{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"ID\" and year = 2022 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-vote-against-further-unrestrained-federal-spending", "Crapo Statement on Vote Against Further Unrestrained Federal Spending", "2022-12-22", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement on his vote against the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus appropriations package.\n\n\u201cInstead of moving forward with individual spending bills to allow members of Congress to separate good policy from bad, we are once again having to vote on a single bill that will unfortunately add to our unsustainable debt crisis. The omnibus appropriations package contains some good policies I have supported and championed, like robust support for our servicemembers and their missions, and support for homeless veterans. It also includes legislation I authored as the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, including important legislation to strengthen retirement savings and improve federal health programs.\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, these bipartisan provisions were combined with dozens of other provisions that likely would not have passed on their own, from Green New Deal style handouts to wasteful pet projects. Other broadly bipartisan items were woefully omitted, including widely-supported trade priorities and critical business tax incentives, particularly R&D tax credits that incentivize innovation and growth.\n\n\u201cUnrestrained federal spending over the past two years has led to one of the most expensive holiday seasons in history. Idahoans are paying an estimated additional $819 per month--an increase of 16.5 percent--compared to two years ago. This behemoth funding package will only add fuel to the current inflationary fire. It is past time to rein in reckless, unnecessary government spending and get our fiscal house in order.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-republican-senate-colleagues-urge-pentagon-to-freeze-covid-19-vaccine-related-discharges-reinstate-discharged-soldiers-with-back-pay", "Crapo, Republican Senate Colleagues Urge Pentagon to Freeze COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Discharges, Reinstate Discharged Soldiers with Back Pay", "2022-12-16", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Following the Senate\u2019s approval of the National Defense Authorization act (NDAA), U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined ten colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The Senators urged Secretary Austin to freeze all COVID-19 vaccine-related discharges, and to establish a quick and thorough process so all members who were discharged because they refused the COVID-19 vaccine can be reinstated with back pay and full benefits.\n\nSenators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Florida), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) all co-signed the letter.\n\nRead the full letter below.\n\nDecember 16, 2022\n\nThe Honorable Lloyd Austin\n\nSecretary\n\nU.S. Department of Defense\n\n1000 Defense Pentagon\n\nWashington, D.C. 20301\n\nDear Secretary Austin,\n\nNow that the Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the legislation heads to President Biden\u2019s desk to be signed into law. This year\u2019s NDAA, which provides essential funding and sets defense and national security policy for the United States, also contains a key provision we fought for which eliminates the requirement for service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. While we are proud to see this needed change included, simply reversing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is insufficient to right the wrongs done to our service members. We write today to urge immediate action from the Pentagon to protect our service members and provide much-needed direction and stability for America\u2019s brave heroes and their families.\n\nOn December 7th, NBC News cited senior military and defense officials in its reporting that discussions about allowing the reinstatement of service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine are underway at the Pentagon.[1] This is welcome news. The Pentagon must take every action necessary to undo the harm American service members and their families suffered when they were forcibly discharged from service. We urge you to establish a quick and thorough process so all members who were discharged because they refused the COVID-19 vaccine can be reinstated with back pay and full benefits. Doing so would provide the clarity and stability American service members and their families deserve.\n\nAdditionally, we urge you to freeze all COVID-19 vaccine-related discharges. Many service members are in limbo, and are facing discharge for their refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine just as Congress is removing the vaccine requirement. As the Secretary of Defense, you have the power to immediately end the uncertainty these members are feeling. All branches of our military are facing significant recruiting problems, including problems arising from the vaccine requirement. Therefore, it is in our readiness and security interests to keep these brave men and women within our ranks. Moving forward with discharges over a requirement that has been rescinded by Congress would be deeply misguided.\n\nThousands of brave men and women were harmed because of the Pentagon\u2019s misguided approach to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. You have the opportunity to immediately begin undoing the harm caused. For the current and future morale and benefit our Armed Forces, we urge you to act immediately.\n\nWe appreciate your attention, and look forward to clarity from the Pentagon on this important issue.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-support-armed-forces-with-ndaa-passage", "Crapo, Risch Support Armed Forces with NDAA Passage", "2022-12-15", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) voted in support of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), fulfilling Congress\u2019 constitutional duty to \u201cprovide for the common defense.\u201d\n\nThe FY 2023 NDAA provides U.S. troops with a needed pay raise and increases authorized defense funding. Republican lawmakers successfully prevented progressive lawmakers from using the military funding bill to advance far-left priorities, such as DC statehood, and created a briefing requirement for all military support deployed to the southern border.\n\n\u201cThe provisions included in the FY2023 NDAA are critical for boosting America\u2019s national security at home and abroad,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA supports Idaho\u2019s military personnel and industries by advocating for the Idaho Air National Guard, funding military technologies developed in Idaho and protecting our servicemembers from draconian COVID vaccine mandates. Supporting our Armed Forces also means providing for them as they exit active military service. By permanently authorizing the DOD SkillBridge program, servicemembers in their initial stages of separation gain experience in a field of their interest and support the transition of these selfless men and women back to civilian life.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe FY 2023 NDAA ensures our military is equipped with the necessary resources to defend our country,\u201d said Risch. \u201cThis legislation includes wins for Idaho like ensuring Idaho\u2019s Air National Guard can continue its A-10 mission, repealing the vaccine mandate for active military, and preventing a Democrat-led effort to include women in the draft. While more remains to be done to protect service members who were discharged from their military service because of their refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, this bill will ultimately help strengthen our military and America\u2019s defenses.\u201d\n\nSenators Crapo and Risch secured a number of provisions important to the state of Idaho in final passage of the NDAA, including:\n\nEnsuring the Idaho Air National Guard maintains its flying mission while allowing the Air Force to divest a certain number of A-10s;\n\nAiding the development of digital night vision technology, in which Idaho industry plays a key role;\n\nRepealing the DOD vaccine mandate on active military personnel; and\n\nFunding for the Range Craft Berthing Facility at the Navy\u2019s Acoustic Research Detachment in Bayview and $379 million for the Idaho National Laboratory.\n\nSenator Crapo\u2019s priorities in the NDAA include:\n\nRequiring financial regulators to develop common data standards that improve transparency and accountability of financial data collected from regulated institutions through inclusion of the Financial Data Transparency Act; and\n\nPermanently authorizing the DOD SkillBridge program, which offers servicemembers in their initial stages of separation from the military to gain experience in a field of their interest. Senator Crapo has long advocated for an expansion of Transition Assistance Program (TAP) counseling to include servicemembers participating in the SkillBridge program.\n\nSenator Risch\u2019s priorities were incorporated into the NDAA as a result of his efforts. Those priorities included:\n\nPrecluding the requirement for women to register for the Selective Service;\n\nReauthorizing the Feed the Future Initiative, a public-private partnership with the University of Idaho;\n\nEnding international wildlife poaching and trafficking; and\n\nFacilitating better international cooperation against synthetic drug trafficking through the FENTANYL Results Act.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-demand-amends-for-servicemembers-and-federal-employees-affected-by-bidens-covid-vaccine-mandates", "Crapo, Risch Demand Amends for Servicemembers and Federal Employees Affected by Biden\u2019s COVID Vaccine Mandates", "2022-12-14", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) joined Republican Senate colleagues in successfully securing a provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect servicemembers from the Biden Administration\u2019s COVID vaccine mandate. However, the provision does not address the penalties and discharges previously incurred, so the Idaho Senators sent a letter to President Biden requesting that reparations be made.\n\n\u201cServicemembers who were reprimanded or unfairly discharged based solely on COVID-19 vaccination status under the Department of Defense\u2019s (DOD) current policy should immediately have their records cleared and be reinstated. The DOD\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine mandate is responsible for the discharge of approximately 3,400 troops who have made a decision for themselves in line with their personal values. At a time when our military is facing its greatest recruitment challenges in decades, bringing thousands of troops back into duty is not only the right thing to do, but it is necessary,\u201d Senators Crapo and Risch wrote in the letter.\n\nServicemembers have faced challenges in complying with the DOD\u2019s onerous COVID-19 vaccine mandate. This includes members who made the personal decision not to receive the vaccine. As a result, in addition to those who have been discharged, many were grounded, issued letters of reprimand, had clearances rescinded and have been removed from training opportunities due to sincerely-held beliefs.\n\nThe letter requests that after the passage of the NDAA, any penalties incurred from a servicemember\u2019s refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine be expunged from their records, and any servicemember or federal employee who was unfairly discharged or terminated due to these mandates be reinstated.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-protect-servicemembers-from-bidens-covid-vaccine-mandate", "Crapo, Risch Protect Servicemembers from Biden\u2019s COVID Vaccine Mandate", "2022-12-08", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) joined Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Joni Ernst (R- Iowa), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Steve Daines (R-Montana) and John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) in successfully securing a provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect servicemembers from the Biden Administration\u2019s COVID vaccine mandate.\n\n\u201cIn the United States, the number of new servicemembers joining the military is reaching a near record low. The United States needs a strong military to protect our country against the growing threats facing our nation. We are pleased that the final conferenced bill includes language mirroring our amendments\u2019 efforts to protect troops from being fired due to Biden\u2019s COVID vaccine mandate without fair appeal and to the harm of service readiness,\u201d said Senators Crapo, Risch, Blackburn, Marshall, Hyde-Smith, Braun, Fischer, Ernst, Tuberville, Daines and Hoeven.\n\nBACKGROUND", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-shaheen-introduce-bill-to-help-bring-home-missing-servicemembers", "Crapo, Shaheen Introduce Bill to Help Bring Home Missing Servicemembers", "2022-12-07", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) re-introduced the Bring Our Heroes Home Act (BOHHA), which would eliminate obstacles preventing families and caseworkers from accessing the records needed for recovering America\u2019s prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIA). According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, more than 81,500 Americans--including 360 Idahoans--remain unaccounted for from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other conflicts.\n\n\u201cThis commonsense legislation tells every family and survivor that their loved ones are not forgotten,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cAmerica\u2019s servicemembers, past and present, have shown incredible sacrifice and dedication to defending our freedom. We owe it to our nation\u2019s heroes and their families to cut the bureaucratic red tape and continue the effort to identify and recover those who have not yet made it home.\u201d\n\n\u201cFamilies of service members who have been prisoners of war or missing in action bear an incredible emotional and psychological burden directly related to their loved ones\u2019 service to our nation. Far too many families have to wait years, sometimes even decades, for information about their lost loved ones to emerge,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m reintroducing the bipartisan Bring Our Heroes Home Act to ensure that the records of service members are properly collected, declassified when appropriate, and made public, helping honor their legacy and heal their families. I\u2019ll continue working to pass this vital legislation to bring our heroes home.\u201d\n\nThe Senate bill, which has six bipartisan co-sponsors, would consolidate all records related to missing personnel within a newly instituted Missing Armed Forces Personnel Records Collection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and require all government agencies to transmit any missing servicemember records to NARA. The measure would also establish an independent government office, the Missing Armed Forces Personnel Records Review Board, to identify missing personnel records, facilitate the transmission and disclosure of these records, and review any decisions by federal agencies to postpone declassification.\n\nCo-sponsors include Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois).\n\nSenators Crapo and Shaheen previously co-sponsored the legislation in the 116th Congress and have long supported various efforts to identify and recover all missing and unaccounted for American military personnel.\n\nFull bill text can be found HERE. A section-by-section can be found HERE and a one-pager can be found HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-call-for-expanded-high-speed-internet-access-in-rural-communities", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Call for Expanded High-Speed Internet Access in Rural Communities", "2022-12-02", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) and Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-New Mexico) in a letter to the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Interior, Agriculture and Commerce about the need to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities.\n\nInternet providers are required to obtain permits from the federal government when installing telecommunications infrastructure on federal lands or for projects using federal funding. Currently, they face extensive delays in the permitting process. In their letter, the Senators encourage the Biden Administration to streamline the permitting process, close the digital divide and expand high-speed internet in rural areas across the country.\n\n\u201cAccording to the most recent Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Broadband Deployment report, approximately 14.5 million Americans in rural areas lack access to basic broadband service,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cMany of our communities rely on rights of way and service corridors through federal lands for transportation and essential utilities.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is crucial we close the digital divide by expanding access to high-speed internet\u2014a top priority for our rural areas\u2014and we cannot accomplish that without improving the permitting process,\u201d the Senators continued. \u201cWe urge you to build upon recent actions taken by Congress and various federal agencies to streamline permitting on federal land.\u201d\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nevada), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota).\n\nThe full text of the letter can be found below.\n\nDear Secretary Haaland, Secretary Vilsack, and Secretary Raimondo,\n\nWe write today concerning the extensive delays internet service providers are experiencing when obtaining permit approvals. As you know, these permits are required when installing telecommunications infrastructure on federal lands or for projects seeking federal funding through a multitude of programs dedicated to broadband deployment. It is crucial we close the digital divide by expanding access to high-speed internet\u2014a top priority for our rural areas\u2014and we cannot accomplish that without improving the permitting process.\n\nAccording to the most recent Federal Communication Commission Broadband Deployment report, approximately 14.5 million Americans in rural areas lack access to basic broadband service. However, due to mapping issues, this number may be significantly higher. Additionally, as reported by the Congressional Research Service, the federal government owns 45.9% of the land across 11 western states, and about 28% nationwide. Many of our communities rely on rights of way and service corridors through federal lands for transportation and essential utilities. Furthermore, duplicative permitting processes delay permit approvals for broadband infrastructure, drastically slowing down efforts to close the digital divide, especially on federal lands.\n\nOver the years, presidential administrations have identified opportunities to streamline this permitting process. Most recently, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)\u2014the agency that is principally responsible for advising the President on telecommunications issues\u2014required States and eligible entities to \u201cexpedit[e] permitting timelines and waiv[e] fees where applicable, where doing so does not undermine other critical policy goals.\u201d Federal agencies should similarly expedite permitting timelines and waive fees in accordance with existing environmental protection and historic preservation laws.\n\nThe current process has a significant impact on our communities. For example, one Wyoming internet provider regularly waits between 12 and 36 months for a permit to be approved from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and in New Mexico, permitting for broadband projects on BLM or National Forest Service land can take anywhere between 16 and 48 months. In Utah, one provider waited almost three years for approval from the U.S. Forest Service to repair a fiber optic line on federal land. The Forest Service often tells a Colorado provider that they don\u2019t have the resources to process an application and will instead look at it the following year. Prolonged delays jeopardize broadband projects by increasing costs and may even cause a provider to default on their buildout deadline that accompanies federal funding. This process should not take years.\n\nAdditionally, rural broadband providers have reported significant delays between the notice of an award and receipt of the funds necessary to deploy the proposed broadband networks. While the delays seemingly occur at many steps throughout the process, those posed by environmental and historical preservation reviews significantly contribute to the long wait times leading up to the disbursement of funds to an awardee. We urge you to expedite permitting timelines and waive fees in accordance with existing environmental protection and historic preservation laws.\n\nThe burden of these delays falls heavily on small businesses and unserved families in our most rural areas. Access to high-speed internet is crucial for economic development. The internet is also essential to educating our children as well as connecting Americans with their healthcare providers through telehealth services. In the Western United States, first responders are often called to areas on remote federal lands with little-to-no access to communications networks. A lack of strong communications capabilities for our first responders puts the public at risk, and these continued delays are worsening the problem.\n\nWe urge you to build upon recent actions taken by Congress and various federal agencies to streamline permitting on federal land. We are encouraged by the recent agreement to streamline permitting for high-speed internet projects on Tribal lands as well as the recent proposed rule announcement by BLM. To build on this progress, we request the following information regarding the permit approval process:\n\nWhat are your plans for modernizing the environmental review and permitting process to expedite the approval of applications for broadband projects on federal land?\n\nDo your respective agencies have sufficient staff and resources to meet current statutory and regulatory requirements to process permit applications and meet the expected increase in permit applications for broadband projects in a timely manner?\n\nDo your respective agencies require additional appropriations or new statutory authority to expedite permitting approval?\n\nWhat is the escalation process for resolving potential permitting bottlenecks and conflicts?\n\nIn May of 2022, the White House announced a Permitting Action Plan to accelerate Federal permitting and environmental reviews. The plan requires the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to improve coordination among agencies to avoid potential bottlenecks, and identify and share best practices. How are you leveraging this existing program to address conflicts, improve communication, and accelerate information sharing amongst agencies?\n\nWhat actions are the Council and the respective agencies taking to reduce permit approval times to close the digital divide as quickly as possible?\n\nIn August, NTIA and BIA announced an agreement to coordinate responsibilities in ensuring compliance with environmental, historic preservation, and cultural resources requirements related to the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Is there a similar agreement between NTIA, FCC, and the federal land management agencies under USDA and DOI?\n\nHow many outstanding broadband infrastructure projects are awaiting permit approvals on federal lands?\n\nWhat is the average time for agencies in your department to approve such permits?\n\nWhat is the average interval between a USDA ReConnect award announcement and the final disbursement of funds to the applicant?\n\nWhat is the average interval between a NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program award announcement and the final disbursement of funds to the applicant?\n\nWhat amount of time do you expect between a NTIA Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment award and final disbursement of funds to subgrantees?\n\nThank you for your consideration of this matter. We look forward to your response.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-wyden-and-bipartisan-senate-finance-committee-members-raise-concerns-about-process-to-approve-and-implement-indo-pacific-trade-pact-and-other-trade-agreements", "Crapo, Wyden and Bipartisan Senate Finance Committee Members Raise Concerns about Process to Approve and Implement Indo-Pacific Trade Pact and Other Trade Agreements", "2022-12-01", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman Ron Wyden, (D-Oregon) and 19 bipartisan members raised Constitutional concerns about the process to approve and implement the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), as well as the need for the administration to increase consultation and transparency.\n\nIn a letter to President Biden, the members noted that they support efforts to strengthen ties with allies in the Indo-Pacific and address issues like strengthening supply chains, growing American jobs and expanding digital trade. However, they reminded the administration that Congress holds ultimate responsibility for approving trade pacts, regardless of whether they include tariff reduction or market access provisions.\n\n\u201cThere is no question that comprehensive free trade agreements that include reciprocal tariff reductions and dispute resolution mechanisms must be approved and implemented by Congress,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cHowever, there appears to be a misunderstanding as to whether an agreement like IPEF, which aims to regulate foreign commerce and reshape international trade flows, requires similar approval. It does.\u201d\n\nWhile neither the administration nor Congress has announced a process to approve and implement IPEF, Finance Committee leaders urged the president to engage in robust consultation with Congress, transparency of negotiations and collaboration with Congress on how the agreement should be approved and implemented.\n\nThe letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Tom Carper (D-Delaware), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming).\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-wyden-bennet-burr-release-mental-health-parity-discussion-draft", "Crapo, Wyden, Bennet, Burr Release Mental Health Parity Discussion Draft", "2022-12-01", "2022", "2022-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), and Senate Finance Committee Members Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) and Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), today released a discussion draft including policies aimed at improving mental health parity in Medicare and Medicaid and helping to put access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services on par with physical health care. Mental health parity includes a set of laws aimed at ensuring mental and physical health care are covered equally by health insurance.\n\n\u201cThese proposals will help us gather additional data and increase transparency to ensure Medicare beneficiaries have access to affordable mental health services, on par with their access to physical health services,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cI thank Senators Bennet and Burr for their work on this discussion draft, and look forward to receiving feedback on each mental health discussion draft from our colleagues and stakeholders.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo often the notion of mental health parity falls short of reality,\u201d said Wyden. \u201cThese policies represent the first step towards addressing the mental health parity and ghost network challenges that I intend to build on in the coming months -- especially the challenges I hear about consistently from families at home who aren\u2019t able to find available mental health professionals covered in their insurance networks. I\u2019m proud that the committee has been able to come together throughout the year to release a whole host of policies aimed at improving mental health care for Americans, some of which have already become law. I will keep working to enact these policies and ensure all Americans can get mental health care when they need it.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs I travel across Colorado, I consistently hear about the mental and behavioral health challenges Coloradans and their children experience and the difficulties they face finding affordable, high-quality care. We need to change our approach to ensure our health care system equitably addresses both mental and physical health,\u201d said Bennet. \u201cThese policies are a step forward to help achieve parity, and I\u2019ll continue working to reimagine our mental and behavioral health system to better care for Coloradans and families across the country.\u201d\n\n\u201cMental health services are a critical health care need as our nation recovers from the pandemic,\u201d said Burr. \u201cThis discussion draft lays a foundation for advancing sensible policies that bring to the forefront the importance of ensuring patients have the information necessary to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families, and I look forward to receiving comment.\u201d\n\nPolicies in the discussion draft include:\n\nStrengthening the accuracy of provider directories in Medicare Advantage plans.\n\nStrengthening requirements in Medicaid for managed care organizations and states to maintain regularly updated provider directories that include, in part, information on accessing care from behavioral health professionals.\n\nDirect GAO to conduct a study of the differences in enrollee cost-sharing and utilization management between behavioral and non-behavioral health services in Medicare Advantage and compared to traditional Medicare.\n\nRequire Medicare to provide guidance to health care providers detailing the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries with substance use disorders can receive partial hospitalization program services.\n\nDirect GAO to report on Medicaid payment rates for behavioral health services compared to medical and surgical services across a sample of states.\n\nThis discussion draft on mental health parity is the fifth and final legislative draft the Finance Committee has released since kicking off its bipartisan mental health initiative. The first, released in May, focused on telehealth policies. The second, released in June, focused on youth mental health. The third, released in September, focused on expanding the mental health care workforce. The fourth, released in November, focused on integrating physical health and mental health care providers.\n\nThe full text of the discussion draft is available here. A summary of all provisions released by the committee as a part of the bipartisan mental health effort, including mental health parity, is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:32:05Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-call-out-interior-usda-failure-to-produce-mineral-permitting-report", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Call Out Interior, USDA Failure to Produce Mineral Permitting Report", "2022-11-17", "2022", "2022-11", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) this week in a letter to the U.S. Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Agriculture (USDA), questioning whether they would produce a report outlining options to improve the federal mineral permitting process on the timeframe required by federal law. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law on November 15, 2021, required the Departments to complete the report within one year of enactment. However, both have failed to adhere to that statutory deadline.\n\nThe Senators noted the law details nine methods for permitting improvement and \u201c\u2026establishes a deadline of one year from enactment for your Departments to issue a new report that identifies additional regulatory and legislative measures that would increase the timeliness of permitting, ensure adequate staffing for the timely consideration of authorizations on federal land, and quantify the period of time required to complete each step of the permitting process.\u201d\n\n\u201cThese are serious and substantial requirements that represent a first step to address serious deficiencies in the federal permitting process,\u201d the Senators continued. \u201cYet DOI and USDA have outwardly paid little attention to them, and internally appear to have devoted critical resources to discretionary projects that trace back to Executive Orders, rather than legally binding federal statutes\u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cAs our mineral security and foreign mineral dependence become more important at a time of rising global demand, Congress remains focused on a variety of means to encourage new domestic production,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nU.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) also signed the letter.\n\nTo read the full letter, click here.\n\nBackground: Section 40206 of the bipartisan infrastructure law is drawn from Senator Murkowski's American Mineral Security Act, which Senators Risch and Crapo co-sponsored.\n\nRather than focusing on the statutory requirement to complete the permitting report and associated work, DOI and USDA have instead prioritized a discretionary Interagency Working Group that has pursued mining law reform, especially new royalties and fees that would raise the costs of hardrock mining and limit domestic supply.