Thompson Sworn in to 112th Congress

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today took the oath of office as a Member of the 112th Congress. Vowing to put great focus on deficit reduction, Thompson said:

“The Congress and the Administration under President Barack Obama has over the last three fiscal years borrowed about $3.7 trillion. That is more than the entire accumulated national deficit for the first 225 years of U.S. history.

“It means we have a $14.2 trillion national debt. It went up by $1 trillion just in the last seven months. The ‘debt’ is the accumulated national deficit. If you divide that number by the population, each citizen now owes more than $45,000. To continue along those lines is unimaginable. We must look at targeted consolidations, cuts or sunsets to programs in the next two years and make government work better for the American people.”

Thompson cited his committee assignments as key to many of the major issues during the new Congress. The issues include jobs, the economy, domestic energy production and agriculture and regulatory mandates.

“I worked hard during the 110th Congress to attain my new committee assignments. I have added the Natural Resources Committee this year and that committee has jurisdiction over much of our domestic energy production,” said Thompson. “I remained on the Agriculture Committee and have been named Chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry. And, I will continue my work on the Education and Labor Committee.”

Thompson has voiced concerns that, “The federal government, through the Environmental Protection Agency will make attempts at further regulating carbon emissions, agricultural and waste water runoff into the Chesapeake Watershed, and domestic energy production in the Allegheny National Forest. These mandates will have grave consequences for our local economies and local governments. My job will be to advocate for our local interests and ensure the federal government does not overreach, as it so often does.”

After the initial swearing-in of the new Congress, a vote took place on the election of the Speaker of the House. Thompson’s vote was number 218, which, coincidentally, was the vote that gave John Boehner, R-Ohio, the number of votes needed to become the new Speaker. The final tally for Boehner was 241 Republican votes.

Pictured, Speaker of the House John Boehner performs ceremonial swearing-in for Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard. Thompson’s wife Penny is holding the Bible and he is surrounded by relatives and State Representative Matt Gabler, R-DuBois, who is immediately to the right of Thompson in the photo in the back row.
Courtesy of Thompson's office