Glenn Thompson (politician)

Thompson was elected the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district defeating Democratic nominee Mark McCracken 58%–42%.[2]

Thompson defeated Democratic nominee Michael Pipe 69%–28%.[3]

Thompson defeated Democratic nominee Charles Dumas 63%–37%.[4]

Thompson defeated Democratic nominee Kerith Strano Taylor 64%–36%.[5]

Thompson again defeated Democratic nominee Kerith Strano Taylor 67%–33%.[6]

After the Pennsylvania Supreme Court redrew the congressional district map in February 2018, Thompson's district was renumbered as the 15th. In May 2018, Susan Boser, a professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, won the Democratic nomination in Thompson's district, defeating Wade Johun in her party's primary.[7] In the general election, Thompson defeated Boser 68%–32%.

When the 112th Congress convened January 5, 2011 to elect a Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Thompson's vote was the 218th vote for John Boehner giving Boehner the majority needed to be named Speaker.

During the 112th Congress, Thompson became chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Energy.

At the start of the 115th Congress, Thompson was named vice-chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.[8] In December 2020, ahead of the 117th Congress, he was named ranking member of the agriculture committee.[9]

Thompson voted in December 2017 for H.R. 1, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.[10]

In January 2018, Thompson voted for the Fiscal Year 2018 continuing resolution (CR), a stopgap funding bill to fund the federal government at then-current levels through February 16, 2018. It also provided for six-year funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Thompson praised the measure for delaying what he called "three onerous and unpopular Obamacare taxes, which should be permanently repealed.”[11]

In May 2018, Thompson voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, which increased defense spending, military salaries, and the number of military personnel.[12]

As a member of the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, Thompson has supported local control rather than federal mandates on issues like evaluating teachers, has opposed private school vouchers, and has voted to expand S-CHIP (children's health insurance). In August 2014, the National Education Association's political action committee endorsed Thompson for re-election.[13]

In October 2017, Thompson and Joe Courtney (D-CT) introduced H.R. 4101, the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017, a bill to promote milk consumption by schoolchildren.[14]

In April 2018, Thompson supported new work and job training requirements for certain beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps. Thompson spoke up for the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), recalling that in the early 1980s, when he earned “less than $9,000,” he and his wife had relied upon WIC, “a short-term intervention program designed to help pregnant women and their children meet healthy nutritional needs."[15]

After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Thompson told an audience of students that he does not agree with the idea of arming teachers and that he had voted to fund an improved national background check system. Thompson called for more "uniformed law enforcement in our schools."[16]

In May 2017, Thompson voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and replace it the Republican American Health Care Act.[17][18]

In April 2017, Thompson and Julia Brownley (D-CA) introduced H.R. 2123, the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support (VETS) Act of 2017. In September Thompson praised the Department of Veterans Affairs for proposing a rule that was similar to his bill and that would allow VA-credentialed health care providers to practice telemedicine across state lines.[19]

Thompson sponsored the Servicemembers' Telemedicine and E-Health Portability Act of 2011, which was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. The bill expanded the use of telemedicine for active duty military, reserve and National Guard.[20]

On the subject of climate change, he has said, “I think humans contribute,” but added that he was not sure of the degree to which they contribute.[21] In September 2017, Thompson and several other Members of Congress asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rescind the Waters of the United States rule, calling the regulation an overreach that expanded "EPA's authority far beyond its congressional mandate."[22]

In April 2018, Thompson fought efforts to eliminate federal funding for the Essential Air Service. Three airports in his district participate in it.[23]

In December 2020, Thompson was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden prevailed[24] over incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of the election held by another state.[25][26][27]

• Committee on Agriculture (full committee vice-chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Nutrition (chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
• Committee on Education and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services
  • Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

• Past National Co-Chair, Congressional High School Art Competition[28]
• German-American Caucus (co-chair)[29]
• Congressional Natural Gas Caucus (co-chair)[30]
• Career and Technical Education Caucus (co-chair)[31]
• Congressional Constitution Caucus[32]
• Coal Caucus,[33][34]
• House Baltic Caucus,[35]
• Congressional Arts Caucus,[36]
• Congressional Western Caucus[37]
• Veterinary Medicine Caucus.[38]
• Tuesday Group[39]