 He was a member of the Ways and Means committee, which intended to report out a bill appropriating half a million dollars for military purposes.Thomas presented an impassioned speech supporting an amendment that doubled the amount to one million dollars.He said "Until this rebellion shall have been put down, I have no friends to reward and no enemies to punish, and I trust that the whole strength and power of Vermont, both of men and of money, will be put into the field to sustain the government."