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-committee-unveils-mental-health-care-integration-discussion-draft", "Finance Committee Unveils Mental Health Care Integration Discussion Draft", "2022-11-10", "2022", "2022-11", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) today released a discussion draft of legislation aimed at creating better care integration of mental and physical health care services and expanding access to crisis care and follow up services to get Americans the longer-term care they need.\n\n\u201cEspecially for rural Americans and communities facing health care provider shortages, integrating behavioral health into the primary care setting can expand access while strengthening the doctor-patient relationship,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe reforms included in this discussion draft would take important steps toward improving care quality and generating cost savings for patients and taxpayers alike. I thank my colleagues for their vital work on these proposals, and I look forward to hearing feedback from stakeholders on how we can further enhance these policies.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too long, mental health and physical health have been deeply separated in this country,\u201d said Wyden. \u201cThese policies will begin to allow health care providers to work together more than ever before to connect their patients with the mental health care they need. I am very pleased that the draft contains robust improvements for crisis response and stabilization, which is critical to safeguarding Americans struggling with their mental health. I want to thank Ranking Member Crapo and Senators Cortez Masto and Cornyn for all of their hard work crafting this discussion draft. The Finance Committee will continue working to bring these and other mental health care improvements to Americans in need.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve worked to promote Nevadans\u2019 mental and physical health, and this bipartisan legislation will make sure that Nevadans have greater access to critical mental health resources, particularly during a mental health crisis,\u201d said Cortez Masto. \u201cThis is a critical step in creating a true continuum of crisis care for mental and behavioral health issues that provides the right services at the right time to those who need them. I won\u2019t stop working until that\u2019s a reality for those in mental health crisis and their loved ones.\u201d\n\n\u201cHigh-quality care for Americans grappling with a mental health crisis is an urgent and growing need,\u201d said Cornyn. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation would help medical providers merge behavioral health care and primary care services while increasing access to crisis stabilization services, and I am grateful to Ranking Member Crapo, Chairman Wyden, and Senator Cortez Masto for their work on this issue.\u201d\n\nThe discussion draft includes policies that would:\n\nIncrease payment rates to help providers integrate behavioral health and primary care.\n\nCreate a standardized payment in Medicare for mobile crisis response team services, including a screening and assessment of the Medicare beneficiary\u2019s mental health or substance use disorder crisis, services to support de-escalation of the individual\u2019s mental health or substance use disorder crisis, and referrals for health and social services.\n\nCreate a bundled payment in Medicare for crisis stabilization services including observation care, screening for suicide risk, screening for violence risk, assessment of immediate physical health needs, and other services.\n\nEnsure peer support specialists may participate in furnishing behavioral health integration services to Medicare beneficiaries.\n\nMake mobile crisis intervention services a permanent state option available to states eligible for federal Medicaid match funding.\n\nDirect the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to inform states of best practices and recommendations for building a crisis care continuum financed by Medicaid and CHIP, and provide funding for technical assistance and planning grants for states.\n\nRequire CMS to provide best practices to health care providers on integrating behavioral health care into the primary care setting and encourage CMS to consider models that include behavioral health integration.\n\nDirect CMS to conduct an analysis of integration models in Medicaid.\n\nEstablish CMS technical assistance for providers seeking to integrate behavioral health and primary care.\n\nRequire CMS to issue guidance outlining flexibilities and best practices for partnering between states, Medicaid managed care organizations, and community based organizations to address health related social needs.\n\nThis discussion draft on the mental health integration is the fourth legislative draft the Finance Committee has released since kicking off its bipartisan mental health initiative. The first, released in May, focused on telehealth policies. The second, released in June, focused on youth mental health. The third, released in September, focused on expanding the mental health care workforce. Other discussion drafts may be released. The committee is committed to fully paying for any mental health package with bipartisan, consensus-driven offsets.\n\nA summary of the provisions is available here. The full text of the discussion draft is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-delegation-presses-defense-health-agency-on-cancelled-prescription-contracts-hindering-veterans-and-servicemembers-pharmacy-access", "Idaho Delegation Presses Defense Health Agency on Cancelled Prescription Contracts Hindering Veterans\u2019 and Servicemembers\u2019 Pharmacy Access", "2022-11-07", "2022", "2022-11", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Boise, Idaho--Upon learning that the pharmacy benefit management organization that administers the TRICARE Pharmacy Program instituted changes that impact roughly 400,000 beneficiaries and cut out almost 15,000 pharmacies mostly in small communities, the Idaho Congressional Delegation pressed the U.S. Department of Defense\u2019s Defense Health Agency (DHA) to ensure adequate patient access for servicemembers and covered veterans.\n\n\u201cWhile Express Scripts claims most patients will have access to pharmacies in their area, significant concerns remain that beneficiaries in rural areas, including Idaho, will encounter less availability that could undermine their quality of care,\u201d the Delegation wrote.\n\n\u201c. . . reducing payments to community pharmacies hurts not just choice, but could be seen as a move to monopolize,\u201d the letter continues. \u201cAdditionally, this could impact pediatric healthcare needs for families enrolled in TRICARE, because these children must go to independent pharmacies for specialized compounding services due to traditionally manufactured drugs not being able to meet their needs.\u201d\n\n\u201cI have asked repeatedly for a stand-alone contract with Sandpoint Super Drug and ESI-Tricare as if my contracting agency never existed. I am losing customers daily because of this agreement with Tricare-ESI and larger corporate pharmacies. This is preventing me from meeting the prescription needs of many Tricare recipients in my community,\u201d said Scott Porter, Pharmacist and owner of Sandpoint Super Drug, which serves the rural community of Sandpoint, Idaho, with a clientele base comprised of roughly 30 percent TRICARE patients, and whose contract to provide TRICARE benefits was abruptly cancelled.\n\nExpress Scripts, Inc. (ESI), the pharmacy benefit manager for TRICARE, has implemented pharmacy network changes that disproportionally harm small community pharmacies by cutting the reimbursement rate for prescriptions dispensed in-network. As a result, a number of pharmacies will no longer be able to afford to participate in the TRICARE pharmacy network. ESI made these changes unilaterally, terminating 2022 contracts two months early rather than allowing them to expire at the end of the year.\n\nThe Idaho Delegation is seeking answers to several questions to better understand the reasons for the abrupt changes, to understand the true size of the negative impact this decision will have on TRICARE beneficiaries, and to ensure adequate patient access for Idaho\u2019s veterans and servicemembers who rely on small community pharmacies to meet their pharmaceutical needs.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found below, or by clicking here.\n\nDear Acting Assistant Secretary Mullen,\n\nWe write in support of Idaho\u2019s uniformed servicemembers, veterans and their families, as well as the community pharmacies that serve them in the TRICARE Pharmacy Program. Regrettably, too many of these individuals still face barriers to the care and services they need, and it is concerning to hear that access to critical pharmacy services may be further limited due to several recent changes affecting TRICARE\u2019s retail pharmacy network.\n\nExpress Scripts\u2019 new retail pharmacy contract terms include, among other changes, reduced reimbursement rates for prescriptions dispensed at in-network retail pharmacies for calendar year 2023. It is estimated that these reductions will leave nearly 15,000 community pharmacies unable to participate in the TRICARE pharmacy network, affecting approximately 400,000 beneficiaries, or about 4 percent of the TRICARE eligible population. Further, Express Scripts recently acted unilaterally to terminate 2022 pharmacy contracts on October 24, 2022, rather than allowing them to expire at the end of the year.\n\nWhile Express Scripts claims most patients will have access to pharmacies in their area, significant concerns remain that beneficiaries in rural areas, including Idaho, will encounter less availability that could undermine their quality of care. For example, Sandpoint Super Drug, a local pharmacy that serves the rural community of Sandpoint, Idaho, has a clientele base that is comprised of roughly 30 percent TRICARE patients. Sandpoint Super Drug has provided expanded service for almost 9,000 residents including vaccinations, health supplements, access to nurse practitioners, in-town prescription deliveries and curbside pickup. Sandpoint Super Drug was recently notified that, effective October 24, 2022, it will no longer be in the TRICARE pharmacy network because its Pharmacy Service Administrative Organization (PSAO) declined the proposed contract terms for continued participation on its behalf.\n\nAs you can imagine, this will have a devastating impact on both Sandpoint Super Drug and the many TRICARE beneficiaries it serves. We further understand that Express Scripts will shift some of these patients to mail-order prescriptions that may not be adequate to address their needs. This is due to the fact that many of our constituents who use these pharmacies live in rural areas that can see higher disruptions to their mail delivery service than those constituents who live in more urban areas. Also, Express Scripts owns its own mail-order and specialty pharmacy, making it a direct competitor to independent pharmacies. Thus, reducing payments to community pharmacies hurts not just choice, but could be seen as a move to monopolize.\n\nAdditionally, this could impact pediatric healthcare needs for families enrolled in TRICARE, because these children must go to independent pharmacies for specialized compounding services due to traditionally manufactured drugs not being able to meet their needs.\n\nFinally, it is our understanding Express Scripts will have its subsidiary, Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, take over as the primary in-network specialty pharmacy for TRICARE patients who suffer from chronic, complex conditions and need a specialty medication on January 1, 2022. However, it is not clear whether those patients who get their specialty drugs filled at one of the pharmacies leaving the TRICARE pharmacy network will be able to transition to Accredo\u2019s service to get their prescriptions filled before January 1st.\n\nIn light of these concerns, we are requesting responses to the following:\n\nWhat steps is the Department taking to address concerns about TRICARE pharmacy network reductions and access to retail pharmacy services for beneficiaries?\n\nWhat reasons has Express Scripts given for its decision to terminate 2022 contracts two months earlier than planned?\n\nExpress Scripts\u2019 reimbursement reductions have caused many PSAOs and community pharmacies to make the difficult decision of discontinuing TRICARE network participation. However, for community pharmacies interested in continued participation- -such as Sandpoint Super Drug--Express Scripts has communicated that it will only contract with PSAOs and will not contract directly with community pharmacies unless under specific requirements, thus further reducing pharmacy choice and critical access for patients.\n\nWhat recourse is there for community pharmacies, like Sandpoint Super Drug, that wish to continue participation in the TRICARE pharmacy network through stand-alone contracts rather than through their PSAO?\n\nIt is our understanding that some pharmacies, such as large chain pharmacies, were offered more favorable contract terms while other pharmacies (particularly community pharmacies) were offered contract terms that reimburse below their acquisition cost and did not include a dispensing fee.\n\nHow did Express Scripts decide which contract terms were offered to different types of pharmacies?\n\nAre there significant discrepancies between dispensing fees Express Scripts gives to pharmacies owned by Express Scripts versus independently owned pharmacies? Does Express Scripts reimburse their own mail-order pharmacy at a higher rate than they reimburse other retail pharmacies in the network?\n\nDoes the U.S. Department of Defense pay Express Scripts\u2019 administrative fees, on top of reimbursements, for all prescriptions they dispense through their mail-order pharmacy? And if so, what is the administrative fee paid to Express Scripts to dispense drugs via their mail-order facility?\n\nIt is our understanding you have the authority to take directed contracting action to ensure adequate patient access is met. Will you use this authority? If so, we ask you to consider the changes listed below:\n\nChange the \u201caccess\u201d requirements to a 10-minute driving time to the nearest innetwork pharmacy for 95 percent of beneficiaries.\n\nOnly release pharmacies that have not dispensed a TRICARE prescription in the past year.\n\nRequire the coverage of pharmacies that are the sole contractor for facilities treating TRICARE recipients, such as long-term care facilities.\n\nRequire that independent pharmacies in the TRICARE network receive both the same reimbursement rates and the same dispensing fee level of other pharmacies in the TRICARE network.\n\nHow does the DHA define \u201cnetwork adequacy\u201d regarding the term of the TRICARE contract that requires 90 percent of TRICARE beneficiaries to be within a 15-minute driving distance from the nearest in-network pharmacy? Ninety percent of the entire country may look different than 90 percent of each region/state. It is important we ensure we are meeting 90 percent of Idaho. What assurances can you provide on this requirement?\n\nWhat is the total number of TRICARE families that will be impacted by this change in service? If this is unknown, why was there not an assessment before contract negotiations took place?\n\nWhat are the plans for transitioning care for patients with chronic medical conditions? How many will be able to continue home infusion services versus being transitioned to an infusion facility?\n\nWhat confirmation have you received that those patients with chronic, complex conditions who need specialty medications prior to January 1, 2023, will not see a disruption in their access to such medications?\n\nWe look forward to working with you on these matters.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-honor-mountain-home-woman-with-spirit-of-freedom-award", "Crapo to Honor Mountain Home Woman With Spirit of Freedom Award", "2022-10-28", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Boise, Idaho--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will present the Spirit of Freedom: Idaho Veterans Service Award to Hayley Slaughter on Monday, October 31, 2022, at 2:00 PM in Carl Miller Park, Mountain Home, Idaho.\n\nDonor Outreach for Veterans (DOVE) nominated Hayley for donating her kidney earlier this year to Candice Martin, an active member of the U.S. Army. Candice is now back to full duty status, as Hayley continues to volunteer with DOVE to save more lives.\n\n\u201cHayley embodies the Spirit of Freedom through her outstanding example of selflessness and empathy,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cNot only has Hayley dedicated considerable time to supporting those who have served our country, she has given a most precious gift to a servicemember in need.\u201d\n\nHayley is recognized as a compassionate person who has chosen career paths and volunteer work that support the vulnerable and underserved. She has been a military spouse to veteran Travis Slaughter, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, and she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant for several years and cared for patients in hospice and memory care facilities. Since the birth of the first of their three children, Hayley has been a stay-at-home mom. She is also an active church member, now serving as head of missions for her local church. Hayley has mentored other donors and started a program to stay connected with veterans as they await transplants to help ensure they do not feel alone.\n\n\u201cHayley has boundless energy and a warm, embracing personality that makes all in the DOVE community feel good,\u201d said DOVE Executive Director Sharyn Kreitzer. \u201cHow Hayley can do all of this and balance being a mom to three young and active children is remarkable!\u201d\n\nVeterans\u2019 service organizations across Idaho nominate Spirit of Freedom awardees for their service to fellow veterans and the nation. The award, established by Crapo in 2002, is a small way to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of Idaho\u2019s veterans and volunteers who support Idaho veterans. Each Spirit of Freedom Award recipient will receive a certificate for their service as well as a United States flag that has been flown over the U.S. Capitol building.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-announces-new-hires-staff-changes", "Crapo Announces New Hires, Staff Changes", "2022-10-26", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today announced the hiring of two new staff members and a promotion in his Washington, D.C., office.\n\nAndrew Gleaton has been promoted to Legislative Aide. Andrew joined the Crapo office as a Staff Assistant in January 2020 and was promoted to Legislative Correspondent in February 2021. He holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in political science from Boise State University and a master\u2019s in political management from George Washington University. As a Legislative Aide, Andrew is responsible for Second Amendment, intellectual property, data privacy and bankruptcy issues, as well as still handling constituent letters for his wider portfolio of issues.\n\nKyle Chance has joined the Crapo office as Deputy Press Secretary. Kyle earned his bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in political science at Miami University. He previously worked as the Communications Manager at The Ripon Society in Washington, D.C.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-honor-lewiston-animal-rescue-with-spirit-of-idaho-award", "Crapo To Honor Lewiston Animal Rescue with Spirit of Idaho Award", "2022-10-24", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Lewiston, Idaho--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will present the Spirit of Idaho Award to the Idaho Animal Rescue Network (IARN) at Fur Family Cinema, 3323 10th Street, Lewiston, Idaho, at 1:00 PM PT on Thursday, October 27, 2022.\n\nIARN is a 501(c) (3) non-profit in Idaho that works to curb animal cruelty in Idaho.\n\n\u201cI applaud the continuing efforts of the Idaho Animal Rescue Network to provide safe and happy homes for Idaho pets across the Lewis Clark Valley,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cIt is thanks to their efforts that hundreds of animals a year are given a new lease on life.\u201d\n\nOver the summer, 25 Great Danes were rescued from an animal hoarding situation in Lewiston. The Idaho Animal Rescue Network facilitated veterinary care and placement in shelters throughout Idaho.\n\n\"The Idaho Animal Rescue Network is a community organization,\u201d said IARN Director Jenna Redheart. \u201cIt takes many people to make it work, and I couldn't be more thankful for the LC Valley. The Great Danes case is a great example of teamwork. The Nez Perce County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Lewiston Police Department, Lewiston Fire Department, Fur Family Cinema, Southway Animal Clinic, Riverview Animal Clinic, Lewis Clark Animal Shelter, multiple other animal rescues and community volunteers worked together and made this case a success. We received donations from local community members and from around the nation. Because of the community, the Great Danes will have a better life.\u201d\n\nThe Spirit of Idaho Award was created by Crapo in 2000 to honor the acts of service by Idahoans for their commitment to improving their community and serving their fellow citizens. Crapo has presented more than 600 Spirit of Idaho Awards since the award\u2019s inception", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-attend-public-events-in-twin-falls-hagerman", "Crapo to Attend Public Events in Twin Falls, Hagerman", "2022-10-20", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will participate in two events open to the public on Friday, October 21, 2022. In the morning, Senator Crapo will attend a Constituent Coffee meeting in Hagerman. Later, he will join Twin Falls County Commissioners and other Magic Valley residents to honor the sacrifices of three Idaho veterans and one spouse.\n\nAdditional details regarding each event are outlined below.\n\n10:00 AM \u2013 Bullets n\u2019 Brew Coffee Shop \u2013 111 S. State Street, Hagerman\n\nThis event is an opportunity for Crapo to talk with Idaho constituents at a local coffee shop to mingle, answer questions and receive input on federal issues. Local elected officials and members of the Hagerman Chamber of Commerce local business owners will be in attendance.\n\n\u201cBullets ' N Brew is excited to provide an opportunity for civic engagement with Senator Crapo for citizens in our community and surrounding communities,\u201d said Gary Mode, Brews n\u2019 Bullets owner.\n\n1:00 PM \u2013 Snake River Canyon Cemetery \u2013 1585 E. Elm St., Buhl\n\nAs a longtime supporter of our nation\u2019s veterans, Senator Crapo will join the Missing in America Project (MIAP) and Twin Falls County Commissioners to honor three recovered veterans, as well as one spouse, at the Snake River National Cemetery for Final Military Honors and Interment. The four individuals passed away in other parts of the United States and were recently identified and returned to Idaho. The celebration of life will honor the life and sacrifices of:\n\nRichard J. Zebert, former U.S. Marine and Purple Heart recipient who fought in the Vietnam War;\n\nRichard. E. Wagner, U.S. Army veteran who also fought in Vietnam;\n\nThomas W. Mitchell, Jr., U.S. Army veteran who fought in Vietnam; and\n\nRuth H. Sipes Wall, Wife of World War II and Korean War veteran William F. Wall.\n\n\u201cIt is a pleasure to work with Idahoans on these \u2018Missing In America Project\u2019 missions,\u201d said Coleen Florke, Idaho State Coordinator, Missing in Action Project. \u201cThe collaboration and support from our local officials here in Twin Falls, Funeral Homes, Veteran\u2019s groups, Veterans, and so many people in the community has been inspiring. We look forward to having Senator Crapo join us on Friday. We will stand in for the families of three Vietnam veterans and one spouse whose husband served in World War II and the Korean War, whose cremains have remained unclaimed. This service is to remind us and them, \u2018You Are Not Forgotten.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe Missing in America Project is a non-profit dedicated to locating, identifying and interring unclaimed remains of American veterans and eligible family members. This is the second ceremony for MIAP at the Snake River Canyon Cemetery.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:28Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/risch-crapo-join-daines-to-call-on-biden-admin-to-collaborate-with-states-on-forest-management", "Crapo, Risch Join Daines to Call on Biden Admin to Collaborate with States on Forest Management", "2022-10-13", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington,D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) to send a letter to the Biden Administration urging the development and implementation of a transparent and swift process to allocate funds promised to States for implementing effective forest management projects under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA).\n\n\u201cWe write to ask that you do all in your power to follow through on your commitment to working with state and local governments to improve our forest health and address the wildfire crisis. By mid-summer, your Department was in receipt of $160 million to award grants to States and Tribes for implementing projects under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), a time-tested mechanism for achieving this very outcome, but had not yet acted to allocate all of these funds. We urge you to establish a transparent process for distributing GNA funds directly to States and Tribes expeditiously and in a manner that maximizes taxpayers\u2019 return on investment,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n\u201cThe delayed distribution of GNA funds has not come without consequences\u2014states have now missed the window of opportunity to utilize these GNA funds to mitigate the risk and severity of the wildfires currently burning across the West. We cannot afford to miss the next window of opportunity,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nRead the full letter the Senators sent to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack HERE.\n\nSenators John Barasso (R-Wyoming) and Diane Feinstein (D-California) joined in sending the letter.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-call-out-amalgamated-bank-for-weaponizing-financial-system-to-infringe-on-americans-second-amendment-rights", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Call Out Amalgamated Bank for Weaponizing Financial System to Infringe on Americans\u2019 Second Amendment Rights", "2022-10-06", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined 24 Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Amalgamated Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Priscilla Sims Brown, criticizing the bank\u2019s manipulation of an international standard-setting organization to force U.S. financial services firms to categorize gun purchases--an indefensible attempt to target law-abiding Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms and to enact far-left political goals.\n\n\u201cYour bank is attempting to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans by going around the democratic process. You should expect Congressional oversight of your actions,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nThe Senators pointed to Amalgamated Bank\u2019s website, where its anti-firearm agenda is made alarmingly clear.\n\n\u201cIt is clear from Amalgamated Bank\u2019s website that it has fully embraced an anti-firearm agenda. Whether it is choosing to debank firearms manufacturers, forcing all commercial clients to adopt anti-gun control codes, or divesting customer assets from lawful businesses, these decisions demonstrate your attempt to force your political views on law-abiding Americans. If you want to change gun policy, you should run for office and make yourself accountable to voters. What\u2019s worse, these actions weren\u2019t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nPrior to the International Standards Organization (ISO)\u2019s recent creation of a merchant category code (MCC) that will target, surveil and discourage gun and ammunition sellers earlier this month, Amalgamated Bank submitted three applications for its anti-firearm policies--each of which were rejected.\n\n\u201cLet us be clear: weaponizing the financial system to enact far-left political goals is inexcusable. . . . You should consider this notice to retain all communications involving your role in ISO\u2019s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future,\u201d the Senators concluded.\n\nCrapo and Risch recently joined a call condemning credit card companies\u2019 decision to categorize gun sales into a separate, unique category. Similarly, as former Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Crapo has frequently warned banks and financial services institutions against cutting ties to politically disfavored industries, calling such restrictions, \u201ca disturbing trend.\u201d Crapo is a co-sponsor of the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act, which would prohibit federal regulators from arbitrarily forcing bank institutions to terminate their relationships with legal businesses solely because the operations of the businesses are not in line with the views of the contemporaneous administration.\n\nA copy of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Ms. Brown,\n\nWe write to you about your bank\u2019s manipulation of an international rules organization to force U.S. financial services firms to categorize gun purchases. Your bank is attempting to restrict the Second Amendment rights of Americans by going around the democratic process. You should expect Congressional oversight of your actions.\n\nAs you are undoubtedly aware, earlier this month, the International Standards Organization (ISO) based in Switzerland created a merchant category code (MCC) specifically to target, surveil and discourage gun and ammunition sellers. Your actions were a major step toward targeting law-abiding Americans exercising their right to purchase firearms, a right that is protected by the Constitution.\n\nIt is clear from Amalgamated Bank\u2019s website that it has fully embraced an anti-firearm agenda. Whether it is choosing to debank firearms manufacturers, forcing all commercial clients to adopt anti-gun control codes, or divesting customer assets from lawful businesses, these decisions demonstrate your attempt to force your political views on law-abiding Americans. If you want to change gun policy, you should run for office and make yourself accountable to voters. What\u2019s worse, these actions weren\u2019t enough for you, so you set your sights on forcing these radical and discriminatory policies on the entire financial system.\n\nThere was good reason that the ISO rejected your previous three applications for this policy, as such a move is purely political, not to mention the immense regulatory and compliance burden it will ultimately place on retailers.\n\nLet us be clear: weaponizing the financial system to enact far-left political goals is inexcusable. The fundamental rights of Americans should be legislated on and debated by the elected officials who are sent to Washington, D.C. on their constituents\u2019 behalf, and not by progressive activist CEOs or un-elected bureaucrats in Geneva.\n\nYou should consider this notice to retain all communications involving your role in ISO\u2019s categorization scheme, and you should anticipate testifying before Congress in the near future.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/senate-republicans-demand-administration-end-its-war-on-us-oil-and-gas", "Senate Republicans Demand Administration End Its War on U.S. Oil & Gas", "2022-10-05", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--In response to the U.S. Department of Interior\u2019s (DOI) draft proposal for the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Idaho\u2019s U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-Louisiana) and a group of their Republican colleagues in sending a letter rebuking the Biden Administration for its assault on domestic oil and gas production. In the draft proposal, the DOI hinted that it might cancel future lease sales for the next five years.\n\n\u201cAmerican families are struggling to keep up with rising costs due to inflation, high energy prices, and persistent supply chain issues,\u201d wrote the Senators. \u201cIt is our obligation to do everything within our power to help ease these burdens and remove this uncertainty for both Americans and our allies.\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of the most effective ways we can do this is to increase future domestic oil and natural gas production through long-term leasing certainty,\u201d continued the Senators. \u201cThe Department can help domestic energy production and put American energy consumers first.\u201d\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).\n\nRead the full letter here or below:\n\nDear Secretary Haaland:\n\nWe are writing regarding your July 1, 2022, release of the \u201cProposed Program\u201d for the Interior Department\u2019s Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. While the release of a \u201cProposed Program,\u201d after months of delay, is a step in the right direction, we are concerned by the Department\u2019s suggestion that a no lease option is a possibility for the final program. Further, failure to conduct any lease sales which encourage bidding could, as the Department says, cause increased air emissions from substitute production, primarily from overseas imports. We are also closely monitoring efforts by the administration to halt lease sales or to make lease sales economically unattractive in order to discourage bidding.