault on our consulate in Benghazi and Embassy in Cairo, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Ambassador Chris Stevens and the other brave Americans who lost their lives. There is never justification for such violence, and the United States remains committed to liberty, democracy and religious tolerance throughout the region and the world.”

Rep. Pete Stark is helping to leading House members from both sides of the aisle in a hearty chant of “USA, USA, USA” over the issue of where U.S. Olympians’ uniforms should be made.

Stark, D-Fremont, along with Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Me., led 59 members in sending a letter to the U.S. Olympic Committee today urging that Team USA’s uniforms be made in the United States from now on. This year, the athletes’ couture was designed by Ralph Lauren – an American-based company – but manufactured in China.

“We don’t outsource the athletes who represent the United States in the Olympics and we shouldn’t outsource the manufacturing of Team USA’s uniforms,” Stark said in a news release. “The fact that our American uniforms were made in China is a glaring reminder that we’ve gotten away from a core value: our country’s success is built on the innovation and industriousness of the American worker. When we deviate from that, we fail. That is why we’re calling on the U.S. Olympic Committee to reflect these values and ensure that Team USA’s uniforms are made in America.”

The letter is supported by the AFL-CIO and the National Council of Textile Organizations. Among House members signing the letter were Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez; Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa; and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma.

But it seems the lawmakers’ request was already granted before the letter was sent.

U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun issued a statement Friday saying his organization takes seriously the concerns it has heard from Congress and the public.

“With athletes having already arrived in London, and the apparel distribution process beginning this weekend, we are unfortunately not able to make a change for London,” he said. “We are absolutely committed, however, to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed. To that end, Ralph Lauren has agreed to domestically manufacture Team USA’s apparel for Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.”

UPDATE @ 2:44 P.M.: This just in from Stark’s Twitter account: “We’re calling on USOC to implement Make it in the USA policy. USOC’s Friday statement doesn’t reflect policy change”

Here’s what some Northern California voices had to say about today’s symbolic, 244-185 House vote to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

From Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove:

“I should be saying today that the House of Representatives voted for a good bipartisan jobs bill to get Americans back to work … but I can’t. The Republican leadership in Congress would rather waste time on meaningless theater than do something about jobs. Yet again, they scheduled a vote to allow 17 million children with pre-existing conditions to once again be denied coverage and to raise prescription drug costs for more than five million seniors.”

From Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann, Garamendi’s Republican challenger:

“By voting to protect the health care law’s $600 billion tax on American families and small businesses, John Garamendi has proven once again where his priorities lie—and they’re not with the people of California’s new 3rd district. John Garamendi has reaffirmed his support for a law that threatens seniors’ access to care by cutting over $500 billion from Medicare and empowering an unelected and unaccountable board of bureaucrats to make decisions regarding seniors’ health care.

“As small businesses continue to be burdened with new regulations and as health care costs continue to rise, it’s clear that John Garamendi’s health care overhaul isn’t working—and it’s even more obvious that the radical ‘single payer’ Canadian-style government-run system, which John Garamendi is fighting for, is completely out-of-touch with what Californians need. I’ll fight not only to repeal John Garamendi’s healthcare overhaul, but to also implement common sense reforms that increase access to quality care, allow Americans to keep the insurance they like, and protect Americans with pre-existing conditions, while lowering costs and ensuring that patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats, remain in control of their health care decisions.”

Lots more from Bay Area House Democrats, after the jump…
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The House voted 255-67 today to hold U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for allegedly stonewalling over documents relating to the probe of the Fast and Furious “gunwalking” operation on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But more than 100 Democrats left the House floor to boycott the vote, including several Bay Area lawmakers: Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Pete Stark, D-Fremont; Mike Honda, D-San Jose; Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma; John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove; and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.

“I cannot and will not participate in this hyper-partisan and purely political vote today to hold Attorney General in contempt of Congress,” Lee said in a news release.

“Contempt power should be used sparingly, carefully and only in the most egregious situations. The Attorney General has gone above and beyond in his response to request for information on “Fast and Furious”, an unfortunate operation that began under the Bush Administration and, in fact, was terminated by Attorney General Holder,” she said. “This contempt vote is unprecedented, unwarranted and entirely unnecessary. Gandhi once said that ‘Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as cooperation with good.’ That is why I am standing with so many of my colleagues in refusing to participate in this shameful Republican political stunt.”

Reps. George Miller, D-Martinez; Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton; Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough; Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose; and Mike Thompson, D-Napa remained on the floor to cast votes against the resolution.

Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called for the vote with this statement:

“It’s important for the American people to know how we got here and to know the facts of this case. The Congress asked the Department of Justice for the facts related to Fast and Furious and the events that led to the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. The Department of Justice did not provide the facts and the information that we requested. Instead, the information came from people outside the Department, people who wanted to do the right thing. In addition to not providing the information, the Administration admitted to misleading Congress, actually retracting a letter it had sent 10 months earlier.

“I think all the Members understand this is a very serious matter. The Terry family wants to know how this happened and they have every right to have their answers. The House needs to know how this happened, and it is our constitutional duty to find out. So the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee issued a lawful and narrowly tailored subpoena. We’ve been patient, giving the Justice Department every opportunity to comply, so that we can get to the bottom of this for the Terry family. We’ve shown more than enough good faith, but the White House has chosen to invoke executive privilege. That leaves us no other options. The only recourse left for the House is to continue seeking the truth and to hold Attorney General in contempt of Congress.

“Now I don’t take this matter lightly, and I frankly hoped it would never come to this. The House’s focus is on jobs and on the economy. But no Justice Department is above the law and no Justice Department is above the Constitution, which each of us has sworn an oath to uphold. So I ask the Members of this body to come together and to support this resolution so that we can seek the answers that the Terry family and the American people deserve.”

After the vote, Holder issued a statement which is presented in its entirety after the jump…
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