BACKGROUND
Thomas chairs the Ways and Means committee which is the oldest standing committee of the House and is responsible for raising the revenues to finance the federal government. Ways and Means has broad oversight for key areas of the government including economic and trade policy, the level of public debt, Social Security, Medicare, healthcare, unemployment and other social services as well as tariffs, imports and trade negotiations.

PREMISE OF THE SUIT
HEARTS are members of either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Supreme Court. The House initiates (along with the Senate) the laws that govern our nation. The number of House members per state is divided roughly on its population and is limited to 435 members. The most powerful members of the House are the Speaker, the majority leadership and the committee chairs, which are always members of the majority party. Chairmen of the subcommittees of Appropriations are known as 'Cardinals' due to the power they wield over the allocation of federal funds. House members serve for two-year terms and are in power because you voted for them.

LINKS
www.billthomas.house.gov/Bio.asp
www.house.gov/house/CommitteeWWW.html