\n\nAmerican families are struggling to keep up with rising costs due to inflation, high energy prices, and persistent supply chain issues. In addition, local businesses that are part of the ecosystem of U.S. energy production are being confronted with decisions that impact their employees and employees\u2019 families due to uncertainty about future natural resource development. Also, our allies in Europe are facing an energy crisis forcing the closure of manufacturing businesses and impacting supply chains which also leads to inflationary pressures throughout their economy. It is our obligation to do everything within our power to help ease these burdens and remove this uncertainty for both Americans and our allies.\n\nOne of the most effective ways we can do this is to increase future domestic oil and natural gas production through long-term leasing certainty. That is why we are encouraging 10 lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one lease sale in the Cook Inlet in the next five-year offshore leasing program.\n\nThe Department can help domestic energy production and put American energy consumers first. While the Department has awarded leases to the high bidders in Lease Sale 257, the Department should also 1) conduct the three congressionally mandated offshore lease sales with economically competitive terms and robust acreage that will attract significant industry interest; and 2) offer quarterly lease sales with desirable acreage across federal lands. Finalizing the five-year program with a commitment to semi-annual area-wide lease sales will also be a big step for American energy security and demonstrate to the American people the administration is serious about actions that can contribute to lower energy costs.\n\nWe appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to seeing the release of the Final National OCS Program for 2023-2028.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-back-bill-to-protect-parental-rights", "Crapo, Risch Back Bill to Protect Parental Rights", "2022-10-03", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined in co-sponsoring S. 4892, the Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their (PROTECT) Kids Act, which would protect parental rights by preventing schools from concealing information about students\u2019 gender from their parents.\n\n\u201cParents have the right to be actively involved in their children\u2019s lives,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cChildren deserve an education free from harmful social ideologies, and the federal government should not provide any funding to schools that deny parents the right to access crucial information about their child\u2019s wellbeing.\u201d\n\n\u201cOpen and transparent communication between schools and parents is critical for the development, education, and wellbeing of our children,\u201d said Risch. \u201cEducational environments that withhold critical information from parents can and will do more harm than good.\u201d\n\nThe PROTECT Kids Act would restrict federal funding for any elementary or middle school that allows students to change their pronouns, gender markers, or sex-based accommodations (including locker rooms and bathrooms) without the consent of their parents. The bill is supported by Parents Defending Education Action and Independent Women\u2019s Voice.\n\nRead full text of the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-welcomes-boise-interns-for-fall-2022-term", "Crapo Welcomes Boise Interns for Fall 2022 Term", "2022-10-03", "2022", "2022-10", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Boise, Idaho--Two interns have joined U.S. Senator Mike Crapo\u2019s (R-Idaho) Boise, Idaho, office for the fall 2022 term.\n\n\u201cInterns in my Boise office gain real-world experience in communications, constituent services and the federal legislative process,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cI encourage college students with an interest in government to submit an application for upcoming internship opportunities.\u201d\n\nJordan Montovino is a junior at Boise State University. She is studying political science with an emphasis in international relations and comparative governments and a minor in criminal justice.\n\nCyrus Vore is a Post Falls, Idaho, native and attends Boise State University. He is majoring in political science with a minor in film and a certification in business.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:20:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-further-spending-will-worsen-and-prolong-inflationary-pressures", "Crapo: Further Spending Will Worsen and Prolong Inflationary Pressures", "2022-09-29", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement regarding his vote on the Continuing Resolution (CR):\n\n\u201cWidespread inflation is not under control, and Americans are struggling to make ends meet as everyday essentials are becoming less affordable. This Continuing Resolution does not extend into the next Congress, and creates a pathway for lame-duck, progressive wish-list spending. Further spending will only worsen and prolong inflationary pressures on the American people.\u201d\n\nSenator Crapo recently signed a letter to his Senate colleagues urging the adoption of a \u201cclean\u201d CR free of additional spending and extraneous policy riders. The letter also called for the CR to carry over into the 118th Congress.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-stand-with-sportsmen-introduce-bill-to-stop-the-ban-of-traditional-ammo-and-tackle", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Stand with Sportsmen, Introduce Bill to Stop the Ban of Traditional Ammo & Tackle", "2022-09-26", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) and 20 additional colleagues to introduce legislation to prohibit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from banning the use of traditional lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science and state wildlife and fish agencies\n\n\u201cHunting and fishing are integral to the conservation and management of wildlife and part of the cultural fabric that binds Idahoans to the land and environment they love,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cLimiting access to hunting and fishing for food or recreation by implementing a blanket-ban on traditional ammo and tackle needlessly alienates many sportsmen who cannot access or afford lead alternatives.\u201d\n\n\u201cHunters and anglers are some of Idaho\u2019s greatest supporters of conservation,\u201d said Risch. \u201cBanning traditional lead ammunition and tackle on public lands would significantly limit sportsmen\u2019s access to recreation and directly reduce critical conservation tools and state revenues. As an avid outdoorsman, I am proud to support Idaho\u2019s long-held traditions and preserve Second Amendment rights for responsible, law-abiding sportsmen and women.\u201d\n\nLast spring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entered into settlement negotiations with activist organizations over a lawsuit regarding the use of traditional lead ammunition on more than 3 million acres of federal land. Crapo and Risch joined their colleagues in urging FWS Director Martha Williams not to cave in to activists\u2019 calls to restrict the use of lead ammo and tackle on public lands earlier this year.\n\nThis bill also comes one week after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a rule that, while expanding access to hunting and fishing at certain wildlife refuges, prohibited the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle.\n\nSenators John Thune (R-South Dakota), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Rounds (R-North Dakota), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Hoeven (R-South Dakota), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and Todd Young (R-Indiana) also co-sponsored the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-menendez-celebrate-senate-passage-of-resolution-recognizing-september-as-national-prostate-cancer-awareness-month", "Crapo, Menendez Celebrate Senate Passage of Resolution Recognizing September as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month", "2022-09-23", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) applaud the unanimous passage of Senate Resolution 645 in recognition of September 2022 as \u201cNational Prostate Awareness Month.\u201d\n\nCrapo and Menendez authored the bipartisan resolution aimed at increasing awareness of prostate cancer, which is the second-most common cancer in American men next to skin cancer. By recognizing this month as \u201cNational Prostate Awareness Month,\u201d the Senate also encouraged all Americans to take part in efforts to increase early detection, improve treatment and discover a cure for the disease. Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (D-New Jersey) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania) sponsored the resolution in the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cCheckups and testing for prostate cancer can save lives if found early,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cEarly screenings and warnings are vitally important to detecting and treating many other types of cancer as well. Congress must use every avenue available to continue raising awareness about the risks and early screenings to combat prostate cancer.\u201d\n\n\u201cProstate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, yet it\u2019s a highly preventable disease,\u201d said Menendez. \u201cCongress has a responsibility to promote awareness and encourage men across America to increase early detection and find better treatment, thereby increasing the survival rates of American men. Early detection is key to prostate cancer survival, and no one should think it\u2019s too early to discuss testing options with their healthcare provider.\"\n\n\u201cI am proud to introduce this resolution because prostate cancer is a major health problem and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths for African-American men nationwide,\u201d said Payne. \u201cIn addition, prostate cancer will account for more than one-third of all new cancers in African-American men this year alone. If we can raise awareness, we can encourage more Americans, especially African Americans, to get screened and get early treatments. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Men\u2019s Health Caucus and Colorectal Cancer Caucus, I am committed to raising awareness of this disease during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and encouraging more Americans to get regular prostate cancer screenings to catch this disease early and save lives.\u201d\n\n\"Each September we raise awareness for the nearly 1 in 8 men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer,\" said Fitzpatrick. \"More than 260,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone, and it is critical that we continue to search for a cure to this disease that affects so many people around the world.\"\n\nIdaho ranks fourth in the nation for prostate cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates 8,580 new prostate cancer cases and 750 deaths in 2022.\n\n\"Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is a key opportunity to ensure that every man knows his risk for prostate cancer, and how to take steps to catch the disease early. Early detection saves lives,\u201d said Jamie Bearse, President of ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer. \u201cSenators Menendez and Crapo have been stalwart champion of the cause - helping men and their families to fight prostate cancer - and we're proud to partner with them and our other champions in Congress during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and all year long.\"\n\nSenators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon.), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), Angus King (D-Maine), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Alex Padilla (D-California) also co-sponsored the resolution.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-applauds-nomination-of-travis-hill-to-fdic", "Crapo Applauds Nomination of Travis Hill to FDIC", "2022-09-20", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), member and former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, issued the following statement on the White House's intention to nominate Travis Hill to serve as a Member and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).\n\n\u201cTravis is a highly talented, respected individual who is exceptionally qualified to serve as Vice Chair and a Member of the Board at the FDIC. Throughout his time at the Senate Banking Committee and the FDIC, he demonstrated an understanding of the need to tailor regulation to risk in order to promote economic lending, and safety and soundness. He also helped to pass legislation making it easier for consumers to get mortgages and obtain credit, while also increasing important protections for veterans, senior citizens, victims of fraud and those who fall on hard financial times. I congratulate him on this well-deserved nomination.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-join-call-condemning-credit-card-ceos-for-infringing-on-americans-second-amendment-rights", "Crapo, Risch Join Call Condemning Credit Card CEOs For Infringing On Americans\u2019 Second Amendment Rights", "2022-09-20", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R- Idaho) joined 10 Senate Republican colleagues on a letter to the CEOs of Visa, Mastercard and American Express expressing concern over the decision to remove gun sales from being categorized as \u201cgeneral merchandise\u201d and instead placing gun sales into a separate, unique category. The recommendation came from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which has no authority over the affairs of American businesses. The Second Amendment is a fundamental right of law-abiding American citizens.\n\nThe letter reads, in part, \u201cThis decision, which is already being hailed by radical anti-gun activists, is the first step toward backdoor gun control on law-abiding Americans\u2026 Creating a new merchant code for gun transactions is a choice being made by each of your companies. You are choosing the side of gun control advocates over the privacy and Second Amendment rights of millions of law-abiding Americans\u2026 Your companies are the facilitators of the vast majority of daily financial transactions in America, and that gives you incredible influence over everyday commerce, and thus every American\u2019s very way of life. If you are intent on abusing that influence you will leave Congress no choice but to intercede on behalf of our constituents and all of the law abiding Americans who will not stand by as large banks and the payment networks that serve them do an end run around their constitutional Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms\u2026\u201d\n\nThe Senators concluded their letter by requesting answers from the CEOs related to what factors influenced each company to settle on this new policy, how the recategorization of gun sales backs up claims that the action would reduce gun violence and if customers would be able to continue to use these companies\u2019 services without discrimination, among other issues.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-lead-resolution-acknowledging-forensics-vital-role-in-justice-system", "Crapo, Risch Lead Resolution Acknowledging Forensics Vital Role In Justice System", "2022-09-20", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--The U.S. Senate unanimously agreed to a Senate Resolution designating September 18-24, 2022, as National Forensic Science Week. The Resolution, introduced by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), recognizes the role forensic science plays in the investigation, prosecution and conviction of crimes, as well as exoneration of the innocent.\n\n\u201cForensic science plays a critical role in the proper function of our justice system,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe Senate\u2019s unanimous support of this Resolution acknowledges these specially-trained scientists\u2019 essential contributions to bringing justice for victims and exonerating the falsely accused.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a former prosecutor, I\u2019ve seen firsthand key findings of forensic science exonerate the innocent, identify criminals, and provide closure for victims,\u201d said Risch. \u201cI am proud to honor and recognize the important work forensic scientists do for our justice system.\u201d\n\n\u201cNational Forensic Science Week is an opportunity to honor the outstanding work of forensic science professionals that work hard each day to identify perpetrators of crime, exonerate the innocent, and bring resolution to cases for the criminal justice system and victims of crime,\u201d said Matthew Gamette, Idaho State Police Forensic Services Laboratory System Director. \u201cWe appreciate the support and recognition from Congress and especially our Idaho Senators and their staff for the hard work these scientists and doctors put in every day in Idaho and all over the United States. National Forensic Science Week is a great time to focus on the growing financial and workforce needs of the forensic science community, talking about continuing to advance the science and technology, and rewarding those performing this critical work.\n\nRead the full text of the resolution HERE and below.\n\nWhereas the Senate is committed to the use of forensic science in the investigation of crimes, the prosecution and conviction of the correct perpetrators of crimes, and the exoneration of innocent individuals falsely accused of crimes in the United States;\n\nWhereas forensic science service providers address critical questions in civil and criminal investigations and trials in the United States, including by providing scientific conclusions relating to forensic evidence;\n\nWhereas forensic science service providers partner with\u2014\n\n(1) Federal agencies to build and maintain criminal databases relating to latent prints, DNA, and other information relevant to criminal cases; and 2\n\n(2) Federal, State, and local agencies to ensure public safety;\n\nWhereas forensic science service providers serve a vital role in the criminal justice system by providing scientific information to investigators and officers of the court; and\n\nWhereas the fourth week in September 2022 is recognized as \u2018\u2018National Forensic Science Week\u2019\u2019: Now, therefore, be it\n\nResolved, That the Senate\u2014\n\n(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Forensic Science Week; and\n\n(2) recognizes that National Forensic Science Week provides a special opportunity for\u2014\n\n(A) forensic science service providers to\u2014\n\n(i) acknowledge the contributions of forensic scientists in the laboratories in which those individuals work;\n\n(ii) organize community events to encourage a better understanding of forensic science;\n\n(iii) provide tours to Federal, State, and local policymakers to assist those individuals in gaining better insight into the current capabilities of forensic science service providers and the future demands that forensic science service providers will face; and\n\n(iv) contact and invite local media outlets to cover events hosted during National Forensic Science Week;\n\n(B) local policymakers to\u2014\n\n(i) recognize, through formal commendation or resolution, the contributions of local forensic science laboratories to the communities of those policymakers;\n\n(ii) formally declare the fourth week of September 2022 to be \u2018\u2018National Forensic Science Week\u2019\u2019 by proclamation;\n\n(iii) visit local forensic science laboratories to gain an understanding of the capabilities and needs of those laboratories; and\n\n(iv) discuss the operational needs of State and local forensic science labora18\n\ntories;\n\n(C) individuals in the United States, including members of the media, to\u2014\n\n(i) attend community events sponsored by local forensic science laboratories;\n\n(ii) take tours of local forensic science laboratories; and\n\n(iii) ask local forensic science laboratories about the operational and legislative needs of those laboratories;\n\n(D) members of the media to highlight local news stories that focus on the work of local forensic science laboratories in the communities that those laboratories serve; and\n\n(E) public safety officers, law enforcement officers, and officers of the court to\n\n(i) attend community events sponsored by local forensic science laboratories;\n\n(ii) take tours of local forensic science laboratories;\n\n(iii) discuss the operational needs of State and local forensic science laboratories; and\n\n(iv) engage with local forensic science laboratories about working together more effectively.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-welcomes-interns-for-fall-2022-term", "Crapo Welcomes Interns for Fall 2022 Term", "2022-09-16", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Two interns have joined U.S. Senator Mike Crapo\u2019s (R-Idaho) Washington, D.C., office for the fall 2022 term.\n\n\u201cAn internship in the D.C. office provides firsthand experience in the federal legislative process,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cIt is exciting to continue our internship program each term as new interns have the chance to grow and prosper as they assist in the service to Idahoans.\u201d\n\nAlonso Aguayo currently attends Brigham Young University, Idaho, where he is studying political science and finance. After graduation, Aguayo plans to continue to pursue his passion for public diplomacy and international affairs.\n\nJace DeMond is a Meridian, Idaho, native and recently graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in accounting. DeMond\u2019s time in his university\u2019s Tax Policy Club has sparked his interest in tax and public policy, which he plans to learn more about during his internship.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-mortgage-rates-reaching-6-percenthighest-levels-since-2008-financial-crisis", "Crapo Statement on Mortgage Rates Reaching 6 Percent\u2014Highest Levels Since 2008 Financial Crisis", "2022-09-15", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Mortgage rates hit six percent today, more than double just one year ago, and the highest rates since the 2008 financial crisis, 14 years ago. U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement on the news:\n\n\u201cMortgage rates have more than doubled from last year and are at the highest point since the 2008 financial crisis. As the Fed continues to consider higher interest rates to tamp down inflationary pressures, mortgage rates are poised to go even higher, making it all the more challenging for many Idahoans and other Americans to buy homes. Instead of taking actions to address root causes of inflation, the Administration pursued more reckless spending that will further fuel inflation and add to our national debt. We should be getting inflation under control by unleashing American energy; cutting the red tape of burdensome regulations; and stopping unrestrained government spending.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-delegation-applauds-micron-announcement", "Idaho Delegation Applauds Micron Announcement", "2022-09-02", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "BOISE, Idaho \u2013 Today, the Idaho Congressional Delegation applauded Micron Technology on its announcement that it will construct a new memory chip plant in Boise, the first new memory semiconductor manufacturing fab built in the U.S. in the last 20 years.\n\n\u201cMicron expanding its home in Boise ensures the semiconductor industry will continue to innovate and develop new technologies that keep Idaho on the leading edge for research and development,\u201d Senator Mike Crapo said. \u201cThis expansion is valuable to our state, workforce and economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cIdaho and Micron have been partners since Day One of the company\u2019s founding right here in the Treasure Valley. Micron\u2019s announcement of a new fab coming to Boise deepens that partnership,\u201d said Senator Jim Risch. \u201cThis newest plant will strengthen American memory chip manufacturing and help ensure the U.S. is self-reliant for this key technology. Congratulations to all the employees at Micron on this announcement as Idaho continues to lead the way in semiconductor innovation and success.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am thrilled to hear the news that Micron will be building such a critical facility for U.S. national and economic security here in Idaho,\u201d said Congressman Mike Simpson. \u201cMicron has always been a technological leader in the field and I am so pleased they will continue their cutting-edge work right where they started.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs an early employee of Micron, it has been remarkable to see their lasting impact on Idaho\u2019s success,\u201d said Congressman Russ Fulcher. \u201cThis new investment will not only build on this success, but will also improve America\u2019s position in the semiconductor industry.\u201d\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-inflation-impacting-idahos-agriculture-industry-is-out-of-control", "Crapo: Inflation Impacting Idaho\u2019s Agriculture Industry is Out of Control", "2022-08-26", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Twin Falls, Idaho--Thursday, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led Idaho agricultural producers in a news conference on the inflationary pressure impacting Idaho\u2019s agriculture industry.\n\n\u201cSustained high inflation impacting Idaho\u2019s agriculture industry is out of control,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cThe party-line budget reconciliation bills Congressional Democrats pursued the past two years only added fuel to the inflation fire with unwarranted increases in federal spending. Further, the tax increases in the \u2018Inflation Reduction Act\u2019 will only make matters worse by increasing burdens on businesses that continue to deal with supply-chain disruptions and the added costs of delivering goods to the marketplace.\u201d\n\nCrapo was joined at the conference by Idaho Farm Bureau CEO Zak Miller and Twin Falls County Farm Bureau President Larry Hollifield. Miller and Hollifield added to the Senator\u2019s concerns regarding sustained high inflation and its impacts on Idaho\u2019s producers.\n\n\u201cAs a farmer, we are used to good and bad years; that is normal,\u201d Hollifield said. \u201cHowever, there is a great concern about inflated farm inputs. We don\u2019t know how long they are going to last.\u201d\n\nAs the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over international trade, Crapo continues to put pressure on the Biden Administration to pursue more trade agreements.\n\n\u201cSound trade policies that open more international markets to Idaho-produced agricultural goods are also another critical area we can fight inflation and increase economic opportunities for our Gem State agricultural producers,\u201d Crapo said.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-biden-300-billion-student-loan-plan", "Crapo Statement on Biden $300 Billion Student Loan Plan", "2022-08-25", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Twin Falls, Idaho - U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement in response to President Joe Biden's $300 billion student loan plan:\n\n\u201cThe current higher education system warrants careful review as rising tuition costs and the amount of loans disbursed for education continue to saddle students and graduates with financial difficulties. But placing the burden of our nation\u2019s outstanding student loan debt on taxpayers is both irresponsible and unaffordable as we continue to grapple with already record-high inflation. The Penn-Wharton Budget Model estimates this cancellation will cost taxpayers $300 billion, and those in the top 60 percent income bracket will see the largest share of the benefit. Broad student loan debt cancellation does nothing to address the underlying issue of the exorbitant costs of tuition, which will only balloon even further.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-honor-idaho-falls-team-with-spirit-of-idaho", "Crapo to Honor Idaho Falls Team With Spirit of Idaho", "2022-08-23", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Idaho Falls, Idaho--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will present the Spirit of Idaho Award to the Idaho Falls Bandits at 7:05 PM at Melaleuca Field on Wednesday, August 24, prior to the Idaho Falls Chukars v. Boise Hawks game.\n\nThe back-to-back American Legion World Series Champions became the second team in the history of American Legion Baseball to play for a third consecutive title last week, and lost a hard-fought championship game to Troy, Alabama. They earned their trip to the World Series after becoming the Northwest Regional Champions by defeating Cheyenne, Wyoming, 6-5, in the Northwest regional championship game.\n\n\u201cThe heart and dedication it takes to return to the American Legion Baseball World Series Championship game for the third year in a row is to be commended,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cI applaud The Bandits for embodying the Spirit of Idaho through their talent, determination and upstanding examples as ambassadors for the city of Idaho Falls and state of Idaho on the national stage.\u201d\n\n\u201cSince 2012, the Idaho Falls Post 56 Bandits have been building teams with the discipline and commitment it takes to be champions,\u201d Bandits Coach Ryan Alexander said. \u201cOur players apply this to everything they do in life. Every new team embraces the history of the last team. Our success passes on from year to year, team to team, and player to player. Every Bandits team is different, but the dedication to hard work and sacrifice of each player only grows, creating a legacy, representing our Post 56 heroes and the great state of Idaho. It is an honor that Senator Crapo recognizes this legacy as well.\u201d\n\nThe Spirit of Idaho Award was created by Crapo in 2000 to honor the acts of service by Idahoans for their commitment to improving their community and serving their fellow citizens. Crapo has presented more than 600 Spirit of Idaho Awards since the award\u2019s inception.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-honor-magic-valley-resident-with-spirit-of-idaho-award", "Crapo To Honor Magic Valley Resident with Spirit of Idaho Award", "2022-08-23", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Twin Falls, Idaho--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will present the Spirit of Idaho Award to Forrest Andersen of Murtaugh at Stricker Elementary School in Kimberly at 8:45 AM on Thursday, August 25.\n\nAndersen raised $15,000 to outfit Magic Valley school resource officers (SRO) with new rifle-rated body armor.\n\n\u201cI applaud Forrest for seeing a need in his community and taking the initiative to fill that need,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cHe embodies the Spirit of Idaho with his selfless and enterprising example.\u201d\n\nPrior to Andersen\u2019s endeavor, SROs had rifle-rated body armor, but it was too heavy to wear throughout the school day. New, modern body armor is thinner and weighs little more than 1lb. As the school year kicks off, SROs throughout the Magic Valley will be better protected as they perform their primary duty--protecting our children and teachers.\n\n\u201cThe Magic Valley is very fortunate to have community-minded individuals such as Mr. Andersen,\u201d Kimberly School District Superintendent Luke Schroder said. \u201cKimberly School District is very grateful for his generosity.\"\n\n\u201cWhat a wonderful community we live and work in, where citizens and law enforcement work together to meet the needs and solve the issues that arise in our community,\u201d Kimberly Police Chief Jeff Perry said.\n\nThe Spirit of Idaho Award was created by Crapo in 2000 to honor the acts of service by Idahoans for their commitment to improving their community and serving their fellow citizens. Crapo has presented more than 600 Spirit of Idaho Awards since the award\u2019s inception.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-lead-news-conference-on-inflation-impacting-idahos-agriculture-industry", "Crapo to Lead News Conference On Inflation Impacting Idaho\u2019s Agriculture Industry", "2022-08-22", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Twin Falls, Idaho--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will lead Idaho agricultural producers in a news conference on the inflationary pressure impacting Idaho\u2019s agriculture industry.\n\n\u201cSustained high inflation is out of control,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cIdahoans continue to feel the pain of record high inflation and broad-based, rapid price increases. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the agriculture industry where Idaho farmers are experiencing increases across their operations--from seed, chemical and fertilizer to the diesel used in harvest equipment and shipping, all of which culminate in higher costs for the consumer.\u201d\n\nDETAILS:\n\nWHAT: News conference on the inflationary pressure impacting Idaho\u2019s agriculture industry.\n\nWHO: U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)\n\nZak Miller, Idaho Farm Bureau CEO\n\nLarry Hollifield, Twin Falls County Farm Bureau President\n\nWHEN: Thursday, August 25, 2022\n\n2:00 PM (MDT)", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-protecting-taxpayers-earning-under-400000-from-increased-irs-scrutiny", "Crapo Statement on Protecting Taxpayers Earning Under $400,000 from Increased IRS Scrutiny", "2022-08-11", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement on increased funding for the IRS included in the \u201cInflation Reduction Act,\u201d and his amendment to protect small businesses and middle-class taxpayers from increased audits.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s clear that the President, the IRS, and the Secretary of Treasury are scrambling to protest that they are not going to increase audits on people making less than $400,000. However, when given the opportunity to vote on the Senate floor and put into binding statute that increased funds could not be used to increase audits on those making less than $400,000 per year, every single Democratic senator voted no. When I offered my amendment to simply make it clear that the $80 billion being given to the IRS--six times its current annual budget--could not be utilized to audit people making less than $400,000, the most they would agree to was to say they did not \u2018intend\u2019 to audit them. That\u2019s because they know from the analysis of the Joint Committee on Taxation that most underreported income occurs among taxpayers earning less than $200,000 per year, and from the Congressional Budget Office that they cannot collect the $200 billion they are claiming without auditing people making less than $400,000. If they truly do not intend to audit anyone making less than $400,000, then they would have supported my amendment, turning \u2018intent\u2019 into binding statute.\u201d\n\nOn August 7, Senator Crapo offered an amendment during consideration of the \u201cInflation Reduction Act\u201d to prevent the IRS from using any of the $80 billion of funding for audits on individuals and small businesses with taxable incomes below $400,000. Senate Democrats rejected the amendment along party lines, 50-50.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-offers-amendment-to-protect-middle-class-small-businesses-from-supersized-irs", "Crapo Offers Amendment to Protect Middle Class, Small Businesses from Supersized IRS", "2022-08-07", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) filed an amendment to the Democrats\u2019 misleadingly-named \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022\u201d to prevent the IRS from using its massive, $80 billion cash infusion on enforcement actions designed to squeeze more revenue out of American taxpayers who earn less than $400,000 per year.\n\n\u201cMy colleagues claim this massive funding boost will allow the IRS to go after millionaires, billionaires and so-called rich \u2018tax cheats,\u2019 but the reality is a significant portion raised from their IRS funding bloat would come from taxpayers with income below $400,000,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cOtherwise, why would the legislative text say the funding isn\u2019t intended to target taxpayers below that threshold? My colleagues and Americans know the real answer: small business owners, cash-heavy businesses and those who can\u2019t afford legal teams are easy targets for the new IRS agents and their audits. My amendment would ensure the Democrats\u2019 supersized-IRS proposal cannot violate the President\u2019s pledge to not raise taxes on those making less than $400,000.\u201d\n\nSenator Crapo\u2019s amendment would prevent the IRS from using any of the supersized $80 billion of funding for audits on hard-working American taxpayers, including individuals and small businesses, with taxable incomes below $400.000.\n\nThe amendment has teeth, in contrast to the Democrats\u2019 bill containing merely an unenforceable statement of intention to not squeeze more revenue out of the middle class.\n\nSenate Democrats voted the amendment down along party lines, 50-50.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-votes-against-democrats-damaging-tax-and-spend-bill", "Crapo Votes Against Democrats\u2019 Damaging Tax-and-Spend Bill", "2022-08-07", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, today voted against the Democrats\u2019 mislabeled \u201cInflation Reduction Act,\u201d a partisan, filibuster-proof budget proposal that does nothing to bring the economy out of stagnation and recession, and instead gives Americans higher taxes, more spending, higher prices and an army of IRS agents.\n\n\u201cAt the beginning of this Congress, my Democrat colleagues used this same process to ram through the \u2018American Rescue Plan\u2019 along party lines, with promises that $1.9 trillion of debt-financed spending was going to save the country and fix everyone\u2019s concerns,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cWhere are we today? Inflation at 9.1 percent, which we told them was coming. Gas prices have doubled. Economic stagnation. Semantic arguments about what defines a recession, like the one Democrats are making, miss the point. Sixty-five percent of Americans already think we are in a recession, and more than eighty percent of the country say our economy is on the wrong track. We should be working together on policies to bring us out of this economic quagmire, but the bill we voted on today doubles down on a tried-and-failed tax-and-spend strategy. This bill does nothing to address the significant inflation we are facing, or to ease burdens born today by low- and middle-income Americans. Rather, it promises higher taxes, more reckless spending, higher prices, a supersized IRS and prolonged stagflation.\n\n\u201cBefore the pandemic, we were experiencing one of the strongest economies in a lifetime. Employment was up, wages were up, capital formation came back to the United States, and the inflation rate hovered around 1.5 percent. We know pro-growth policies work, and I will continue to fight for them.\u201d\n\nAs Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Crapo spoke on the Senate Floor against the Democrats\u2019 reckless tax-and-spending spree, outlining concerns with proposals to increase taxes on Americans across all incomes. You can read those remarks here.\n\nSenate Republicans filed hundreds of amendments to blunt the worst provisions in the legislation. As the lead Republican of the Senate Finance Committee, Crapo offered several commonsense amendments to the Democrats\u2019 social spending spree, none of which were adopted. Crapo\u2019s amendments included:\n\nProhibiting the Use of Additional IRS Funding to Audit Taxpayers with Taxable Income Under $400,000: Democrats\u2019 bill included a massive $80 billion in unaccountable funding for the IRS, more than half of which is dedicated to enforcement. This amendment would have prevented the use of additional IRS funds from being used for audits of taxpayers with incomes below $400,000 in order to protect low- and middle-income earning American taxpayers from an onslaught of audits from an army of new IRS auditors funded by an unprecedented, nearly $80 billion, infusion of new funds. While Democrats chose to shirk their professed \u201cintent\u201d and misdirect with stale rhetoric about \u201ctax cheats\u201d and \u201cthe rich,\u201d none chose to vote for this amendment which independent analysts have shown would protect middle-class American workers and small businesses from increased taxes resulting from an audit tsunami released by the Democrat-supersized IRS.\n\nProtecting Taxpayers from IRS Targeting for Political, Religious, or Ideological Beliefs: This amendment would have prevented the use of additional IRS funds for audits of taxpayers with incomes below $400,000, or targeting of taxpayers for political, religious, or ideological beliefs.\n\nPreventing New IRS Systems to Monitor Taxpayers\u2019 Bank Accounts: The Administration has proposed allowing the IRS to monitor the transactions of deposits and withdrawals of Americans who have more than $10,000 worth of transactions in a year\u2014a pernicious bank-reporting dragnet. While explicit language authorizing the Democrats\u2019 desire to snoop on Americans\u2019 bank transactions was not included in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, Crapo\u2019s amendment would have prevented the IRS from using funding to construct or operate a system for providing information on and monitoring taxpayer flows of deposits or withdrawals in taxpayers\u2019 private accounts with financial institutions or payment providers in order to protect taxpayer privacy.\n\nReplacing Bureaucratic Drug Price Controls with Solutions that Lower Costs while Ensuring Access to Life-Saving New Treatments and Cures: This amendment would have replaced the system of bureaucratic drug price controls that will lead to higher launch prices, stifle growth, gut domestic manufacturing jobs and aid foreign adversaries, like China, with Crapo\u2019s Lower Costs, More Cures Act, legislation that would lower prescription drug prices and encourage new treatments.\n\nProtecting Taxpayer Data and Preventing Data Leaks: This amendment would have provided for the use of Internal Revenue Service funds to further privacy protections against leaks of private, legally protected taxpayer data outside of the Internal Revenue Service, as we have seen with leaks of private, legally-protected individual taxpayer data to the pro-tax media group ProPublica, and for establishment of universal audit trails to track the utilization and access of personal taxpayer data at the IRS to monitor who within and outside of the IRS is looking at your personal tax information.\n\nRedirect $80 billion IRS Slush Fund to Shore Up Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund: Rather than provide an unprecedented $80 billion infusion of taxpayer funds to the IRS, this amendment would have repurposed the use of those taxpayer resources to help shore up the nearly-exhausted Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-democrats-are-proposing-more-taxes-more-spending-higher-prices-and-an-army-of-irs-agents", "Crapo: Democrats are Proposing More Taxes, More Spending, Higher Prices, and an Army of IRS Agents", "2022-08-06", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, delivered remarks on the Democrats\u2019 reckless tax-and-spending bill, outlining what Americans can expect from the mislabeled Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: more taxes, more spending, higher prices, and an army of IRS auditors.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s too many taxes, too much spending, too big of a burden on American people across all income categories.\u201d\n\nTo watch Crapo\u2019s full remarks, click HERE or the image above.\n\nOn the state of the economy:\n\nThe nonpartisan Penn Wharton Budget Model says the \u201cInflation Reduction Act\u201d will, if anything, raise inflation in the first few years, with a small and insignificant negative effect later in this decade. That same model concludes that there is \u201clow confidence that the legislation will have any impact on inflation.\u201d\n\nBut it does have an impact on all of us and our economy.\n\nThe bill does nothing to bring the economy out of stagnation and recession. Rather, the \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022\u201d gives us higher taxes, more spending, higher prices, and an army of IRS agents.\n\nOn tax hikes:\n\nHundreds of billions of dollars raised through taxes\u2013around $350 to $400 billion. There\u2019s a new book minimum tax on corporations; a new tax on stock buybacks\u2026\n\nThere\u2019s\u2014believe it or not\u2014a new tax on gasoline, on oil and gas and refineries at the very time when our President has shut down production of oil and gas on our interior and offshore, and has stopped the Keystone XL pipeline, basically freezing America\u2019s production and driving us from a state of energy independence to a state of energy dependence, where we have to ask our friends and often our enemies across the globe to increase their gas production to help us deal with our prices at the pump.\n\nEveryone in America knows that corporations don\u2019t bear the burden of the taxes we put on them. Who does? Workers, consumers and owners.\n\nMy colleagues are quick to say this is just rich people and rich companies who are \u201ctax cheats.\u201d But the owners of the corporations are primarily people in America who have retired and are leaning on a pension, or who have not yet retired or are trying to save money for retirement by putting their money into 401(k)s or other investment programs.\n\nThat\u2019s who bears the burden of these taxes.\n\nOn the costs of the bill outweighing purported benefits:\n\nIn response to this data that we\u2019ve been able to show about the very tax proposals in this bill the Democrats surprisingly have claimed that this Joint Tax Committee analysis isn\u2019t valid because it didn\u2019t include the effects of their spending that they were putting into the bill.\n\nWell that\u2019s a novel idea\u2014it\u2019s okay to raise taxes and it\u2019s okay to put more tax burden on people making less than $400,000 because we\u2019re going to be sending some subsidies to some of them.\n\nSo, we asked the JCT to include those subsidies in its analysis.\n\nThe analysis that incorporated the Obamacare subsidies shows that burdens of the proposed tax increases in the Democrats\u2019 reckless bill would be so substantial and so widespread throughout all income categories\u2014I repeat, all income categories\u2014that no amount of temporary health care credits, or subsidies for $80,000 luxury SUVs, will overcome the tax increase burdens that would be overwhelmingly felt by lower- and middle-income Americans.\n\nOn prescription drug price controls:\n\nThe largest source of proposed savings in the Democrats\u2019 bill is a system of bureaucratic drug price controls that will lead to higher launch prices, stifle growth, gut domestic manufacturing jobs and aid foreign adversaries, like China.\n\nSenate Republicans have developed a commonsense alternative, based on more than two dozen solutions aimed at providing relief at the pharmacy counter while ensuring long-term access to life-saving new treatments and cures.\n\nThese are the kinds of solutions that our prescriptions drug pricing system requires, not an arbitrary and offensive federal price-fixing program.\n\nOn plans to supersize the IRS:\n\nThis bill proposes $80 billion in mandatory appropriations to the IRS. Let me give you a little perspective\u2014the annual budget of the IRS is only about $12.6 billion. Nearly six times the annual budget of the current IRS. Of this, $45.6 billion is for enforcement purposes. That\u2019s more than 57 percent, almost 60 percent of this $80 billion is for enforcement purposes.\n\nSome estimate the $46 billion for an army of auditors may allow the IRS to hire as many as 87,000 new agents. That would make the IRS one of the largest federal agencies--larger than the Pentagon, State Department, FBI, and Border Patrol combined.\n\n\u2026\n\nMultiple studies show that in order to raise the money they are requiring to be raised under this bill, around $200 billion of more tax revenue from Americans by auditing them, they have nowhere else to look.\n\n\u2026\n\nIn response to this criticism, they included a sentence that said, \u201cnothing in this bill is \u2018intended\u2019--focus on that word, nothing in this bill is \u201cintended\u201d\u2014to increase taxes on those making less than $400,000.\u201d\n\nWhy did they use the word \u201cintended\u201d? Because they know that\u2019s not what they want to happen, but it\u2019s what will have to happen, and they are not willing to use a stronger word.\n\nI have asked them, and I will ask them in an amendment on this Floor, to say that \u201cnone of this money can be used to audit taxpayers making less than $400,000 a year.\u201d\n\nLet\u2019s see how they vote on that amendment.\n\n____________________________________________________________\n\nRemarks as prepared for delivery:\n\nI\u2019d like to start by going back to near the beginning of this Congress when we were debating what was called \u201cThe American Rescue Plan.\u201d\n\nWe were told then by our colleagues on the other side that this was going to \u201csave the country.\u201d $1.9 trillion of debt-financed spending they said was going to fix everybody\u2019s concerns in the United States.\n\nWhere are we today? 9.1 percent consumer price inflation, which we told them was coming. Gas prices doubling. Economic stagnation: GDP contracted by 0.9 percent in the second quarter, and we\u2019re now arguing over semantics about what defines a recession. 65 percent of the country already think we are in a recession, and more than 80 percent of the country think our economy is on the wrong track.\n\nThe nonpartisan Penn Wharton Budget Model says the \u201cInflation Reduction Act\u201d will, if anything, raise inflation in the first few years, with a small and insignificant negative effect later in this decade.\n\nThat same model concludes that there is \u201clow confidence that the legislation will have any impact on inflation.\u201d\n\nBut it does have an impact on all of us and our economy.\n\nThe bill does nothing to bring the economy out of stagnation and recession. Rather, the \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022\u201d gives us higher taxes, more spending, higher prices, and an army of IRS agents.\n\nHIGHER TAXES\n\nLet\u2019s talk about the taxes first.\n\nHundreds of billions of dollars raised through taxes\u2014around $350 to $400 billion.\n\nThere\u2019s a new book minimum tax on corporations; a new tax on stock buybacks;\n\nThere\u2019s\u2014believe this or not\u2014a new tax on gasoline, on oil and gas and refineries at the very time when our President has shut down production of oil and gas on our interior and offshore, and has stopped the Keystone XL pipeline, basically freezing America\u2019s production and driving us from a state of energy independence to a state of energy dependence, where we have to ask our friends and often our enemies across the globe to increase their gas production to help us deal with our prices at the pump.\n\nAnd this book minimum tax\u2014everyone in America knows that corporations don\u2019t bear the burden of the taxes we put on them. Who does? Workers, consumers and owners.\n\nA recent National Bureau of Economic Research study estimates 31 percent is borne by consumers via price hikes at a time when we\u2019re dealing with record inflation; 38 percent is borne by workers via lower wages, or less employment; and 31 percent is borne by owners.\n\nMy colleagues are quick to say this is just rich people and rich companies who are \u201ctax cheats.\u201d But the owners of the corporations are primarily people in America who have retired and are leaning on a pension, or who have not yet retired or are trying to save money for retirement by putting their money into 401(k)s or other investment programs.\n\nThat\u2019s who bears the burden of these taxes.\n\nWe asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) to tell us who will bear the burden of these tax hikes. They told us that in 2023, taxes will increase by $16.7 billion on American taxpayers earning less than $200,000. Another $14.1 billion would come from taxpayers earning between $200,000 and $500,000.\n\nBy 2031, when the new green energy credits and subsidies provide an even greater benefit to those with higher incomes, those earning below $400,000 are projected to bear as much as two-thirds of the burden of the additional tax revenue collected that year.\n\nThat\u2019s what we\u2019re being offered as a solution to the crisis that we are now facing in our economy.\n\nAnd, as I\u2019ll discuss later, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has recently confirmed that a significant portion of revenue that the IRS supersized funding Democrats claim will be forthcoming comes from audits that will squeeze tens of billions out of taxpayers earning less than $400,000.\n\nSo, in response to this data that we\u2019ve been able to show about the very tax proposals in this bill the Democrats surprisingly have claimed that this Joint Tax Committee analysis isn\u2019t valid because it didn\u2019t include the effects of their spending that they were putting into the bill.\n\nWell that\u2019s a novel idea\u2014it\u2019s okay to raise taxes and it\u2019s okay to put more tax burden on people making less than $400,000 because we\u2019re going to be sending some subsidies to some of them.\n\nSo, we asked the JCT to include those subsidies in its analysis, which they did.\n\nThe analysis that incorporated the Obamacare subsidies shows that burdens of the proposed tax increases in the Democrats\u2019 reckless bill would be so substantial and so widespread throughout all income categories\u2014I repeat, all income categories--that no amount of temporary health care credits, or subsidies for $80,000 luxury SUVs, will overcome the tax increase burdens that would be overwhelmingly felt by lower- and middle-income Americans.\n\nFew, if any, Americans will get a net reduction in their tax burden. And for any that do, it will only be temporary. The vast majority will still bear the burden of these taxes.\n\nBook Minimum Tax\n\nThe book minimum tax does not close loopholes\u2014it raises taxes on U.S. companies by hundreds of billions of dollars.\n\nAnd, it would not prevent all companies from paying zero tax. Instead, it would let some of the companies preferred by the Democrats continue to avoid their taxes by using\u2014not loopholes\u2014but legitimate provisions for R&D and other kinds of tax credits that are intended to incentivize the conduct of those companies.\n\nJCT has already estimated that half of the burden of the book minimum tax would fall on manufacturers.\n\nIn other words, as 252 trade associations and chambers of commerce from across the country said when they realized that close to half this burden would fall on manufacturers:\n\n\u201cEnacting the proposed Corporate Book Minimum Tax would be the antithesis of sound tax policy and administration. Its introduction would be neither simple nor administrable and would pose a competitive disadvantage to U.S.-headquartered businesses while increasing the incidence of unrelieved double taxation. It would also have a detrimental effect on the quality of financial reporting.\u201d\n\nThe Business Roundtable said:\n\n\u201c[T]he proposed book minimum tax would, among other things, suppress domestic investment when increased investment is needed to spur a strong recovery. This tax hike would also undermine the competitiveness of America\u2019s exporters.\n\nEven with a carve-out for accelerated depreciation, there remain many unresolved problems within the design and structure of the minimum tax that make it a poor revenue option.\n\nStock Buybacks\n\nLet\u2019s go to the next tax they raise: stock buybacks.\n\nOnce again, my colleagues on the other side are quick to attack any company that does a stock buyback, saying they\u2019re trying to make owners of their stock who are \u201crich tax cheaters\u201d even more wealthy.\n\nI\u2019ve already explained that the owners of that stock are the vast majority of Americans who are retired, working toward retirement or who are trying to invest a little bit to get ahead.\n\nDespite Democrats\u2019 claim that they are only closing loopholes, they are doubling down and proposing a new $74 billion tax increase on U.S. companies.\n\nDemocrats want to create a third layer of tax on American companies, which will have the harshest impact on seniors and other savers.\n\nThe WSJ in a recent editorial explained:\n\n\u201cCompanies use buybacks to return cash to shareholders for which they don\u2019t have a better use. Shareholders who sell shares back to the company can invest the proceeds elsewhere. That beats letting the cash sit on corporate books earning interest while CEOs get complacent or decide to buy a business they don\u2019t understand how to run.\n\n\u201cBuybacks aren\u2019t tax free: Owners who sell shares back to the company realize a taxable capital gain. Any boost in the share price contributes to a higher taxable gain for remaining owners when they sell their shares in the future.\n\n\u201cWhy not pay dividends instead? Companies and shareholders might prefer buybacks in some instances, such as if the company is disbursing a one-time lump sum or shifting the balance of equity and debt on its books. For the economy overall, buybacks have the effect of distributing capital specifically to those owners who choose to participate because they believe they have a more productive use for it. Capital flows from companies that don\u2019t need it to companies that do.\n\nDemocrats are telling companies, if you return value to your retirees or to 401(k) plans or to pension plans, then you will pay a punitive tax.\n\nThe majority of American households have direct or indirect ownership of corporate stock via pensions, 401(k)s, or other savings vehicles. Eighty to 100 million Americans have a 401(k). 46.4 million households have an individual retirement account. Half of Generation-Zers and Millennials are invested in stocks.\n\nSeniors are especially dependent on investment income.\n\nAn Association of Mature American Citizens report shows that 68 percent of workers between the ages of 55-64 were active participants in a retirement plan to save for their golden years, and that on average 40 percent of seniors\u2019 net worth is held in stocks and mutual funds invested over and above those retirement accounts.\n\nCompanies also rely on investments by individuals and institutions like pension funds to finance their operations.\n\nSuccessful companies use this capital to generate profits, which are then used for expansion, research and development, hiring and benefits, and investment in communities. Companies may also choose to pay down debt or return excess funds to shareholders\n\nRestricting stock buybacks could force companies to sit on cash or waste it on low-potential projects--both of which limit our economic growth and prosperity.\n\nAs the Tax Foundation points out:\n\n\u201cA large body of evidence supports the idea that companies generally only consider stock buybacks when they have exhausted their investment opportunities and met their other obligations, meaning it is residual cash flow that is used for buybacks. In fact, stock buybacks can supplement capital investments, as they can help reallocate capital from old, established firms to new and innovative firms.\u201d\n\nThis unvetted stock buybacks tax is a crippling tax that reduces retirement security for Americans.\n\nTax on American Energy\n\nLet\u2019s go to the next tax they propose, and this one is a little difficult to understand\u2014the Superfund tax and methane fee.\n\nI understand why they call it the Superfund tax\u2014it\u2019s a 16.4 percent increase on oil and gas production in the United States.\n\nAccording to the Energy Information Agency, regular gasoline prices have risen $1.94 per gallon since President Biden was inaugurated, an increase of more than 80 percent.\n\nAmericans are still paying, on average, more than $4.00 for a gallon of gas, and many can still remember the more-than-$5.00/gallon. The price for utility gas service is up by almost 40 percent.\n\nThese price increases occurred because President Biden shut down domestic energy production, including through permitting delays and canceling the Keystone XL pipeline.\n\nNow, unbelievably, the President\u2019s Democrat allies in Congress are doubling down with a methane tax and higher royalties on petroleum.\n\nRe-imposing and increasing by nearly 70 percent the Superfund tax on refiners of crude oil, importers of petroleum products, and crude oil exporters, costing almost $12 billion over ten years--which will ultimately be borne by American motorists.\n\nIn addition, higher taxes diminish the ability to improve domestic supplies of oil by making capital investments cost prohibitive at a time when the U.S. has already lost one million barrels per day of refining capacity compared to before the pandemic.\n\nOn the methane fee, the American Gas Association says:\n\n\u201cNew fees or taxes on energy companies will raise costs for customers, creating a burden that will fall most heavily on lower-income Americans\u2026. [B]ased on similar proposals introduced earlier this Congress, we estimate that the fee could amount to tens of billions of dollars annually. These major new costs most likely will result in higher bills for natural gas customers, including families, small businesses, and power generators\u2026. Any increase in low-income households\u2019 energy costs could prove devastating.\u201d\n\nThe bottom line on taxes is that millions of Americans will bear the burden of these tax hikes.\n\nSome of my colleagues have claimed that those tax hikes are worth the supposed benefit. Let\u2019s look at the benefits:\n\nDRUG PRICE REFORM\n\nThe largest source of proposed savings in the Democrats\u2019 bill is a system of bureaucratic drug price controls that will lead to higher launch prices, stifle growth, gut domestic manufacturing jobs and aid foreign adversaries, like China.\n\nThese proposals will lead to:\n\nHigher launch prices for new medications, triggering financial strain at the pharmacy counter, as confirmed by the Congressional Budget Office.\n\nHundreds of thousands of American job losses, particularly in domestic manufacturing--which is already getting hit by the new book minimum tax--with some estimates projecting as many as 800,000.\n\nA competitive edge for the Chinese Communist Party, which has singled out biomedical innovation as a pillar of its industrial policy strategy, and which could ultimately supplant the U.S. as the global life sciences leader, with profound national security implications.\n\nAn unprecedented expansion of the D.C. federal health bureaucracy, financed with a staggering $3 billion in new administrative spending. This bureaucracy would also have unbridled new government price-setting authorities\u2014with permanent prohibitions on judicial and administrative review, and with initial implementation shielded from basic notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements.\n\nFewer new treatments and cures, with a University of Chicago analysis estimating 135 fewer new drugs approved between now and 2039, resulting from an 18.5 percent reduction in innovative research and development.\n\nLess funding for cancer R&D: Today, nearly 50 percent of the FDA pipeline is comprised of new cancer treatments. However, according to the same economists at University of Chicago, the drug price controls would reduce funding for cancer R&D by nearly $18.1 billion, or over nine times the amount of funding proposed for President Biden\u2019s Cancer Moonshot. So much for the President\u2019s \u201ccancer moonshot.\u201d\n\nDangerous new mechanisms for compelling total compliance with federal government mandates, with potential applications across all sectors of the economy, including:\n\nAn escalating non-compliance penalty of up to 95 percent of all gross sales\u2014levied every day\u2014for failure to meet any terms of the government price-setting program (\u201cnegotiation\u201d in name only), rendering any new federal mandate\u2014however sweeping\u2014an offer you can\u2019t refuse. Even late paperwork would trigger this crippling, catastrophic penalty, which has a tax-exclusive rate of up to 1,900 percent.\n\nAs a messaging gimmick, Democrats have framed their government price-setting program as \u201cnegotiation,\u201d but their legislation tells a far different story. Under their proposed program:\n\nThe Secretary has absolute, unilateral, uninhibited price-setting authority\u2014with no floor\u2014enabling a price of $1 for even the most innovative new drugs.\n\nManufacturers have no choice but to comply and to provide indefinite access to their products at the Secretary-dictated price, regardless of how unfair. They cannot walk away from the \u201cnegotiating table\u201d or withdraw selected products from the Medicare market, even if the Secretary sets an economically untenable price, stripping even small businesses of any leverage.\n\nJudicial and administrative review of key decisions\u2014including the price-setting itself\u2014are permanently prohibited.\n\nThe bill completely disregards the rest of the prescription drug supply chain, targeting manufacturers while doing nothing to address other key players or to improve oversight and transparency.\n\nSenate Republicans have developed a commonsense alternative, based on more than two dozen solutions aimed at providing relief at the pharmacy counter while ensuring long-term access to life-saving new treatments and cures.\n\nAmong other provisions, virtually all of which are based on proposals with bipartisan support, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act (S. 2164) would:\n\nReform the Part D benefit to reduce seniors\u2019 cost-sharing burden and incentivize plans to negotiate the best deals possible for enrollees.\n\nCreate a hard cap on annual out-of-pocket spending for all seniors under Medicare Part D.\n\nIncrease Part D plan choices for seniors by enabling sponsors to offer additional plans, with incentives for options that pass a greater share of discounts directly to beneficiaries at the pharmacy counter.\n\nPermanently extend a Trump Administration program providing Part D enrollees with access to plan options that cap out-of-pocket monthly insulin costs at $35 or less.\n\nPermanently allow high-deductible health plans to offer pre-deductible coverage for preventive services, including insulin.\n\nEstablish a Chief Pharmaceutical Negotiator to combat foreign freeloading, ensuring the best trade deals achievable for American consumers and job creators.\n\nStrengthen consumer-oriented oversight through more useful cost comparison tools, price transparency measures, and robust reporting requirements for stakeholders across the drug supply chain, including pharmacy benefit managers.\n\nFacilitate value-based arrangements, where private and public-sector payers can pay based on patient outcomes, driving better results for patients at a lower cost.\n\nRestructure payments for drugs administered in the doctor\u2019s office or hospital outpatient department to encourage physicians to deliver cost-effective treatment options, when clinically appropriate.\n\nThese are the kinds of solutions that our prescriptions drug pricing system requires, not an arbitrary and offensive federal price-fixing program.\n\nIRS Funding for an Army of Auditors\n\nThis bill proposes $80 billion in mandatory appropriations to the IRS.\n\nLet me give you a little perspective \u2013 the annual budget of the IRS is only about $12.6 billion. Nearly six times the annual budget of the current IRS. Of this, $45.6 billion for enforcement purposes. That\u2019s more than 57 percent, almost 60 percent of this $80 billion is for enforcement purposes. $25.3 billion is for operations support. Only $4.8 billion for business systems and bringing themselves into the 21st century so they can communicate with taxpayers; and $3.2 billion for taxpayer services, or 4 percent.\n\nSome estimate the $46 billion for an army of auditors may allow the IRS to hire as many as 87,000 new agents.\n\nThat would make the IRS one of the largest federal agencies--larger than the Pentagon, State Department, FBI, and Border Patrol combined.\n\nAccording to the Congressional Research Service, the Democrats\u2019 reckless IRS funding increase would raise enforcement funding by nearly 70 percent above what IRS is currently projected to get.\n\nIncreased audits for the middle class, small businesses, and those making less than $400,000 are inevitable and unavoidable under this Act.\n\nHow will the $45.6 billion for enforcement purposes be used?\n\nInterestingly, the White House and even the IRS Commissioner have said \u201cthey won\u2019t use all this money for auditing people who make less than $400,000.\u201d My colleagues just continue to say they won\u2019t do it.\n\nMultiple studies show, however, that in order to raise the money they are requiring to be raised under this bill, around $200 billion of more tax revenue from Americans by auditing them, they have nowhere else to look.\n\nLast year, the IRS announced that it planned to ramp up audits of small businesses by 50 percent this year.\n\nWhy did they announce that? Because that\u2019s where they need to look to collect all of this new tax revenue that they want to get.\n\nI asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to estimate where the most underreported income in the \u201ctax gap\u201d lies\u2014where the supposed revenue would come from, that my colleagues on the other side say comes from \u201cbig tax cheats.\u201d\n\nJCT looked at IRS data and determined out of all the revenue projected to be raised from underreported income: 40-57 percent could come from taxpayers making $50,000 or less; 65-78 percent from those making less than $100,000; and 78-90 percent from those making less than $200,000. Only around 4-9 percent could come from those making $500,000 or more.\n\nThat\u2019s what the data shows. That\u2019s why the IRS amounted a 50 percent increase in audits for small businesses, and that\u2019s why it is impossible for the Democrats\u2019 claims that they don\u2019t want to have audits of people under $400,000, cannot be honored.\n\nYou know, in their bill , in response to this criticism, they included a sentence that said, nothing in this bill is \u2018intended\u2019--focus on that word, nothing in this bill is \u2018intended\u2019--to increase taxes on those making less than $400,000.\n\nWhy did they use the word \u2018intended\u2019? Because they know that\u2019s not what they want to happen, but it\u2019s what will have to happen, and they are not willing to use a stronger word.\n\nI have asked them, and I will ask them in an amendment on this floor, to say that \u201cnone of this money can be used to audit taxpayers making less than $400,000 a year.\u201d\n\nLet\u2019s see how they vote on that amendment.\n\nWhy couldn\u2019t they just say that this money \u2018shall not\u2019 increase taxes on people earning less than $400,000 per year? Why couldn\u2019t they say that these funds cannot be utilized to audit taxpayers making less than $400,000 per year?\n\nBecause they know they can\u2019t say that and claim the amount of revenue they want to spend, unless they audit those making less than $400,000 per year.\n\nThe fact is the \u201ctax gap\u201d isn\u2019t just millionaires, billionaires, oligarchs, or whatever the term-of-the-attack is today.\n\nTo say that everyone who has misreported their income as \u201ctax cheats\u201d is misdirection. It calls all of these people who make less than $400,000 who are simply having trouble complying with this complex internal revenue code a \u201ctax cheat,\u201d and that\u2019s unfair.\n\nWe examined the IRS\u2019s own data on how successful it is in having the courts sustain its claims that these folks in the $400,000 category and other categories are cheating on their taxes.\n\nOver the past twenty years, the IRS has a less-than 47 percent success rate, and a less-than 45 percent success rate over the last ten years.\n\nIn other words, the IRS more often asserts these tax deficiencies exist than the courts agree with. That is hardly evidence for a multitude of tax cheats, but firm evidence that innocent taxpayers are often subjected to unnecessary and inappropriate scrutiny.\n\nAnd we can be sure they will be with 87,000 new auditors.\n\nAgain, making the IRS larger than all of those other agencies that I talked about.\n\nAnd by the way, folks may remember, just a short time back when the proposal also included language that would let the IRS get into the bank accounts and monitor the transactions of deposits and withdrawals of all Americans who have more than $10,000 worth of transactions in a year. Which is, essentially, almost all Americans\n\nAdmittedly, that language isn\u2019t in this bill, yet, but the broad authority that is given to the Internal Revenue Service with this $80 billion of supersizing will undoubtably result in rules and regulations issued by the IRS to achieve that objective. They know they couldn\u2019t put it in statute, because it would be rejected, immediately, by the American people.\n\nI encourage the American people to see past this and to reject this legislation.\n\nIt\u2019s too many taxes, too much spending, too big of a burden on American people across all income categories.\n\nWe don\u2019t want to supersize the Internal Revenue Service.\n\nGoing back to that very first statistic I gave you\u2014this bill isn\u2019t even going to have a statistically significant impact on inflation. If anything, the taxes will drive prices up.\n\nMadame President, I encourage all of my colleagues to reject this reckless bill.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/jct-confirms-tax-costs-exponentially-outweigh-benefits", "JCT Confirms: Tax Costs Exponentially Outweigh Benefits", "2022-08-05", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) has issued an analysis of effects of the Democrats\u2019 reckless tax-and-spend bill on taxpayers in each income category.\n\nThe new analysis shows that the burden of the bill\u2019s tax increases on lower- and middle-income Americans is so great, any supposed benefits from the temporary premium credits only outweigh the tax hits for a small sliver of the population. Even for the small number of people who would receive a slight benefit, significantly larger portions of American taxpayers in each income category would still face the burden of a tax increase.\n\n\u201cThe Administration has been very careful to say that the \u2018individual income tax rate\u2019 would not change for anyone making less than $400,000 per year, yet everyone knows that the corporate tax burden falls on workers and consumers, as well as owners,\u201d said Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who requested the analysis. \u201cThis analysis shows that burdens of the proposed tax increases in the Democrats\u2019 reckless bill would be so substantial and so widespread throughout all income categories that no amount of temporary health credits, or subsidies for $80,000 luxury SUVs, will overcome the tax increase burdens that would be overwhelmingly felt by lower- and middle-income Americans.\u201d\n\nThe analysis of the tax title of the \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022\u201d includes the corporate book minimum tax increase and all energy tax provisions that JCT is able to estimate. It does not include the Superfund tax, the formerly-proposed changes to taxation of carried interest, or a potential excise tax on stock buybacks which would, if included, show potentially even larger burdens on Americans of all income categories.\n\nAccording to JCT, given the tax hikes and most of the \u201cGreen New Deal\u201d tax credits in the Democrats\u2019 reckless tax-and-spend bill:\n\nIn 2023:\n\n24.6 percent of taxpayers earning between $10,000 and $20,000 would see a tax increase.\n\n61.7 percent of taxpayers earning between $40,000 and $50,000 would see a tax increase.\n\n91.3 percent of those earning between $75,000-$100,000 would see a tax increase.\n\n97.2 percent of those earning between $100,000-$200,000 would see a tax increase.\n\nBy 2031, long after the expiration of temporary Obamacare tax credit subsidies:\n\n71.1 percent of taxpayers earning between $20,000 and $30,000 will face the burden of a tax increase.\n\n81.4 percent of those earning between $75,000 to $100,000 will face a tax increase of more than $500.\n\nAnalysis \u2013 No ACA Subsidies\n\nAlthough not part of the tax title in the \u201cInflation Reduction Act,\u201d Ranking Member Crapo also requested for the JCT to analyze Democrats\u2019 proposed tax title with the three-year extension of the expanded Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. The results of that analysis show that even when those subsidies are factored in, tax burdens from the Democrats\u2019 bill on low- and middle-income Americans significantly outweigh any tax and ACA-premium benefits.\n\nIn 2023, the first of three years the extended ACA credit is in effect:\n\nOnly 3.2 percent of those with income between $50,000 and $75,000 get a tax cut (all from the premium credit), while nearly 78 percent of those in that income category get a tax increase.\n\nOnly 2.0 percent of those earning between $75,000 and $100,000 receive a tax cut, while 89.2 percent will get a tax increase.\n\nOnly 0.5 percent of those between $100,000 and $200,000 get a tax cut, while 96.7 percent get a tax increase, with 73.1 percent of them getting a tax increase of more than $500.\n\nIn the years following 2025, when the Obamacare subsidies sunset, JCT\u2019s analysis shows that no taxpayers get a tax cut, with the vast majority of taxpayers bearing significant tax increases.\n\nIn 2031, for example, more than 70 percent of taxpayers earning between $20,000 and $30,000 are facing a tax increase.\n\nAnalysis \u2013 ACA Subsidies\n\nBackground:\n\nCorporate tax increases get passed on to workers in the form of lower wages and to consumers in the form of higher product prices. A recent National Bureau of Economic Research study, for example, estimates 31 percent of a tax hike is borne by consumers via higher prices; 38 percent is borne by workers via lower wages; and 31 percent is borne by owners, who include retirees and current workers building their retirement nest eggs.\n\nLast week, Ranking Member Crapo also released a distributional analysis from the non-partisan JCT showing that the Democrats\u2019 tax and spend bill would increase the tax burden on Americans earning less than $200,000 by nearly $17 billion in the next year alone, with the average tax rate increasing for nearly all taxpayers and with an even greater share of the burden facing those earning below $400,000 as things move through the full 10-year budget period.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-reckless-tax-and-spend-dangerous-for-america", "Crapo: Reckless Tax-and-Spend Dangerous for America", "2022-08-03", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, led a news conference with Finance Committee Republicans to highlight the tax hike proposals in the mislabeled \u201cInflation Reduction Act.\u201d Analyses from nonpartisan experts have shown the legislation would increase the tax burden on low- and middle-income Americans; slam the manufacturing industry; and do nothing to lower inflation.\n\n\u201cThe bottom line\u2014this tax is dangerous for America.\u201d\n\nTo watch Crapo\u2019s full remarks, click HERE or the image above.\n\nOn who bears the burden of a tax hike:\n\n\u201cThe Administration has been very careful to say \u2018we aren\u2019t raising the tax rates of anyone under $400,000.\u2019 But everyone in America knows that when taxes are charged, people end up carrying the burden of those taxes.\n\n\u201cThat burden comes because the incidence of the corporate tax is passed on to workers; to capital, or those who own the stock, people trying to invest in their retirement in a pension plan or 401K; and in price increases in the economy.\n\n\u201cThe [Joint Committee on Taxation] found that in 2023, the tax burden would increase by $16.7 billion on Americans earning less than $200,000 per year. Another $14.1 billion would be borne by taxpayers earning between $200,000 and $500,000 per year. During the ten-year period, the average tax burden increases for nearly every single income category. When you get to the point at the end of the ten-year period, half to two-thirds of the burden would fall on those earning less than $400,000. That is the reality, regardless of the games that are being played in terms of describing who the taxes fall on.\u201d\n\nOn which industries will be hit hardest by tax hikes:\n\n\u201c49.7 percent of those taxes will fall on manufacturers, and as you can see from the chart that it goes across various other aspects of our economy\u2026This bill will slam manufacturers.\n\n\u201cThe National Association of Manufacturers has indicated that because half of the impact of this will be on that industry, that this would be a reduction of our gross domestic product by $68.45 billion, a reduction of employment by 218 thousand workers and a reduction of employment income of $17 billion. These numbers show, very graphically, where the burden of this tax falls; contrary to the argument that is this just a tax on tax-cheats.\u201d\n\nOn the success of Republican tax reform:\n\n\u201cWe worked as hard as we could back in 2017 to get our tax code amended so we could incentivize capital formation in America, so that we could encourage the hundreds of billions, trillions of dollars being held offshore to be brought back to the United States and invested here. And it happened--companies came back to the United States and invested the capital. We got the strongest economy we had probably seen in all of our lifetimes. Employment was up, wages were up and the inflation rate was less than 2 percent--down around 1.5 percent. That is what was coming out of the effort to get capital formation back into the United States; this bill is going to slam it.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-and-warner-unveil-new-bipartisan-caucus-to-fuel-investment-in-rural_low-income-communities", "Crapo & Warner Unveil New Bipartisan Caucus To Fuel Investment In Rural & Low-income Communities", "2022-08-01", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced the creation of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus (CDFC), a bipartisan caucus dedicated to supporting the missions of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) to scale their activities and fuel more lending in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities.\n\nThe 14-member caucus is bipartisan and evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans including Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tina Smith (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).\n\nCDFIs play a critical role in providing responsible and affordable credit to underserved communities. During the pandemic, CDFIs demonstrated their ability to deliver billions of dollars to underserved businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), totaling approximately $34 billion.\n\nOn a bipartisan basis, Sen. Warner worked with Sen. Crapo, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and other colleagues to introduce the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act, which passed as part of the December 2020 COVID relief package. The bill made a historic $12 billion investment in CDFIs and MDIs, which included $3 billion for grant funding and $9 billion for tier-one capital investments in CDFIs and MDIs, which could be leveraged 10 to 1.\n\n\u201cCDFIs and MDIs play an essential role in providing access to capital in underserved communities. While Congress took significant steps to support community-based lenders over the last two years on a bipartisan basis, CDFIs continue to need more long-term patient capital, operating capital, and resources to modernize their systems and compete in an era of rapid financial innovation. I am happy to announce the creation of this caucus with Sen. Crapo to improve communication between industry and policymakers and continue working in a bipartisan fashion towards robust investments in CDFIs and MDIs,\u201d said Sen. Warner.\n\n\u201cI have consistently heard positive news and success stories about CDFIs in Idaho and across the country, and their responsiveness to the small business community, particularly during these last few challenging years of the pandemic,\u201d said Sen. Crapo. \u201cSen. Warner and I are proud to launch this caucus to educate members and staff about the important role CDFIs play in their communities, and to create a forum to share ideas and policy proposals that foster strong economic growth in local communities.\n\nA summary deck describing the caucus can be found here. More information on the caucus can be found on its webpage here.\n\nThe Community Development Finance Caucus has the support of a number of organizations and financial institutions.\n\n\u201cThe National Bankers Association is proud to endorse the bipartisan U.S. Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, which will develop legislative efforts to support MDIs and CDFIs while providing direct lending opportunities. We commend Sen. Mark Warner for his leadership and commitment to ensuring MDIs have the resources to serve our nation's low- and moderate-income communities,\u201d said Nicole Elam, President and CEO, National Bankers Association.\n\n\u201cThe Community Development Bankers Association is excited about the formation of the Community Development Finance Caucus. The CDFI sector has emerged as a critical component of the financial services sector because it works to ensure access by underserved markets. Addressing growing income disparity, promoting racial equity, and building financial wellness are important national priorities and the need for the Caucus is great,\u201d said Jeannine Jacokes, CEO of CDBA.\n\n\u201cOpportunity Finance Network (OFN) applauds the leadership of Sens. Mark Warner and Mike Crapo in launching the Community Development Finance Caucus. Providing affordable, mission-drive financing to underinvested communities is the special expertise that community development financial institutions (CDFIs) offer. The CDFI industry looks forward to working with the Community Development Finance Caucus on strengthening public sector understanding and support of CDFIs and the positive community development impact they have in low-wealth communities,\u201d said Jennifer A. Vasiloff, Chief External Affairs Officer, Opportunity Finance Network.\n\n\u201cInclusiv, the largest CDFI network representing near 500 community development credit unions providing responsible and sustainable financial products to over 18 million predominantly low income and minority consumers, expresses its strong support for the formalization of a congressional caucus that will be focusing on community development, financial inclusion and the economic revitalization of minority communities through CDFIs. This body will provide a platform to engage the CDFI industry and inform the development of public policy that\u2019s both impactful and sustainable. We are grateful to Sens. Warner, Crapo, and all caucus members for spearheading this important initiative and call on other senators to lend their support,\u201d said Cathie Mahon, President and CEO of Inclusiv.\u201cThe African-American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC), is proud to partner and collaborate with INCLUSIV on ensuring that there is equitable financial futures for all people \u2013 especially the marginalized and underserved \u2013 usually the Colored Majority. A Community Development Finance Caucus would provide the appropriate forum for ideas and strategies to be discussed and executed,\u201d said Ren\u00e9e Sattiewhite, President and CEO of the African American Credit Union Coalition.\n\n\u201cOn behalf of the National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals, we applaud Sens. Warner, Crapo, and all caucus members for leading the organizing of a CDFI Caucus that will give lawmakers a platform to support the critical work of CDFIs play in low income and communities of color as financial first responders and engines of economic revitalization. Our organization is in full support of this initiative and asks members of the Senate to support it as well,\u201d said Maria Martinez, Board Chair, National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals.\n\n\u201cThe Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) thanks Sens. Warner and Crapo for forming a Community Development Finance Caucus. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are the backbone of this sector, providing capital, credit, and financial services in distressed communities and to underserved individuals throughout the country. CDFIs serve borrowers and geographic areas that are not readily served by mainstream financial institutions, providing loans to first-time homebuyers, financing for affordable housing and community facilities, and small business financing. The CDFI sector has grown significantly over the last 20 years, and this growth would not have been possible without bipartisan congressional support. LISC applauds Sens. Warner and Crapo for forming a Community Development Finance Caucus, which will focus on how Congress can continue to meet the needs of CDFIs and their work to serve underserved people and places,\u201d said Matt Josephs, Senior Vice President for Policy, LISC.\n\n\u201cWe applaud Sens. Warner and Crapo for their strategic and coordinated approach to strengthening CDFIs and MDIs and helping them reach their full potential. We stand ready to work with the Community Development Finance Caucus to leverage public-private partnerships to promote access to capital in areas served by these critically important institutions,\u201d said Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association.\n\n\u201cCDFIs with proven records of serving underbanked people and communities of color are vital to an inclusive economy. The creation of the Caucus represents an important step in ensuring that America\u2019s financial system works for everyone,\u201d said Bill Bynum, Hope Credit Union CEO.\n\n\u201cThe access to responsible, flexible capital that Community Development Financial Institutions provide has had a transformative impact in the Northern Rockies and across the country, helping those outside the financial mainstream gain self-sufficiency and improve the livelihoods of their families and communities. At MoFi, we\u2019re greatly appreciative of efforts by Sens. Mark Warner, Mike Crapo, Steve Daines, Cynthia Lummis, and others to form the Community Development Finance Caucus. It will be an important bipartisan venue for sharing information, discussing legislation, and tracking programs as lawmakers work to remove barriers and promote access to capital for all underserved Americans,\u201d said Dave Glaser, President of MoFi.\n\n\u201cThe Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) applauds Sens. Warner and Crapo for organizing the Community Development Finance Caucus. There are currently 144 Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) serving roughly 600 minority-majority communities nationwide. There are roughly 300 Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) banks, primarily serving low-to-moderate income markets and maintaining accountability to those target markets. Their impact in the communities they serve is significant and must be leveraged for greater reach. ICBA looks forward to working with the Community Development Finance Caucus to further support our long-standing commitment to MDIs and CDFIs,\u201d said Rebeca Romero Rainey, President and CEO of ICBA.\n\n\"I would like to applaud the hard work from Sens. Crapo and Warner toward the development of the Community Development Finance Caucus. We are excited at the opportunity to have a caucus dedicated to the work and efforts of the many CDFI practitioners working on the ground every day,\u201d said Ted Piccolo, Executive Director Northwest Native Development Fund, former Chair Native CDFI Network.\n\n\u201cOn behalf of the Native CDFI Network (NCN), NCN applauds the bipartisan effort of Sens. Crapo and Warner to establish a Community Development Finance Caucus within the United States Senate. Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) have proven to be an irreplaceable mechanism for channeling critically needed capital into low- and moderate-income communities. This is especially true in Indian Country, where Native communities have long experienced substantially higher rates of poverty and unemployment than mainstream America. They also face a unique set of challenges to economic growth, such as: poor/lacking physical, legal, and telecommunications infrastructure; limited access to affordable financial products and services for consumers, aspiring homeowners, and would-be entrepreneurs; and limited workforce development strategies to support Native people\u2019s full participation in their local economies. NCN looks forward to the opportunity to have a Caucus that supports the work of CDFI\u2019s,\u201d said Pete Upton, Interim Executive Director, Native CDFI Network.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-damaging-tax-hikes-would-lead-to-higher-inflation-economic-stagnation", "Crapo: Damaging Tax Hikes Would Lead to Higher Inflation, Economic Stagnation", "2022-08-01", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--In an interview with Larry Kudlow on Fox Business, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) discussed the Democrats\u2019 reckless proposals to raise taxes amid high inflation and economic stagnation under the mislabeled \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022.\u201d\n\nCrapo touted the success of Republicans\u2019 2017 tax reform bill, cautioning that Democrats\u2019 current proposals would undo much of the progress made from those reforms, and highlighted analyses from nonpartisan experts showing the new tax-and-spend bill would raise taxes on low- and middle-income Americans during a period of declining GDP and high inflation; raise taxes on manufacturers, exacerbating supply-chain disruptions, and costing U.S. jobs and investment; and do little to nothing to lower inflation.\n\n2017 tax reform encouraged investment in domestic manufacturing:\n\n\u201cThis is exactly what we intended to happen with the 2017 tax act. Recall that back then, we were facing capital fleeing from the United States and we saw a really weak economy. When we incentivized capital to come back to the United States, over a trillion dollars in capital that was being held offshores came back, and we started seeing investment growth in many areas--particularly manufacturing--that is so critical to making our economy stronger again. . . . These taxes will slam that very dynamic.\u201d\n\nNonpartisan experts confirm tax increases will fall on manufacturing and low- to middle-income taxpayers:\n\n\u201cWe just got two analyses from the Joint Tax Committee, a bipartisan committee, that analyzes these dynamics. One of them said where this will fall and the other said who will pay the burden of these taxes.\n\n\u201cThe first one said, the burden will fall mostly--49 percent--on manufacturing in the United States, and will still hit all other segments of the economy. The second one said this will fall through to the lower- and middle-income classes primarily.\n\n\u201cJust a couple more statistics: It said in the first year of these new taxes, $17 billion will be paid by people making less than $200,000 a year, and by the end of year ten of these new taxes, one-half to two-thirds of the entire burden of these tax increases will fall on people making less than $400,000. And of course, that number is critical, because that is what President Biden said he would not do.\u201d\n\nThe notion that these are tax loopholes is absolutely false:\n\n\u201cPeople across this country understand that [utilizing the tax code] isn\u2019t bad--they realize these aren\u2019t loopholes, and this is exactly what Congress intended with the research and development tax credits, production tax credits and deductions that were authorized by Congress for this very purpose.\n\n\u201cIt grew the economy, grew wages, increased employment and made our economy much stronger with the kind of capital investment that makes us more competitive against China, Russia and malign activities from other nations across the world trying to steal our markets.\n\n\u201cThe notion these are tax loopholes is absolutely false. This is exactly what was intended to happen, it is happening and it is having the impact that it should have.\n\n\u201cIf these taxes are passed, what we will see is that not only will the burden be carried, by far, by those earning less than $400,000, but it will result in higher inflation, more stagnation of our economic growth, lower wages, less employment and most importantly, as I said, the burden will be paid by people making less than $400,000.\u201d\n\nA direct tax on American energy:\n\n\u201cBy the way, we\u2019re talking about this book tax--this corporate minimum tax--and you know there is another specific tax in here that is directly on our oil and gas production, at a time when the President has already shut down American production as much as he can. Gas prices have skyrocketed and they\u2019re talking about piling another tax on the oil and gas industry, it is inexplicable. Their drive for more spending is causing them to ignore all of these arguments because it is the only way they can get to where they can justify the new spending.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/myth-vs-fact-tax-title-of-the-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022", "MYTH vs FACT: Tax Title of the \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022\u201d", "2022-08-01", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Democrats claim the latest version of their tax-and-spend bill, the mislabeled \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022,\u201d will ensure the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay their \u201cfair share\u201d by closing tax loopholes and boosting IRS funding, all without raising taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 per year. However, analyses from nonpartisan experts show the legislation would raise taxes on low- and middle-income Americans during a period of declining GDP and high inflation; raise taxes on manufacturers, exacerbating supply-chain disruptions, and costing U.S. jobs and investment; and do little to nothing to lower inflation.\n\n\u201cThe more this bill is analyzed by impartial experts, the more we can see Democrats are trying to sell the American people a bill of goods,\u201d said U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo. \u201cNon-partisan analysts are confirming this bill raises taxes on the middle class, raises taxes on manufacturers, and produces no meaningful deficit reduction when gimmicks are removed and the full cost is accounted for.\u201d\n\nAccess this document here.\n\nIRS FUNDING\n\nMYTH: Increasing IRS funding by $80 billion will provide the agency with the resources it needs to go after wealthy tax cheats and corporations who don\u2019t pay their fair share in taxes, generating more than $124 billion in additional revenue to go toward deficit reduction.\n\nFACT: According to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), the brunt of any new revenue from hiring an army of IRS auditors will overwhelming hit low- and middle-income earners, people already struggling with high gas prices and 9.1 percent inflation. CBO scores the $80 billion for mandatory IRS funding as spending only, and gives phantom credit for potential enforcement revenue that might be generated in \u201cfuture baselines.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nIRS funding breakdown\u2014$80 billion in mandatory appropriations to the IRS:\n\n$45.6 billion for enforcement purposes\n\n$25.3 billion for operations support\n\n$4.8 billion for business systems modernization\n\n$3.2 billion for taxpayer services\n\nHow will the $45.6 billion for enforcement purposes be used to address the noncompliance tax gap?\n\nAccording to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, misreported trade or business activities (Schedule C items) or other income-producing activities (Schedule E items) make up a very significant portion of the overall noncompliance \u201ctax gap.\u201d\n\nIRS data reproduced in the table below show that Schedule C or E tax enforcement assessments predominantly hit taxpayers who have low (or very low) Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and nothing in the proposal would change that fact.\n\nBased upon these data, out of all the revenue projected to be raised from underreported income:\n\n40-57 percent could come from taxpayers making $50,000 or less;\n\n65-78 percent from those making less than $100,000; and,\n\n78-90 percent from those making less than $200,000.\n\nOnly around 4-9 percent could come from those making $500,000 or more.\n\nReferring to all tax gap and misreporting numbers as arising from \u201ctax cheats\u201d is misdirection, as significant amounts arise from hard-working taxpayers simply struggling to comply with an overly complex tax code, which will become even more complex if the latest tax-and-spend bill becomes law.\n\nBOOK MINIMUM TAX\n\nMYTH: The book minimum tax (BMT) does not raise taxes; it closes loopholes by making large companies pay at least a 15 percent minimum tax.\n\nFACT: The BMT is a $313 billion tax increase, with half of the increase falling on manufacturers, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. Despite proponents\u2019 claims, the book minimum tax does not close tax loopholes. The BMT is calculated based on financial statement (\u201cbook\u201d) income, which is a different set of rules established for an entirely different purpose than taxable income.\n\nClaims that the BMT closes loopholes ignore the fact that the provisions resulting in different book and tax treatment were specifically enacted by Congress for sound policy reasons. For example, the treatment of capital investments differs for book and tax purposes, in part to encourage companies to invest in capital assets in the United States. As the left-leaning Tax Policy Center acknowledges, the BMT would discourage investment.\n\nAccording to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers, in 2023 alone the effects would include:\n\nA real GDP reduction of $68.45 billion\n\n218,108 fewer workers in the overall economy\n\nA labor-income decrease of $17.11 billion\n\nFurther, the BMT will not prevent large companies from paying zero tax. The energy tax provisions included in the \u201cInflation Reduction Act of 2022\u201d would permit companies to receive those tax credits in excess of their tax liability. In other words, not only will companies in Democrat-favored industries be able to pay zero tax, some will even be able to receive taxpayer-funded subsidies in excess of tax due for engaging in an activity that has been picked for government handouts.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe book minimum tax is calculated based on book income, or the income reported by companies on their financial statements. Companies calculate their tax liability based on the tax accounting rules set forth in the Internal Revenue Code. While book accounting is typically based on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), there is no globally uniform financial accounting standard. Further, U.S. accounting rules are set by the unelected Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), whereas the Internal Revenue Code is enacted by Congress per its authority under the Constitution. The book minimum tax unwisely injects tax policy\u2014and politics\u2014into the accounting standard setting process.\n\nA key difference between book accounting and tax accounting is the treatment of companies\u2019 investments in capital assets, like machinery and equipment. For book purposes, companies write off the value of their capital assets in line with their decline in economic productivity. For tax purposes, the cost of most capital assets, including machinery and equipment, can be fully deducted. The book minimum tax would penalize companies that utilize the tax treatment related to these investments, encouraging manufacturers and others to invest elsewhere.\n\nJCT has confirmed that half of the $313 billion BMT increase would fall on manufacturers, targeting the very capital investments Congress intended to encourage amidst an economy in stagflation. Despite claims, depreciation is not a tax loophole. This provision is a tax increase\u2014one that falls squarely on domestic manufacturing.\n\nContrary to closing loopholes, a book minimum tax would actually pick new \u201cwinners and losers,\u201d as some provisions receive particularly special treatment under the BMT\u2014namely, companies receiving refundable energy tax credits. Not only would those companies not be penalized for paying zero tax as a result of receiving energy tax credits, but they would also receive an adjustment to eliminate the subsidy from income under the BMT, further ensuring they pay no additional tax.\n\nDemocrats should take a cue from the past. A previously enacted book minimum tax was allowed to expire in 1989 (after only three years in place) due to the problems outlined above. In other words, this proposal has been tried before\u2014and it failed.\n\nTAX HIKES ON FAMILIES MAKING LESS THAN $400,000 PER YEAR\n\nMYTH: There are no new taxes on families making $400,000 or less and no new taxes on small businesses\u2014Democrats are simply focused on \u201cthe rich\u201d by closing evasive tax loopholes and enforcing the tax code.\n\nFACT:The JCT estimates the legislation will increase taxes on millions of individuals making less than $400,000 per year.\n\nAccording to the JCT, the bill would raise a total of $337.8 billion over 10 years from its three revenue-raising provisions:\n\nBook Minimum Tax: $313.1 billion\n\nChange to treatment of carried interest: $13 billion\n\nReinstatement of Superfund tax: $11.7 billion\n\nThe JCT estimates the following tax effects:\n\nIn 2023, taxes will increase by $16.7 billion on American taxpayers earning less than $200,000\u2014a nearly $17 billion tax targeted directly at low- and middle-income earners next year, amidst stagflation.\n\nThe $17 billion hit alone is confirmation that the Biden pledge to not raise taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 is shattered by the latest tax-and-spend bill.\n\nThe proposal would raise another $14.1 billion from taxpayers earning between $200,000 and $500,000.\n\nAccording to JCT data, 98 percent of all tax returns filed by those in the $200,000 to $500,000 category are filed by those earning between $200,000 and $400,000, with at least three-fourths of the income in the $200,000 to $500,000 category also coming from those below $400,000. This means it is likely that at least half of all new tax revenue raised next year would come from those earning under $400,000.\n\nThroughout the ten-year window, the average tax rate for nearly every single income category would increase.\n\nBy 2031, when the new green energy credits and subsidies provide an even greater benefit to those with higher incomes, those earning below $400,000 are projected to bear as much as two-thirds of the burden of the additional tax revenue collected that year.\n\nBackground:\n\nAs outlined above, the book minimum tax is not a loophole closer\u2014it\u2019s a direct tax on America\u2019s manufacturers and actually creates new \u201cwinners and losers\u201d in the tax code.\n\nSignificantly changing the carried interest deduction increases taxes on private investment, which will increase costs to businesses, eliminate jobs, decrease returns to average Americans who benefit from these investments, and dis-incentivize long-term investment.\n\nReinstating the superfund tax on America\u2019s producers would result in higher prices for consumers on things like gasoline, threaten thousands of jobs, and undermine domestic critical mineral development.\n\nTaken together, the JCT estimates the latest version of the full tax title will increase taxes on millions of Americans across every income bracket, with more than half of the tax increases on Americans making less than $400,000 per year.\n\nCorporate tax increases get passed on to workers in the form of lower wages and to consumers in the form of higher product prices. Some estimates say up to 50 percent of a corporate tax increase is borne by workers. Other estimates say 31 percent is borne by consumers via price hikes; 38 percent is borne by workers via lower wages; and 31 percent is borne by owners. These owners include individuals with retirement savings, with costs occurring via lower equity valuations, fewer dividends, and reduced opportunities for organic growth through investment.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:59:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/jct-democrats-proposals-increase-taxes-on-millions-of-americans", "JCT: Democrats\u2019 Proposals Increase Taxes on Millions of Americans", "2022-07-30", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT)estimates the Democrats\u2019 latest reckless tax-and-spend proposal will increase taxes on millions of Americans across every income bracket, with more than half of the tax increases on Americans making less than $400,000 per year.\n\n\u201cWhile Republicans\u2019 pro-growth tax reform in 2017 reduced tax rates for all Americans in a way that increased the progressivity of the tax code and produced historic gains in job and wage growth, the Democrats\u2019 approach to tax reform means increasing taxes on low- and middle-income Americans to fund their partisan Green New Deal,\u201d said U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who requested the analysis. \u201cAmericans are already experiencing the consequences of Democrats\u2019 reckless economic policies. The mislabeled \u2018Inflation Reduction Act\u2019 will do nothing to bring the economy out of stagnation and recession, but it will raise billions of dollars in taxes on Americans making less than $400,000.\u201d\n\nAccording to JCT:\n\nIn 2023, taxes will increase by $16.7 billion on American taxpayers earning less than $200,000\u2014a nearly $17 billion tax targeted solidly at low- and middle-income earners next year, amidst stagflation.\n\nThe $17 billion hit alone is confirmation that the Biden pledge to not raise taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 is shattered by the latest tax-and-spend bill.\n\nThe proposal would raise another $14.1 billion from taxpayers earning between $200,000 and $500,000.\n\nAccording to JCT data, 98 percent of all tax returns filed by those in the $200,000 to $500,000 category are filed by those earning between $200,000 and $400,000, with at least three-fourths of the income in the $200,000 to $500,000 category also coming from those below $400,000, meaning it is likely that at least half of all new tax revenue raised next year would come from those earning under $400,000.\n\nThroughout the ten-year window, the average tax rate for nearly every single income category would increase.\n\nBy 2031, when the new green energy credits and subsidies provide an even greater benefit to those at higher incomes, those earning below $400,000 are projected to bear as much as two-thirds of the burden of the additional tax revenue collected that year.\n\n\u201cThe more this bill is analyzed by impartial experts, the more we can see Democrats are trying to sell the American people a bill of goods,\u201d Crapo continued. \u201cNon-partisan analysts are confirming this bill raises taxes on the middle class and produces no meaningful deficit reduction when gimmicks are removed and the full cost is accounted for. It\u2019s no wonder this bill, which was drafted behind closed doors, is being rushed through the Senate at record pace.\u201d\n\nTo view JCT\u2019s distributional analysis, click here. To view JCT\u2019s revenue table, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/inflation-soars-gdp-declines-economy-needs-pro-growth-policies", "Inflation Soars, GDP Declines: Economy Needs Pro-Growth Policies", "2022-07-29", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the below statement following the release of the personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), which jumped to 6.8 percent in June, up from 6.3 percent in May.\n\n\u201cTwo consecutive quarters of negative GDP, continued high inflation, declining consumer and business confidence\u2014it\u2019s clear that Democrats\u2019 economic policies have not worked. Americans\u2019 perception of the economy continue to crater as they see the wreckage of Democrats\u2019 reckless economic policies. Instead of pursuing more of the same tax-and-spend policies that contributed to this economic disaster in Democrats\u2019 partisan objective of \u2018changing America,\u2019 lawmakers should focus on policies that helped to create one of the strongest economies in a generation and build on the successful 2017 tax reform law to promote U.S. global economic leadership and Americans\u2019 livelihoods through competitive corporate tax policies.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-democrats-want-to-raise-taxes-kill-jobs-amid-shrinking-economy", "Crapo: Democrats Want to Raise Taxes, Kill Jobs Amid Shrinking Economy", "2022-07-28", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.9 percent for the period, following a 1.6 percent decline in the first quarter.\n\n\u201cGDP has declined for two consecutive quarters as inflation continues to rage. Democrats\u2019 economic policies took an economy rapidly recovering from pandemic shutdowns\u2014a recovery fueled by the underlying pro-growth Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax policies\u2014and turned it into an economy suffering from painful stagflation. Splitting hairs on technical definitions about what is or is not a \u2018recession\u2019 is a distraction from the pain Americans continue to feel at the pump, in the grocery aisles and, now, from threats of a declining economy.\n\n\u201cWhatever label Democrats want to debate, we know Americans and small businesses are hurting, as consumer and business confidence and outlooks continue to crater. Democrats\u2019 ongoing attempts to raise taxes and increase spending would be yet another policy mistake that would further weaken the economy and the wellbeing of all Americans.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-at-ustr-nomination-hearing", "Crapo Statement at USTR Nomination Hearing", "2022-07-28", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, delivered the following remarks at hearing to consider the nomination of Douglas J. McKalip, for U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator.\n\nThe text of Ranking Member Crapo\u2019s remarks, as prepared, is below.\n\n\u201cThank you, Senator Wyden.\n\n\u201cWelcome, Mr. McKalip, and congratulations on your nomination. I took the opportunity to listen to your band Box Cartel. You\u2019re hitting the right notes there. With your trade policy experience, I hope that\u2014if confirmed\u2014you\u2019ll also the right hit notes on improving opportunities for our farmers and ranchers.\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s farmers continue to prove their resilience and productivity every day, and will keep doing so. But\u2019s it not easy. Americans are painfully aware that gas prices are up 42 percent from a year ago. What fewer people may know is that the price for diesel rose by an even greater margin\u201468 percent. This hits our farmers hard.\n\n\u201cBack in March, a fourth generation farmer in Meridian, Idaho explained that the cost of filling up his tractor had doubled in a year to $800. However, one bright factor for America\u2019s farmers right now is exports with sales of agricultural products overseas reaching $177 billion in 2021. America\u2019s farmers sell more high quality products to consumers around the world than ever before.\n\n\u201cIn Idaho, if we kept what our 24,000 farms produced within the state, each Idahoan would have to eat 209 slices of bread, 40 potatoes, 3 pounds of sugar, 2 pounds of cheese, 2 pounds of beef and a cup of beans\u2014every single day. Fortunately, Idaho\u2019s agricultural products also feed the nation and the world, exporting one of every six rows of Idaho potatoes and 50 percent of Idaho\u2019s wheat.\n\n\u201cNationally, one in three acres planted in the United States will be exported. But we can sell even more. What is holding us back is, again, a misplaced Biden Administration policy: a moratorium on new trade agreements, and limited enforcement of existing agreements.\n\n\u201cThe Administration is crystal clear that it prefers to not pursue real trade agreements in favor of something it calls \u2018frameworks,\u2019 which lack crucial market access obligations.\n\n\u201cThis is confusing, since market access is the main problem our farmers and ranchers face. A lot of our potential trading partners maintain high agricultural tariffs and regulatory measures that are essentially a guise for protectionism. We need to tear them down.\n\n\u201cFor example, India applies an average agricultural tariff of 36 percent. It also applies a number of non-science based restrictions on U.S. agriculture, such as unreasonable GMO certifications on apples, potatoes, soybeans, wheat and other crops.\n\n\u201cIf America wants to sell crops in India, these are exactly the types of issues that must be addressed. Moreover, the need to find new markets is particularly compelling because we must diversify our customer base.\n\n\u201cChina is currently our largest agricultural export destination. But, we need new markets to reduce our dependency and increase our leverage. Securing these markets will require more than frameworks where government officials can just talk.\n\n\u201cIt requires binding commitments that ensure our farmers can sell. Put plainly, our farmers and ranchers deserve our trading partners\u2019 markets to be as open to our commerce as ours is to theirs. Hopefully, we can start a conversation today on how to apply our nominee\u2019s experience and talents toward that goal.\n\n\u201cWith that, I look forward to hearing the nominee\u2019s testimony and his responses to our questions. I also look forward to the nominee\u2019s next album when that comes out.\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-named-a-hero-of-main-street", "Crapo Named A Hero Of Main Street", "2022-07-27", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - A national group representing the U.S. retail industry today named Idaho Senator Mike Crapo a \"Hero of Main Street\" for his legislative priorities and voting record. The National Retail Federation (NRF) notes retail jobs make up the nation's largest private sector of employment. The NRF's 2013 Annual Report noted Idaho had 148,029 direct retail jobs last year and an employment impact of 206,741 jobs. The Idaho statistics and awards are listed on the Federation's website: http://retailmeansjobs.com/data/id\n\nNRF says Crapo's and the other Congressional awards were recognized \"for their consistent support of the retail industry's top public policies.\" The awards come during National Small Business Week.\n\n\"Small businesses drive the U.S. economy,\" noted Crapo, a member of the Senate Finance Committee with jurisdiction over tax and health care issues. \"A key step to create new jobs in the private sector and reduce our debt will be to reform our unfair and outdated federal tax code.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-at-hearing-on-housing-affordability", "Crapo Statement at Hearing on Housing Affordability", "2022-07-20", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, delivered the following remarks at hearing entitled, \u201cThe Role of Tax Incentives in Affordable Housing.\u201d\n\nThe text of Ranking Member Crapo\u2019s remarks, as prepared, is below.\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n\u201cLast week we learned that consumer price inflation spiked to 9.1 percent, the highest in more than 40 years. The shelter component of the consumer price index was up 5.6 percent in June relative to a year earlier, and rents were up by nearly 6.0 percent.\n\n\u201cTo continue battling inflation, which was fueled by last year\u2019s partisan American Rescue Plan, the Federal Reserve must aggressively raise interest rates, and may raise rates later this month by as much as a full percent.\n\n\u201cInflation must be contained, or we run a risk of the Fed having to repeat what it did in late 1980 to combat runaway inflation. Painfully, then, overnight interest rates were driven to nearly 20 percent, which crushed economic activity, including housing markets, and helped lead to a deep and long recession.\n\n\u201cWith higher interest rates set by the Fed, higher mortgage rates follow, making it all the more challenging for Americans to buy homes.\n\n\u201cHousing affordability is a critical issue in Idaho and all across the country.\n\n\u201cNationwide, there is a shortage of about 7 million affordable rental homes available to lower income Americans and the gap between demand and supply increases each year. To provide more affordable housing, there are existing tools in the tax toolbox that provide incentives for builders to create more affordable homes.\n\n\u201cThe Low-Income Housing Tax Credit\u2014or LIHTC\u2014for example, is responsible for generating a majority of all affordable rental housing created in the U.S. today and generally enjoys bipartisan support in Congress.\n\n\u201cIn Idaho, there are currently 284 LIHTC projects located across the state providing 12,000 plus units. These projects vary in size and are split roughly between urban and rural, with about 72 percent targeted toward families and 28 percent for seniors and the elderly.\n\n\u201cOne such project is the Valor Pointe Apartments in Boise, which targets chronically homeless veterans.\n\n\u201cSeveral members of this committee have been active in working to improve existing affordable housing credits and to create new incentives.\n\n\u201cSenators Young and Cantwell, as well as several other members, introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which would expand and strengthen LIHTC for developing and preserving affordable housing.\n\n\u201cSenators Portman and Cardin introduced the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which would create a federal tax credit that covers the cost difference between building or renovating a home in urban and rural areas.\n\n\u201cNumerous other Finance Committee members are also interested in finding affordable housing solutions. Thank you all for your hard work. While LIHTC and other credits are part of the solution to developing affordable housing, we must address other drivers that are increasing housing costs generally.\n\n\u201cForemost in the current economy is the need to reduce inflation. Unfortunately, it has been allowed to run rampant, and necessary Federal Reserve actions will raise the cost of housing. Builders are also feeling inflation\u2019s effect through more expensive building materials. And, painfully high fuel prices continue to put even more pressure on builders\u2019 budgets, making it is even more expensive to get materials to construction sites.\n\n\u201cAdditionally, several economic factors have led to a shortage of affordable housing.\n\n\u201cOne way to alleviate the shortage would be to look into more manufactured housing. During his time at HUD, former Secretary Carson created the Office of Innovation to evaluate new ways to provide housing, and in doing so highlighted the improved efficiency and suitability of manufactured homes.\n\n\u201cZoning laws and regulatory barriers, which are often uncoordinated, unnecessary, or overly cumbersome, also present challenges to affordable housing by creating excessive costs that restrain development of affordable housing. Many of the markets with the most severe shortages in affordable housing have the most restrictive state and local barriers to development.\n\n\u201cWe must work to reduce regulatory barriers, which requires outside-the-box approaches, as well as teamwork from local, state and federal governments, and the private sector.\n\n\u201cThis includes initiatives like Opportunity Zones that were part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, an area where Senator Scott has done a great deal of good work.\n\n\u201cData released as of March 24, 2022, by the Opportunity Zone Fund Directory shows that $49.18 billion has been committed in anticipated investments and 60 percent of those funds target investments in affordable housing and community development.\n\n\u201cHomes are more than just physical structures. Homes are a foundation for wealth building, family stability and community cohesiveness. It is critical that we make the American dream of homeownership as attainable for as many people as possible, which will continue to foster the economic success of the nation.\n\n\u201cI look forward to discussing ways to ensure affordability and accessibility of home ownership with today\u2019s witnesses.\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idahos-congressional-delegation-comments-on-delayed-boise-va-electronic-health-record-transition", "Idaho\u2019s Congressional Delegation Comments On Delayed Boise VA Electronic Health Record Transition", "2022-07-20", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Boise, Idaho -- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and U.S. Representative Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) remain concerned about the Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 (VA) rollout of the new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system at the Boise VA Medical Center (VAMC), which has been postponed indefinitely from the original go-live date of June 25, 2022 and the delayed go-live date of July 23, 2022.\n\n\u201cAs the VA works to determine a viable path forward for the new EHR system, we once again call on VA and Oracle Cerner leadership to put veterans first by fixing the long-identified issues with the program that pose a threat to patient care,\u201d said Idaho\u2019s Congressional Delegation. \u201cBefore the system is rolled out at any additional sites, it must be made safe, reliable and user-friendly.\u201d\n\nWhile initially intended to improve care coordination and increase efficiency, over the past year, the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released multiple reports detailing deficiencies with the new EHR system, which was first deployed at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, Washington. These deficiencies have led to delays in patient care, refilling prescriptions and managing referrals, among other things. In April, the Idaho Congressional Delegation raised concerns to the VA regarding these OIG reports and requested information on steps being taken to ensure these issues do not further impede veteran care during the planned rollout at the Boise VAMC. Though a few of these deficiencies have been addressed, numerous outstanding issues remain.\n\nIn addition to Delegation staffs\u2019 numerous meetings with Veterans Health Administration stakeholders, staff members from the House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs recently visited the Boise VAMC to meet with hospital leadership and providers at the request of the Delegation.\n\n\u201cAs VA reassesses the Cerner implementation at the Boise VAMC, Members and staff of the Idaho Congressional Delegation remain committed to working with the VA, the Boise VAMC and veterans to ensure our veterans receive the quality care they deserve,\u201d the Delegation continued. \u201cWe will continue to closely monitor the situation and stand ready to assist veterans with any issues they may encounter when accessing VA health care.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-republicans-small-business-surcharge-would-crush-main-street-businesses", "Finance Republicans: Small Business Surcharge would Crush Main Street Businesses", "2022-07-19", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Republican members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, led by Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), sent a letter to Senate colleagues highlighting concerns with a proposal to impose a tax on small- and medium-sized businesses\u2014 businesses already reeling from the pandemic, massive inflation and worker shortages.\n\nA proposal to expand the so-called Net Investment Income Tax, or NIIT, on small businesses would put many small businesses at risk of paying a higher tax rate. This small business surcharge would:\n\nPut 75 percent of businesses organized as S corporations, partnerships, or limited liabilities companies (LLCs) at risk of tax hikes;\n\nAdd $252 billion in new taxes on America\u2019s small businesses, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation;\n\nPenalize small businesses who are able to achieve even moderate success, and crush incentives to strive to build a successful small business; and\n\nDouble down on penalizing marriage by treating business owners with joint filing spouses more harshly than those who are not married.\n\nFrom the letter:\n\n\u201c[I]n the face of increasingly troubling economic conditions, Democrats are advocating using partisan budget tools to raise taxes. Those taxes will hit the middle class and small- and medium-sized businesses at a time of rising interest rates, high risks of recession, and a rising stealth inflation tax that has hit every American since the middle of last year.\n\n\u201cOne of the job-killing tax increases under consideration for the resurrected version of the Build Back Better scheme is an expanded Net Investment Income Tax, or NIIT, on so called \u2018pass-through businesses,\u2019 which are businesses whose income passes-through to an owner\u2019s tax return.\n\n\u201cThis small business tax surcharge would be in addition to the income taxes of up to 37 percent that owners already pay on their net earnings\u2014a tax they pay regardless of whether they distribute the money to themselves or leave it in the business for future needs. An expanded NIIT would mean an up to 40.8 percent marginal tax rate for some, even before state income taxes are considered. Regarding state income taxes, 43 states have an individual income tax, with an average top marginal rate of 6.4 percent. Adding federal and state income tax liabilities together would result in a 47.2 percent top marginal tax rate for many pass-through owners.\n\n\u201cUltimately, NIIT expansion is a small business surcharge that punishes hard work, investment, growth, and successful small- and medium-sized businesses by stripping away close to half of what an owner makes. It would particularly penalize small businesses who are able to achieve even moderate success, and indeed penalize that success. It also doubles down on penalizing marriage by treating business owners with joint filing spouses more harshly than those who are not married.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and below.\n\n________________________________________________________________________\n\nDear Colleague:\n\nRunaway inflation, fueled by the Democrats\u2019 $1.9 trillion spending spree from last year, continues to strain Americans\u2019 paychecks. In June, the consumer price index accelerated to 9.1 percent and wholesale price inflation\u2014which has been in double digits for seven consecutive months\u2014surged to 11.3 percent.\n\nAmericans are reeling from pain at the pump, shock in the grocery aisles and continued rapid erosion of their paychecks. Buying a house is becoming increasingly out of reach for many families as the Federal Reserve has been saddled with the need to raise interest rates to choke off demand because of the overheating that followed last year\u2019s massive stimulus.\n\nAs the economy continues to be hammered by runaway inflation, declining real wages, and rising odds of a recession and stagflation, the prospect of raising taxes, killing jobs, smothering wages and imposing price controls defies all logic and common sense.\n\nNonetheless, in the face of increasingly troubling economic conditions, Democrats are advocating using partisan budget tools to raise taxes. Those taxes will hit the middle class and small- and medium-sized businesses at a time of rising interest rates, high risks of recession, and a rising stealth inflation tax that has hit every American since the middle of last year. According to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, those tax hikes will also hit taxpayers earning far less than $400,000, in direct violation of the President\u2019s repeated pledge that such taxpayers will not pay even a penny more in taxes.\n\nThe Biden Administration proposed at least $2.5 trillion of tax hikes in the President\u2019s most recent budget. This, on top of the House\u2011passed reckless Build Back Better bill, which contained more than $1.5 trillion of tax hikes. Now, numerous news stories report that Senate Democrats are actively resurrecting their flawed Build Back Better scheme, with tax hikes on the order of $1 to $1.5 trillion.\n\nAs the details of the proposed tax hikes emerge, it remains that raising taxes on the order $1 trillion or more as the economy faces very real risks of a recession is driven by politics and certainly not by what is in the best interest of American families. While economists and politicians argue about whether there is or will be a recession based on statistical minutia, Americans at this very moment overwhelmingly feel like we are in a recession and the economy continues to accelerate in the wrong direction.\n\nOne of the job-killing tax increases under consideration for the resurrected version of the Build Back Better scheme is an expanded Net Investment Income Tax, or NIIT, on so\u2011called \u201cpass-through businesses,\u201d which are businesses whose income passes-through to an owner\u2019s tax return. Originally enacted as part of Obamacare in 2010, the NIIT is a 3.8 percent tax that primarily taxes passive income.\n\nMedia reports indicate the resurrected Build Back Better scheme aims to expand the NIIT to now apply to active pass-through business income, or what is left over after a business pays its expenses. This small business tax surcharge would be in addition to the income taxes of up to 37 percent that owners already pay on their net earnings\u2014a tax they pay regardless of whether they distribute the money to themselves or leave it in the business for future needs. An expanded NIIT would mean an up to 40.8 percent marginal tax rate for some, even before state income taxes are considered. Regarding state income taxes, 43 states have an individual income tax, with an average top marginal rate of 6.4 percent. Adding federal and state income tax liabilities together would result in a 47.2 percent top marginal tax rate for many pass-through owners.\n\nUltimately, NIIT expansion is a small business surcharge that punishes hard work, investment, growth, and successful small- and medium-sized businesses by stripping away close to half of what an owner makes. It would particularly penalize small businesses who are able to achieve even moderate success, and indeed penalize that success. It also doubles down on penalizing marriage by treating business owners with joint filing spouses more harshly than those who are not married.\n\nA recent letter from the Main Street Employers, signed by more than 190 organizations representing a wide range of industries reveals this small business surcharge will cut into a wide swath of businesses and occupation types. Hitting those businesses with a massive new tax hike, which the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation estimates to be $252 billion, will hurt the very people Democrats say they champion\u2014workers and those with incomes well below $400,000, as well as businesses already recovering from the pandemic, massive inflation and worker shortages.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-seven-consecutive-months-of-double-digit-wholesale-price-inflation", "Crapo: Seven Consecutive Months of Double Digit Wholesale Price Inflation", "2022-07-14", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after inflation in the Producer Price Index (PPI) increased to 11.3 percent--seven consecutive months of double-digit rates--well above the 1.8 percent average during the four years prior to Biden taking office.\n\n\u201cData on producer prices released this morning show another double-digit rise in wholesale prices, signaling more inflation pressures for consumers down the road. This is the seventh consecutive month with wholesale price inflation above 10 percent. Now would be the worst time to subject businesses to another round of Democrat tax increases, which would serve only to put more pressure on costs to producers, including the vast number of small businesses struggling to stay afloat in the high-inflation, shortage-ridden environment that has unfortunately been engineered by the Biden Administration\u2019s economic policies.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-lower-snake-river-white-house-report", "Crapo Statement on Lower Snake River White House Report", "2022-07-14", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) released the following statement regarding the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) draft report advocating for breaching at least one of the Lower Snake River dams to improve salmon populations.\n\n\u201cIn light of the secretive reports conducted with little to no input from Idahoans, I must oppose the Biden Administration\u2019s efforts to breach the four Lower Snake Dams. The collaboration needed to form a consensus on a recovery plan has not happened. Absent that consensus, I oppose dam breaching. Over the past few decades, we have learned that politicians alone can\u2019t improve salmon populations. Leadership and cooperation is required by all--private, public and advocates--to build a path toward solution.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-committee-republicans-on-democrats-plans-to-hike-taxes-kill-jobs-and-fuel-inflation", "Finance Committee Republicans on Democrats\u2019 Plans to Hike Taxes, Kill Jobs and Fuel Inflation", "2022-07-14", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Republicans, led by Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), held a news conference to emphasize why combining massive tax hikes with sky-high inflation is a terrible combination for American workers and the economy. To watch the news conference in its entirety, click here.\n\nHighlights:\n\nSenator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho):\n\n\u201cTax increases would make inflation worse by further suppressing the supply side of the economy, including by depressing investment and productivity growth as well as labor supply when labor force participation remains below pre-pandemic levels.\u201d\n\nSenator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa):\n\n\u201cIowans are paying $670 more per month on living expenses since President Biden took office. They're pleading for a reprieve from the Democrats\u2019 terrible economic policies. . . . More government spending and higher taxes are exactly the opposite of what Iowans need right now. Reckless government spending fueled inflation in the first place--more spending will make it even worse.\u201d\n\nSenator John Cornyn (R-Texas):\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s the pain, the silent tax you heard about, that hits people most directly. You would think that the Biden Administration would understand the basic laws of supply and demand. The one reason why prices are high is because demand is high, but when demand is high if you want to lower the price you increase the supply. . . . We could create more good jobs across America and bring down the price of gasoline at the pump and provide some real relief to American consumers if we would just produce more energy here at home.\u201d\n\nSenator James Lankford (R-Oklahoma):\n\n\u201c[H]istory is repeating itself. Literally, the weekend before I\u2019m watching Joe Biden travel to Saudi Arabia to go meet with them about increasing oil production and to try to bring down prices in America, I\u2019m reading a story of Jimmy Carter doing the exact same thing in the 1970s. This is the Biden economy. This economy that we have right now of 9.1 percent inflation is directly tied to the Democrats\u2019 policies and the things that they have passed in the past year that have dramatically increased the prices on Americans.\u201d\n\nSenator Todd Young (R-Indiana):\n\n\u201c$5,200 is a lot of money to the average American household. I know back in Indiana, $5,200 dollars can make or break an Administration. It can make or break a presidency. So this President needs to figure out that he's headed in the wrong direction with these proposed tax increases.\u201d\n\nSenator Rob Portman (R-Ohio):\n\n\u201c[Inflation] is the most punitive tax of all. We just got the numbers this morning from Ohio--8,300 bucks a year in additional spending on energy; on food; utility bills generally; on clothing. $8,300 bucks a year, that's based on our numbers that we have in Ohio on January until now in terms of inflation, and extrapolating that out for the rest of the year. That\u2019s impossible for people to handle if they're on a fixed income. A lot of lower- and middle-income folks in Ohio are suffering the worst.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/republicans-introduce-legislation-to-recover-unchecked-unemployment-fraud", "Republicans Introduce Legislation to Recover Unchecked Unemployment Fraud", "2022-07-14", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--With unemployment fraud leaving taxpayers on the hook for roughly $163 billion, and only slightly more than $4 billion recovered, Senate Republicans, led by Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are introducing legislation to recover funds from unchecked unemployment fraud and provide incentives for States to recover fraudulent payments.\n\nThe \u201cChase COVID Unemployment Fraud Act of 2022\u201d would jumpstart efforts to claw back federal funds and pursue recovery of fraudulent payments by ensuring aggressive identification, investigation and prosecution of criminal fraud in pandemic unemployment programs. Republican Leaders in the House, led by House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-Texas), introduced identical legislation on June 9, 2022.\n\n\u201cThe Administration needs to step up and join us in detecting and preventing the massive fraud in federal unemployment insurance programs that we have seen, including systemic fraud, internationally organized criminal fraud rings, and other threats to our systems, programs and the federal budget,\u201d said Ranking Member Crapo.\n\n\u201cThe fraud associated with pandemic unemployment programs reached staggering levels,\u201d Ranking Member Portman said. \u201cBillions of hard-working Americans\u2019 taxpayer dollars that were meant to help out-of-work Americans instead went to criminals and cheats. This legislation will give the states the incentives and tools necessary to recover this stolen money.\u201d\n\nIn addition to Senators Crapo and Portman, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators:\n\nMarsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee)\n\nMike Braun (R-Indiana)\n\nBill Cassidy (R-Louisiana)\n\nSusan Collins (R-Maine)\n\nSteve Daines (R-Montana)\n\nDeb Fischer (R-Nebraska)\n\nJohn Kennedy (R-Louisiana)\n\nJames Lankford (R-Oklahoma)\n\nRoger Marshall (R-Kansas)\n\nJim Risch (R-Idaho)\n\nMitt Romney (R-Utah)\n\nJohn Thune (R-South Dakota)\n\nPat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania)\n\nBackground:\n\nThe White House estimated that 19 percent of total COVID unemployment insurance payments were lost to fraud--offering a low estimate of roughly $80 billion. By contrast, the Department of Labor\u2019s estimate puts that number much higher.\n\nIn May 2022, the Washington Post reported that an estimated $163 billion were siphoned away by fraudsters, and that if the government\u2019s best estimate is accurate, only 2.4 percent of wrongful payments have been recovered.\n\nLast year, Senator Crapo and Representative Brady introduced similar legislation, the \u201cCombatting Covid Unemployment Fraud Act of 2021,\u201d to prevent fraud in COVID unemployment programs, recover fraudulently paid benefits, and provide relief for taxpayers and victims of unemployment fraud.\n\nSenator Crapo and Representative Brady also sent a letter to Labor Secretary Walsh urging Walsh to devote significantly more funds to the detection and prevention of unemployment insurance fraud, given the amount of fraud occurring in the unemployment programs nationwide.\n\nSenator Crapo and Representative Brady have also urged the Government Accountability Office to investigate the scope and severity of fraudulent activity in COVID unemployment insurance programs.\n\nFor bill text, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-raising-taxes-and-killing-jobs-no-cure-for-inflation", "Crapo: Raising Taxes and Killing Jobs No Cure for Inflation", "2022-07-13", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Amid consumer price inflation surging to 9.1 percent in June and an economy facing rising odds of a recession and stagflation, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, led a news conference with Finance Committee Republicans to emphasize why this is the worst time to consider raising taxes on all Americans.\n\nTo watch Crapo\u2019s full remarks, click HERE or the image above.\n\nTo download the video, click HERE.\n\nOn tax hikes worsening inflation:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s new data shows the Consumer Price Index remaining at painful 40-year highs, jumping to 9.1 percent for June from 8.6 percent in May. . . . Nonetheless, in the face of a recession, Democrats want to raise taxes, including on the middle class and taxpayers earning far less than $400,000.\n\n\u201cTax increases would make inflation worse by further suppressing the supply side of the economy, including by depressing investment and productivity growth as well as labor supply when labor force participation remains below pre-pandemic levels.\n\nOn small business tax hikes:\n\n\u201cOne of the tax increases being considered in the resurrected Build Back Better Bill is an expanded Net Investment Income Tax\u2014or NIIT\u2014on so-called \u2018flow-through businesses,\u2019 which are businesses whose owners\u2019 incomes flow through to their personal tax forms. Small business groups estimate up to one million small and family-owned businesses would be at risk of having their rates increased under this policy, which will negatively impact their growth prospects and their employees.\n\n\u201cAn expanded NIIT will drive down small business investment; drive down employment and reduce small business hiring; lower wages in small business jobs; and increase prices, which are passed on to consumers.\n\n\u201cSmall businesses are struggling in the Biden economy. It is not the time to levy a $252 billion new tax, especially on small- and medium-sized businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, massive inflation and worker shortages.\n\nOn tax hikes hitting taxpayers in every income category:\n\n\u201cA new analysis from the Joint Committee on Taxation confirms that Democrats\u2019 new reported proposals will increase taxes on all Americans, with millions of Americans making less than $400,000 seeing a tax hike and the average tax rate rising for every single income category.\n\n\u201cAs the economy faces runaway inflation, a first-quarter decline in GDP, and increasing and uncomfortable odds of a recession and stagflation, raising taxes and killing jobs as we face prospects of recession makes no sense.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-to-lead-news-conference-on-the-988-suicide-and-crisis-lifeline-launch", "Crapo to Lead News Conference on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Launch", "2022-07-13", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Twin Falls, Idaho \u2013 U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will lead Idaho state officials and mental health advocates in a news conference to celebrate the launch of the National Crisis & Suicide Hotline 988 number on Saturday, July 16, 2022.\n\n\u201cEnsuring everyone knows where to turn for help to prevent suicide and receive crisis intervention has been one of my top priorities,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cOn July 16, all Americans will have access to this easy-to-remember, 3-digit phone number, and we will be able to better connect people in crisis with life-saving resources.\u201d\n\nIn 2020, Crapo co-sponsored legislation to require the Federal Communications Commission\u2019s designation of 988 as the universal national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. President Donald Trump signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 on October 17 of that year. Idaho\u2019s Legislature passed HCR11, recognizing 988 as the universal mental health and suicide prevention crisis phone number, during the 2021 Legislative Session.\n\nDETAILS:\n\nWHAT: News conference on 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline\n\nWHO: U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)\n\nState Senator Fred Martin (R-Boise)\n\nState Representative Laurie Lickley (R-Jerome)\n\nStewart Wilder (Idaho Suicide Prevention Action Collective)\n\nLee Flinn (Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline)\n\nWHEN: Saturday, July 16, 2022\n\n1:30 PM MT", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-brady-risch-on-treasurys-desperate-attempt-to-force-global-tax-agreement", "Crapo, Brady, Risch on Treasury\u2019s Desperate Attempt to Force Global Tax Agreement", "2022-07-11", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), U.S. House Ways and Means Republican Leader, and U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Treasury Department\u2019s announcement that it intends to withdraw from the U.S.-Hungary tax treaty in an attempt to compel Hungary to implement the global minimum tax deal being pursued by the Biden Administration. The Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee have jurisdiction over tax matters, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has jurisdiction over treaties.\n\n\u201cTreasury\u2019s latest tactic to force implementation of the OECD agreement is to withdraw from a longstanding bilateral tax treaty approved by Congress. This is a transparent attempt to bully Hungary into hasty action on a global minimum tax and interfere in an internal European Union policy-making process. The move stands in stark contrast to the Biden Administration\u2019s rhetoric about improving multilateral tax cooperation. We are very concerned that Treasury\u2019s go-it-alone approach to the global tax negotiations will lead to more uncertainty, more disputes among countries, and fewer jobs and opportunities for Americans.\n\n\u201cTo achieve a sustainable result at the OECD, Treasury must abandon its unilateral approach and engage in bipartisan consultation with Congress and the interagency that includes protecting our own jobs and economy.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:20:25Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/jct-confirms-democrats-proposals-increase-taxes-on-all-americans", "JCT Confirms Democrats\u2019 Proposals Increase Taxes on All Americans", "2022-07-11", "2022", "2022-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.-- A new pair of analyses by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) shows that the Democrats\u2019 latest tax-and-spend provisions under discussion will increase taxes on millions of Americans making less than $400,000 per year, and the average tax rate for every single income category would increase. The JCT previously confirmed that the House-passed \u201cBuild Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) would result in meaningful tax increases for taxpayers at every income level.\n\nNews reports suggest Democrats are prepared to move forward with the full slate of tax increases in the House-passed legislation, without any tax cuts for lower- or middle-income households. JCT estimates that legislation retaining those tax increases, while removing the social policy tax cuts that had been contained in Subtitle G, would provide zero tax relief for the middle class, with the vast majority of Americans seeing tax increases at a time when they can least afford it.\n\n\u201cWhile Republican tax reform in 2017 cut taxes for all Americans, and increased the progressivity of the tax code, the Democrats\u2019 approach to tax reform does not cut taxes for anyone, but it would raise taxes on millions of lower-and middle-income Americans at a time when they can least afford it,\u201d said U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). \u201cThe economy is already reeling from Democrats\u2019 bad policies and people are struggling to make ends meet. The last thing they need are higher taxes, especially in light of rising odds of a recession and stagflation.\u201d\n\nThe first analysis projects the distributional effect of the House-passed tax increases without temporary social policy tax relief. The analysis confirms:\n\nIn 2023, when we are facing the dual threat of inflation and recession, the Democrats would raise $33 billion from Americans earning less than $400,000 per year, while providing a net tax cut of about $1.5 billion for Americans earning more than $400,000 per year.\n\nOver the course of the 10-year budget window, roughly 30 percent of the revenue raised for spending offsets and deficit reduction would come from Americans earning under $400,000 per year.\n\nUnder the proposal, the average tax rate for every single income category would increase.\n\nThe second analysis projects the tax effect on filers in each income category. The analysis shows:\n\nIf the Democrats\u2019 tax reform is enacted this year, more than a quarter of Americans earning between $75,000 and $100,000 will see a tax increase next year, as will more than half of Americans earning between $100,000 and $200,000.\n\nIn 2023, for taxpayers in the income range of $200,000 to $500,000 (85 percent of whom fall in the $200,000-$400,000 range), more than 80 percent will see a tax hike, reinforcing the fact that these proposals will violate President Biden\u2019s pledge to not raise taxes on anyone earning below $400,000.\n\nBy 2029, nearly 20 percent of Americans earning between $50,000 and $75,000 will get a tax increase, while none will receive tax relief.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:49:02Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-inflation-continues-to-climb-eating-into-workers-paychecks", "Crapo: Inflation Continues to Climb, Eating into Workers\u2019 Paychecks", "2022-06-30", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) released the below statement following the release of the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index for May, which remained at 6.3 percent from April.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s data on inflation in the personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed\u2019s preferred measure of consumer prices, confirms prices continue to climb and eat away at workers\u2019 paychecks. The runaway inflation that began after the partisan American Rescue Plan was jammed through Congress is bad enough. The economic mismanagement of the past year and a half threatens to compound the problem through recession and stagflation, which will harm American families even more. Now is not the time to bring back failed tax-and-spending schemes.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-ruling", "Crapo Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization Ruling", "2022-06-24", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement upon the Supreme Court\u2019s final ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health Organization:\n\n\u201cMy strong commitment to supporting measures that protect the rights of the unborn remains unchanged. I believe abortion is wrong and should be limited to cases where the mother\u2019s life is in imminent danger. The Court\u2019s decision upholds states\u2019 ability to protect the right to life. \u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-senate-passage-of-the-bipartisan-safer-communities-act", "Crapo Statement on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act", "2022-06-24", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo issued the following statement after voting against the U.S. Senate\u2019s passage of S. 2938, the legislative vehicle for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.\n\n\u201cWe need to address the driving factors behind heinous acts of gun violence, which often come down to shortcomings in our mental health system. As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, I have been working with Committee members on policies to improve our mental health system, several of which were incorporated into the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. These policies, which expand access to essential care by supporting telehealth options and creating more sites of service, are the types of bipartisan, targeted solutions that address root causes of gun violence.\n\n\u201cHowever, I have serious concerns with federal funds being used to help states establish \u2018red flag laws.\u2019 The Idaho Legislature already pushed back on federal overreach through \u2018red flag laws\u2019 and other regulatory efforts by passing the \u2018Idaho Firearm and Firearm Accessories and Components Protection Act\u2019 in 2021, which prevents all Idaho government entities from enforcing executive orders, federal laws, treaties, agency orders and rules of the U.S. government involving firearms, firearm components and accessories, or ammunition that conflict with the Idaho Constitution. I support Idaho\u2019s leadership in upholding the Second Amendment, as I commend those working to address violence in our communities to keep students safe.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-committee-approves-crapo-wyden-bill-to-strengthen-retirement-savings", "Finance Committee Approves Crapo, Wyden Bill to Strengthen Retirement Savings", "2022-06-23", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--The U.S. Senate Finance Committee, under the leadership of Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), passed the Enhancing Americans Retirement Now (EARN) Act, expanding opportunities for Americans to increase their retirement savings and improving workers\u2019 long-term financial well-being. The legislation builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 and is based in part on the Retirement Security and Savings Act of 2021, legislation championed by Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Ben Cardin (D-Maryland). The bill was approved unanimously by the Committee, 28-0.\n\n\u201cThe EARN Act is the product of months of bipartisan work that resulted in a bill that will increase participation in retirement plans, strengthen and encourage private retirement savings, and make it easier for employers to offer retirement plans,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cEvery member of the Finance Committee had a hand in drafting this legislation, and the broad range of ideas incorporated into the final bill is a testament to the power of bipartisanship. When we work together, we can create lasting and impactful work.\u201d\n\nThe EARN Act strengthens retirement savings in a fiscally-responsible way by:\n\nEncouraging small businesses to adopt retirement plans;\n\nMaking it easier for part-time workers to participate in retirement plans; and\n\nProviding workers and retirees the ability to save more and save longer.\n\nThe bill also makes important changes that allow flexibility for emergencies, like penalty-free withdrawals for terminally-ill patients, domestic abuse survivors and those affected by federally declared disasters.\n\nClick here for Crapo\u2019s opening remarks at the markup.\n\nClick here for a bill section-by-section.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-at-retirement-legislation-markup", "Crapo Statement at Retirement Legislation Markup", "2022-06-22", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, delivered the following remarks at an open executive session to consider The Enhancing American Retirement Now (EARN) Act.\n\nThe text of Ranking Member Crapo\u2019s remarks, as prepared, is below.\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\n\u201cNearly one year ago, we held a policy hearing on how we could strengthen private retirement savings by building on the success of the original SECURE Act. At the time, I noted retirement has a history of bipartisan cooperation and I expected this process\u2014SECURE 2.0\u2014to be no different.\n\n\u201cMy expectation turned out to be true. Mr. Chairman, thank you for making this legislation a priority and for working to construct a retirement package that will garner widespread bipartisan support in this Committee and in the entire Senate.\n\n\u201cReaching today\u2019s markup on the Enhancing Americans Retirement Now, or EARN, Act is the product of months of bipartisan work that resulted in a bill that will increase participation in retirement plans, strengthen and encourage private retirement savings, and make it easier for employers to offer retirement plans.\n\n\u201cEvery member of the Finance Committee had a hand in drafting this bill, and it reflects priorities and input from every Committee member.\n\n\u201cTwo colleagues in particular have played a central, years-long role in laying the foundation for what we will consider today: Senator Portman and Senator Cardin.\n\n\u201cThey are leaders on retirement security issues and deserve a great deal of credit for advancing many of the policies reflected in this legislation.\n\n\u201cIncentivizing automatic enrollment in plans, increasing the required minimum distribution age and catch-up contribution limit, and making it easier for part time workers to participate in retirement plans are just a few of their policies that have built the foundation for this bill and the entire \u2018SECURE 2.0\u2019 process.\n\n\u201cSenator Portman and Senator Cardin, thank you for your commitment to this issue. \u201cSenators Grassley, Lankford and Hassan worked to improve rules relating to 403(b) plans, while Senators Barrasso and Carper worked to create additional retirement plan options for small businesses through their \u2018starter 401(k)\u2019 proposal.\n\n\u201cSenator Cornyn worked with Senator Cortez-Masto on legislation to allow domestic abuse survivors the ability to access retirement funds when they need it most, while Senators Burr and Bennet worked to ensure terminally-ill patients can do the same.\n\n\u201cSenators Thune and Toomey worked across the aisle and led efforts regarding retired first responders and corrections officers.\n\n\u201cSenator Daines worked on a retirement \u2018lost and found\u2019 registry with Senator Warren, while Senators Scott and Brown worked to improve portability between retirement plans when workers change jobs, an area that has also gained Senator Sasse\u2019s interest.\n\n\u201cSenators Cassidy and Menendez pushed for certainty for rules governing retirement account withdrawals in the case of natural disasters.\n\n\u201cSenator Lankford worked with Senator Bennet on an important issue\u2014emergency withdrawals from retirement accounts. Their legislation allows individuals the ability to access small amounts of money when they are faced with an emergency.\n\n\u201cSenator Young worked in a bipartisan way to improve the rules relating to special needs trusts and also on a very important issue\u2014emergency savings. I look forward to continuing to work with you and our Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee colleagues on your bill.\n\n\u201cI also want to recognize Senator Warner and his work with Senator Collins on the SIMPLE IRAs and look forward to working with him as we move this along in the future.\n\n\u201cThese are just a few examples of the broad range of ideas incorporated into the bill we are considering today and it is a testament to the power of bipartisanship. When we work together, we can create impactful and lasting work.\n\n\u201cI also thank and recognize the Joint Committee on Taxation for its tireless work. The Finance Committee cannot properly function without JCT\u2019s expertise.\n\n\u201cSo thank you to Tom Barthold, JCT\u2019s Chief of Staff, who is with us today and to the policy staff at JCT who helped all Finance members prepare for today\u2019s markup: Rhonda Migdail, Clare Diefenbach, Sally Kwak, Kelly Scanlon and many others who worked behind the scenes. Your hard work over the past few months is greatly valued.\n\n\u201cOnce the Finance Committee reports this bill, I look forward to working with our colleagues on the HELP Committee and our House colleagues to resolve any differences and get a bill to the President\u2019s desk.\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-brady-president-biden-set-americas-interests-back-at-wto_--no-dispute-reform-surrendered-crucial-medical-patents-failed-to-protect-us-e-commerce-fishing-interests", "Crapo, Brady: President Biden Set America's Interests Back at WTO -- No Dispute Reform, Surrendered Crucial Medical Patents, Failed to Protect U.S. e-Commerce, Fishing Interests", "2022-06-17", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. House Ways and Means Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-Texas) issued a statement condemning the Biden Administration\u2019s decision to capitulate to the demands of some of the United States\u2019 most disruptive trading partners at this week\u2019s World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference. Specifically, the Biden Administration accepted a deal that will weaken longstanding rules protecting intellectual property rights and proposed rules in new agreements. This deal will undermine U.S. trade interests and cost American jobs.\n\n\u201cThe WTO is a vital forum for addressing the United States\u2019 trade challenges\u2014which include countries increasingly resorting to injurious subsidies, undermining our leadership in digital trade, and stealing our intellectual property. Instead of strengthening WTO rules in these areas, the Biden Administration set America\u2019s interests back by failing to achieve any real reforms of the broken WTO dispute system, surrendering America's crucial medical patents and failing to protect both U.S. fishing interests and long-term protections against higher costs of e-commerce.\"\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s innovators, workers, and farmers deserve a trade policy that increases opportunity in foreign markets and ensures our competitors play by the rules. Now more than ever, we need new rules to take on challenges such as distortive subsidies and intellectual property theft. From the start, the Biden Administration has made it clear that it is not interested in negotiating any rules that facilitate such market access opportunities for Americans. Indeed, the Administration has shown indifference on trade, including by failing to articulate any priorities for the WTO Ministerial Conference. Even on the day the negotiations were concluding, the Biden Administration refused to share its views on key text proposals tabled at the ministerial with Congress. As a result, a handful of countries achieved sweeping outcomes that undercut America\u2019s interests.\n\n\u201cThese outcomes reflect a basic truth that the Biden Administration has ignored completely when it comes to trade: either we write the rules, or someone else will write them for us. Today, a handful of other countries wrote WTO rules that are bad for America\u2019s economy, for our innovators, and for the global environment.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\n*TRIPS Waiver\u2014The WTO TRIPS Agreement establishes certain minimum intellectual property (IP) standards. In May 2021, the Biden Administration announced in \u201cservice of ending this pandemic,\u201d it would support a \u201climited\u201d waiver of U.S. rights under the TRIPS Agreement, exclusively related to vaccines. Members of Congress have repeatedly asked the U.S. Trade Representative for any evidence that waiving American innovators\u2019 IP rights would improve vaccine access. More than a year later, the Biden Administration has yet to provide an answer. Contrary to the Administration\u2019s announcement today, it failed to properly consult with Congress and stakeholders.\n\nThe Biden Administration waived America\u2019s IP rights on vaccines for five years, with the possibility of an extension. Again, contrary to its claims to Congress, the Biden Administration also agreed to initiate discussions to expand the scope of the waiver beyond vaccines to medical diagnostics and therapeutics, a potentially immense category of products. The decision undermines America\u2019s innovators who developed the world\u2019s most effective vaccines, as well as the workers manufacturing these vaccines, and potentially empowers China\u2019s firms that have been trying to steal U.S. mRNA research. In fact, the Administration agreed to language that simply \u201cencourages\u201d China to opt-out from using the waiver, and is willing to take China\u2019s word that it will not use the waiver.\n\n*Fish subsidies\u2014WTO Members have worked for two decades to cap subsidies that are depleting fisheries around the world, including those that contribute to overcapacity and those that support China\u2019s distant-water fleet.\n\nThe Biden Administration agreed to drop the most important provision: the prohibition on subsidies that contribute to overfishing and overcapacity. This is a loss for the environment and also fishermen in America, and in developing countries, that compete without the aid of distortive subsidies.\n\n*Limited Digital Transmissions Customs Duty Moratorium\u2014For more than twenty years, WTO Members have agreed to not impose duties on electronic transmissions. The moratorium is renewed at each Ministerial Conference and should have been made permanent years ago. A strong majority of WTO Members support the moratorium, but a handful of countries threatened to block renewal of the moratorium unless their demands were met in various areas.\n\nThe Biden Administration capitulated to their demands and accepted a shorter moratorium that is presumed to expire by March 31, 2024, unless all WTO Members agree otherwise. The Biden Administration has provided those few opponents of the moratorium leverage to renew this effort in less than two years.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-biden-must-correct-flawed-and-incoherent-venezuela-policy", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues: Biden Must Correct Flawed and Incoherent Venezuela Policy", "2022-06-16", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON --U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to protect U.S. national security interests and reinforce the democratic forces in Venezuela by immediately increasing U.S. and international pressure on the Maduro regime.\n\n\u201cThe March 2022 meeting between senior Biden Administration officials and Nicolas Maduro sidelined Interim President Juan Guaido and put the United States at the center of Venezuelan political disputes,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cRationalizing this diplomatic fiasco in the name of energy security trivialized Nicolas Maduro\u2019s taking of American hostages and signals interest in deepening American dependence on a foreign adversary\u2019s energy resources to the detriment of American energy security.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou must change course in Venezuela and increase pressure on the Maduro regime until all political prisoners are released and conditions are right to conduct free and fair elections,\u201d the senators concluded. \u201cWe urge you to prioritize American energy production and North American energy infrastructure, persuade our European allies to promptly match U.S. and Canadian sanctions on the Maduro regime, conduct robust freedom-of-navigation and counternarcotic operations targeting the Maduro regime\u2019s transnational criminal activities, and enhance the capacity of democratic countries in the region to confront the humanitarian and security crises his regime is generating.\u201d\n\nA copy of the letter can be found here and below.\n\nDear Mr. President:\n\nWe write to express our grave concern about your administration\u2019s flawed and incoherent policy on Venezuela. We urge you to protect U.S. national security interests and reinforce the democratic forces in Venezuela by immediately increasing U.S. and international pressure on the Maduro regime.\n\nThe March 2022 meeting between senior Biden Administration officials and Nicolas Maduro sidelined Interim President Juan Guaido and put the United States at the center of Venezuelan political disputes. Rationalizing this diplomatic fiasco in the name of energy security trivialized Nicolas Maduro\u2019s taking of American hostages and signals interest in deepening American dependence on a foreign adversary\u2019s energy resources to the detriment of American energy security.\n\nDuring the 2020 presidential campaign, you proposed the use of multilateral pressure and smart sanctions to stop the Maduro regime and transition to free and fair elections. Nearly two years in, your administration has not sanctioned a single person tied to the Maduro regime and the European Union has failed to match existing U.S. and Canadian sanctions. Your decision to reward the Maduro regime for simply returning to talks it had unilaterally abandoned months ago ignores reality and has the potential to make matters worse.\n\nYou must change course in Venezuela and increase pressure on the Maduro regime until all political prisoners are released and conditions are right to conduct free and fair elections. We urge you to prioritize American energy production and North American energy infrastructure, persuade our European allies to promptly match U.S. and Canadian sanctions on the Maduro regime, conduct robust freedom-of-navigation and counternarcotic operations targeting the Maduro regime\u2019s transnational criminal activities, and enhance the capacity of democratic countries in the region to confront the humanitarian and security crises his regime is generating.\n\nWithout a meaningful and urgent course correction, your administration is jeopardizing American lives, weakening the democratic forces in Venezuela, strengthening the Maduro regime, exacerbating twin regional security and humanitarian crises, and deepening the negative influence of Russia, China, Iran, and transnational criminal organizations.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-wyden-cassidy-carper-unveil-youth-mental-health-discussion-draft", "Crapo, Wyden, Cassidy, Carper Unveil Youth Mental Health Discussion Draft", "2022-06-15", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.\u2013Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) today released a discussion draft for youth mental health care policies as a part of the committee\u2019s ongoing work to improve mental health care across the nation, which has included a public call for comments and four hearings to help develop these initiatives.\n\n\u201cAlthough the pandemic is subsiding and our return to normalcy may be imminent, we cannot ignore the lasting effects of the past two years on the social and emotional well-being of children, whose needs require carefully tailored solutions,\u201d Crapo said. \u201c We should do all that we can, within the committee\u2019s jurisdiction, to increase access to high-quality mental health services, and reduce the causes of delayed and forgone treatment.\u201d\n\n\u201cYoung people across the country are facing unprecedented challenges, and it\u2019s taking a devastating toll on their mental health,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cBy strengthening access to mental health care through Medicaid \u2014 which covers half of all children in this country \u2014 the Finance Committee can make a real difference in helping kids get the care they need, whether that\u2019s at home, in the doctor\u2019s office, or at school. I\u2019m proud that the committee was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to craft these policies, and I look forward to continuing that work in the coming weeks and months.\u201d\n\n\u201cThere has been a massive rise in youth mental health issues in the wake of the pandemic,\u201d said Dr. Cassidy. \u201cThis bill ensures children and teens have access to quality care to have their needs addressed.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter two years of a life-altering pandemic and worsening youth mental health crisis, it\u2019s more important than ever to come together and ease the burden for kids across the country,\u201d said Carper. \u201cOur draft will make it easier for schools to provide vital mental health services to students on campus and more manageable for states to face head on an impending mental health crisis. Our nation\u2019s children need someone to stand up for them and I\u2019m proud that, alongside this bipartisan group, we\u2019re doing just that.\u201d\n\nThe discussion draft includes policies that would:\n\nEliminate barriers to coordinated care by allowing all providers to receive Medicaid reimbursement for behavioral and physical health services delivered on the same day.\n\nSupport mental health care in schools by updating Medicaid guidance to states to clarify allowable payments and identify strategies to reduce administrative burden.\n\nImprove enforcement and oversight of Medicaid\u2019s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, the country\u2019s gold standard in children\u2019s health coverage.\n\nStreamline enrollment for out-of-state providers in another state\u2019s Medicaid program.\n\nDirect Medicaid to guide states on how they can cover treatment family care services for foster youth enrolled in Medicaid with intensive mental health needs.\n\nThe youth discussion draft is the second legislative draft released by the committee since it began its mental health care initiative, following the telehealth discussion draft last month. Other discussion drafts may be released prior to a committee markup. The committee is committed to fully paying for any mental health package with bipartisan, consensus-driven offsets. Earlier this year, the committee announced five areas of focus for addressing shortfalls in mental health care: workforce, care integration, mental health parity, telehealth, and youth.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-sustained-high-inflation-out-of-control", "Crapo: Sustained High Inflation Out of Control", "2022-06-14", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after the Producer Price Index (PPI), or wholesale price inflation, showed persistent double-digit rates at 10.8 percent.\n\n\u201cSustained high inflation is out of control. Wholesale prices have been rising at double digit rates for six consecutive months, hammering manufacturers, small businesses and consumers. As Americans continue to face sticker shock at the gas station and grocery stores, tax hikes, which are eventually passed on to consumers, are not the answer.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:39:01Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-inhofe-introduce-bill-to-close-catch-and-release-loophole", "Crapo, Risch, Inhofe Introduce Bill to Close \"Catch and Release\" Loophole", "2022-06-13", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) in introducing the Keep Our Communities Safe Act, legislation that would close the legal loophole that requires immigration authorities to release back into the United States illegal aliens who have not been accepted for deportation to other countries after being detained for six months \u2013 a practice also referred to as \"catch and release.\"\n\n\u201cThe historic number of encounters at the southern border can in part be attributed to the dangerous \u2018catch and release\u2019 loophole that enables violent criminals who are here illegally to disappear into our communities,\u201d said Risch. \u201cOur inability to detain criminal aliens and failure to protect the American people is unacceptable. I\u2019m proud to join my colleague from Oklahoma in introducing this common sense legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe fact that this year is on pace to far exceed the record-breaking number of illegal border crossings from last year is alarming and intolerable,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cWe must close this loophole and protect national security by enforcing all immigration laws to ensure the safety of American citizens.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur immigration system is broken and President Biden won\u2019t acknowledge the crisis we are facing at the southern border,\u201d Inhofe said. \u201cThat\u2019s why my colleagues and I introduced the Keep Our Communities Safe Act this week. This legislation would close the \u2018catch-and-release\u2019 loophole, which puts law abiding citizens, local law enforcement officials and communities at risk. Our bill will ensure that illegal aliens who have been found guilty of violent crimes and aggravated felonies are not able to remain in our communities. As the current law stands, an illegal alien with a criminal record is released back into the United States after six months if no other country accepts them for deportation. This bill is a commonsense solution and it\u2019s time for it to become law.\u201d\n\nThe Keep Our Communities Safe Act closes the loophole that prevents DHS from detaining non-removable immigrants beyond the current Supreme Court-mandated six months in these specific situations:\n\nThe alien will be removed in the reasonably foreseeable future;\n\nThe alien would have been removed but for the alien\u2019s refusal to make all reasonable efforts to comply and cooperate with the Secretary\u2019s efforts to remove him;\n\nThe alien has a highly contagious disease;\n\nRelease would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences;\n\nRelease would threaten national security; or\n\nRelease would threaten the safety of the community and the alien either is an aggravated felon or has committed a crime of violence.\n\nAdditional cosponsors of the Keep Our Communities Safe Act include Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-oppose-sec-overreach-unworkable-disclosure-regulations-on-agriculture-products", "Crapo, Risch Oppose SEC Overreach, Unworkable Disclosure Regulations on Agriculture Products", "2022-06-13", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and 29 of their colleagues to push back on a proposed rule from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would place unworkable climate disclosure regulations on farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers. The senators signed a letter calling on the SEC to rescind the overreaching proposal, which would require publicly-traded companies to include certain climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports. The rule would impose extensive new, complex, and burdensome greenhouse gas reporting requirements on all entities within a company\u2019s value chain, including farmers and ranchers who fall outside of the SEC\u2019s Congressionally-provided authority.\n\n\u201cWe have serious concerns regarding the SEC\u2019s regulatory overreach, as well as the impact that this proposed rule will have on the agricultural industry,\u201d wrote the senators. \u201cThis substantial reporting requirement would significantly burden small, family-owned farms with a new, complex, and unreasonable compliance requirement, resulting in costly additional compliance expenses, reduced access to new business opportunities, and potential consolidation in the agriculture industry\u2026 This proposed rule moves well beyond the SEC\u2019s traditional regulatory authority by mandating climate change reporting requirements that will not only regulate publicly traded companies, but will impact every company in the value chain.\u201d\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), James Risch (R-Idaho), , Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-welcomes-six-interns-for-summer-2022-term", "Crapo Welcomes Six Interns for Summer 2022 Term", "2022-06-13", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Six interns have joined U.S. Senator Mike Crapo\u2019s (R-Idaho) Washington, D.C., and Boise offices for the summer 2022 term.\n\n\u201cInternships in my offices provide the next generation of public servants an opportunity to serve the people of Idaho while gaining firsthand experience in the federal legislative process,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cI look forward to their hard work and success.\u201d\n\nFour interns will serve in the Washington, D.C., office:\n\nMatthew Favero currently attends Brigham Young University where he is seeking a degree in American studies. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in public policy.\n\nPrescott Lieberg graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2020 with a degree in global studies. Following his internship, Lieberg will attend Marquette University Law School to pursue a dual degree, a Juris Doctor and a Master of Arts in Political Science.\n\nWill Lukken attends Boston College and, with interests in banking and financial policy, is majoring in finance. Lukken is a Washington, D.C., native.\n\nMakena Rauch was raised in Moscow, Idaho. Rauch attends Marshall University, where she is a member of the women\u2019s golf team. She is working on a dual degree in criminal justice and political science.\n\nTwo interns will serve in the Boise office:\n\nJackson Dingel grew up in Boise, Idaho, and graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in business finance and marketing. After his internship, Dingel plans to attend graduate school in Barcelona, Spain, to study international business.\n\nThomas Morrison recently graduated from Boise State University with degrees in political science and history. Morrison has aspirations to work in international relations and trade and is considering attending law school.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-applauds-radiation-exposure-compensation-act-reca-extension", "Crapo Applauds Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Extension", "2022-06-09", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Legislation championed by U.S. Senator Mike Crapo to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program for two years has been signed into law. The extension allows individuals more time to apply for the compensation they deserve.\n\nCrapo, a longtime Senate lead on RECA expansion efforts and original co-sponsor of this legislation, applauded the extension and reiterated the need for additional efforts to expand the program to include coverage for all of those who lived downwind of above-ground atomic weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s.\n\n\u201cExtending the RECA program for two years is critical to providing compensation downwinders rightfully deserve,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cMany Idahoans have suffered the health consequences of exposure to fallout from nuclear weapons testing, and I will continue to work for the passage of important legislation that ensures their reparation.\u201d\n\nCrapo will continue pushing for passage of his bipartisan legislation, S. 2798, which would extend and expand eligibility under the RECA program. S. 2798 would expand the coverage area to allow more potential victims, known as \u201cdownwinders,\u201d to file for compensation under RECA. While the original RECA program only covered individuals who lived in parts of Utah, Nevada and Arizona, this legislation would expand the geographic downwinder eligibility to include then-residents of Idaho, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico and Guam.\n\nIn March 2022, Crapo and Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-New Mexico) led a bipartisan letter urging Congressional Leadership to extend RECA. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the RECA extension legislation in May 2022.\n\nCrapo chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the RECA program in June 2018. Tona Henderson, of Emmett, Idaho, and head of the Idaho Downwinders organization, provided testimony in the hearing and paid tribute to those in her community who have passed away due to radiation-related illnesses. Her birthplace of Gem County, Idaho, received the third-highest amount of fallout in the nation according to a 1997 National Cancer Institute study.\n\n\u201cA huge thank you to Senators Crapo and Lujan for working so hard on behalf of downwinders!\u201d Henderson said. \u201cThis is great news that the current RECA legislation will not expire. Now, we still have the task of getting our RECA expansion Bill passed. This should be a bipartisan effort to compensate downwinders and uranium workers for the tragedy that nuclear testing caused.\u201d\n\nWithout reauthorization, the RECA program was scheduled to sunset in July.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-inflation-is-hurting-americans-and-eroding-wages", "Crapo: Inflation is Hurting Americans and Eroding Wages", "2022-06-07", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--At a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing with U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), the top Republican of the Committee, highlighted how inflation is hurting American families, and pressed Secretary Yellen on economic policies that could potentially worsen the inflation crisis.\n\nTo view Senator Crapo\u2019s remarks, click HERE or the image above.\n\nOn inflation:\n\n\u201cInflation is hurting American families and eroding wages. People are adjusting spending, even on basic necessities, to make ends meet. They are being hammered at the gas pump and in the grocery aisles and across the economy. As wages rise to keep up with inflation, odds of an inflationary wage-price spiral rise.\n\n\u201cInflation became broad-based and accelerated last year following the untargeted American Rescue Plan Act. That Act poured $1.9 trillion of inflation fuel into an economy with growing supply-chain disruptions and households with elevated disposable incomes and liquid savings.\n\n\u201cFollowing that, Democrats pushed for trillions more in reckless spending. The result, which many predicted, has been inflation at highs not seen in 40 years. As prospects of recession and stagflation rise, this is no time to consider raising taxes or resurrecting reckless spending proposals from the House-passed Build Back Better bill.\u201d\n\nOn whether raising taxes or engaging in stimulus spending is sound fiscal policy:\n\n\u201cSecretary Yellen, you heard from me in my opening statement about the significant pain that Americans are suffering from because of inflation that accelerated and became broad based following enactment of the American Rescue Plan last year. Democrats are claiming that Republicans are trying to raise taxes. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that as we speak, the Democrats are trying to negotiate a new massive plan that would raise taxes significantly. Do you believe that it would be prudent fiscal policy to increase taxes or engage in more stimulus spending with an economy facing the prospects of stagflation?\n\n. . .\n\n\u201cWhat I heard you say is that it is okay to raise taxes right now and it is proper to have more stimulus spending to deal with this crisis, and I just have to say that I disagree with you on that.\u201d\n\nOn the Administration\u2019s anti-energy policies contributing to high gas prices:\n\n\u201cDo you continue to believe that the President\u2019s policies with regards to reducing our capacities to develop our own oil and gas reserves and potential is the appropriate approach to this? You mentioned taking from our strategic petroleum reserve which I think weakens us, but you didn\u2019t mention increasing our domestic production of energy.\n\n. . .\n\n\u201cThe permits for proceeding on leases are not being facilitated. The President issued an executive order to shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, to stop the issuance of more leases. They\u2019ve stopped progress on the permitting of more leases, stopped offshore oil production. The fact is, we were energy independent and now we are not. And it\u2019s not the result of a failure of capacity.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-committee-republicans-demand-oversight-of-state-local-funds-in-american-rescue-plan", "Finance Committee Republicans Demand Oversight of State, Local Funds in American Rescue Plan", "2022-06-06", "2022", "2022-06", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-Ohio) joined all Finance Committee Republicans in requesting the Government and Accountability Office (GAO) provide a detailed accounting of the $350 billion of COVID relief funds appropriated to governments of states, localities, territories and tribes under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).\n\nFrom the letter to GAO:\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, ARPA, unlike the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, has no meaningful built-in nonpartisan oversight mechanism that allows for necessary Congressional oversight and there is lack of transparency on uses of the funds provided to various governments.\n\n\u2026\n\n\u201cBecause of the lack of information and transparency on uses of and accounting for these federal funds, we request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) help to ensure there is proper oversight of at least $350 billion of ARPA funding and necessary accountability to Congress and the American people.\u201d\n\nThe senators ask a series of oversight questions, including:\n\nWhether Treasury is using risk assessments and monitoring components to ensure efficient and transparent use of taxpayer resources, and whether Congress and the American people can verify that such controls meet standards;\n\nHow Treasury has tracked whether states have satisfied the objectionable requirement that funds not constitute a \u201ctax cut,\u201d and whether the requirement served any useful purpose;\n\nInformation on reporting errors, and whether the practice of ignoring such errors adheres to principles of sound federal financial management;\n\nWhat controls have been established to ensure that reported expenditures by states and localities abide by the restrictions on uses put in place in ARPA;\n\nHow has Treasury enforced a legal restriction against a government using state and local funds for deposit into pension funds; and\n\nHow much of the $350 billion allocated by Treasury to state and local governments has been recouped to date, and how can Congress and the American people monitor any such recoupments?\n\nRead the full list of questions and the letter, signed by all Senate Finance Committee Republican members, below.\n\n____________________________________\n\nComptroller Dodaro:\n\nSection 9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA; Public Law No. 117-2) appropriated $350 billion of COVID relief funds to governments of states, localities, territories and tribes. Clarity and oversight of how these funds are being expended, obligated, and administered by the Department of the Treasury is important and a responsibility of the Senate Finance Committee, on which we serve. Unfortunately, ARPA, unlike the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, has no meaningful built-in nonpartisan oversight mechanism that allows for necessary Congressional oversight and there is lack of transparency on uses of the funds provided to various governments.\n\nBased on several discussions with officials at the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) regarding obligations, expenditures, and uses of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRFs) provided for in ARPA, there remains insufficient information on details, and reporting that is publicly available to date, which Treasury appears to take with casual indifference. Because of the lack of information and transparency on uses of and accounting for these federal funds, we request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) help to ensure there is proper oversight of at least $350 billion of ARPA funding and necessary accountability to Congress and the American people.\n\nWe request that GAO promptly engage in review and assessment of administration of the SLFRFs at the Treasury and address the following:\n\nWhat oversight is Treasury performing on ARPA state and local funds, if any, and how can taxpayers learn of any possible Treasury oversight actions?\n\nWhat federal control standards apply, or should be applied, to administration of SLFRFs by Treasury, and is Treasury applying such controls, properly designing such controls, and monitoring of control activities?\n\nAre risk assessments and monitoring components of internal controls significant to the objective of the efficient and transparent use of taxpayer resources, and are there any means by which Congress and the American people can verify that monitoring components and internal controls at Treasury meet standards.\n\nDo standards and internal controls related to the SLFRFs adhere to those set by the Comptroller General (as in the Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government; the \u201cGreen Book\u201d) issued in compliance with Sec. 3512 (c) and (d) of Title 31 of the United States Code, and with any associated Office of Management and Budget Circular (e.g., OMB Circular No. A-123)?\n\nNoting that Treasury has released its initial \u201cInterim Reports and Recovery Plan Performance Reports \u2013 2021\u201d and that several reports seem to indicate zero obligations or expenditures, are reporting requirements established by Treasury, especially for small localities, creating undue burdens and inefficiencies?\n\nGiven that ARPA mistakenly sought to have the Executive Branch of the federal government prevent states from using SLFRF funds to provide tax cuts deemed by states to be beneficial to their citizens, does Treasury\u2019s requirement to have states report on whether they have satisfied Treasury\u2019s loose approximation of how state tax policies may or may not constitute a \u201ctax cut\u201d serve any useful purpose toward the objective of the efficient use of federal taxpayer resources?\n\nIn Treasury\u2019s Interim Reports and Recovery Performance Reports\u20142021, there are instances where reporting errors are apparent, including cases where a reporting government identifies fund uses for which it claims that amounts expended exceed amounts obligated. Treasury officials have indicated no desire to request corrections of known reporting errors in the Interim Reports, and Treasury\u2019s position appears to be, with respect to the errors, to treat errors as bygones to ignore. Would such a practice adhere to principles of sound federal financial management and establishment of principled internal controls?\n\nIn light of reports of SLFRF funds being used in states and localities for things seemingly unrelated that have nothing to do with responding to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or with making necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure, what controls in Treasury have been established to ensure that reported expenditures by states and localities abide by the restrictions on uses put in place in ARPA?\n\nMoney is fungible across budget categories in state, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and some SLFRF funds have accrued to general funds (e.g., the general fund of a state). ARPA restricts uses of SLFRF funding by stating that no recipient of such funds may use such funds \u201cfor deposit into any pension fund.\u201d Given that funds are fungible across budget categories, that some SLFRF funds may accrue to general funds of a government, and that general funds may be used by governments to fund pensions, how is it feasible for Treasury to enforce a legal restriction against a government, in effect, using SLFRF funds for deposit into pension funds? How is Treasury enforcing such a restriction in its administration of SLFRF usage?\n\nNoting that ARPA does not restrict SLFRF funds from being used by a state or local or territorial government for funding of \u201cother post-employment benefits\u201d (OPEBs), and that, in addition to massive underfunding of pension obligations in many states and localities, state and local governments have, according to some reports, more than $1 trillion of net liabilities for OPEBs, how much of ARPAs $350 billion of funding for governments of states, localities, and territories could flow to bailing out OPEB liabilities of those governments?\n\nNoting that ARPA grants Treasury the authority to recoup SLFRF funds from state, local, territorial, or tribal governments when funds are used in violation of allowable uses, how much of the $350 billion allocated by Treasury to those governments has been recouped to date, and how can Congress and the American people monitor any such recoupments?\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to these matters.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:13:54Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-committee-republicans-raise-questions-concerns-with-disturbing-irs-document-destruction", "Finance Committee Republicans Raise Questions, Concerns with Disturbing IRS Document Destruction", "2022-05-26", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Senate Finance Committee Republicans, led by Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), wrote to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Chuck Rettig raising concerns and questions about the IRS\u2019s destruction of an estimated 30 million paper-filed documents in March 2021 reportedly due to a backlog in processing paper documents. A Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) report brought the IRS\u2019s destruction of the paperwork to light.\n\nDespite repeated requests from Congress for the IRS to exercise taxpayer penalty relief due to pandemic-related problems, the agency never disclosed that among the measures taken to reduce the backlog was the decision to destroy 30 million information returns.\n\nFrom the letter:\n\n\u201cThe information disclosed in the May 4 TIGTA report has surprised many in Congress and in the tax community. The destruction of documents ensuring taxpayers did not underreport income or inflate a deduction is concerning. It also raises questions about the IRS\u2019s ability to administer the tax code and ensure compliance.\u201d\n\nThe senators ask the IRS to clarify the potential damage to tax administration this destruction will cause, as well as who made the decision, how the IRS will address the consequences this decision will have for taxpayers and the potential harm to tax revenues.\n\nRead the full letter, signed by all Senate Finance Committee Republican members, below.\n\n____________________________________\n\nDear Commissioner Rettig:\n\nWe are writing you regarding disturbing information that came to light in a report issued by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and has been referenced in several news accounts. TIGTA released the audit report, \u201cA Service-Wide Strategy Is Needed to Address Challenges Limiting Growth in Business Tax Return Electronic Filing\u201d on May 4, 2022. The audit states:\n\nThis audit was initiated because the IRS\u2019s continued inability to process backlogs of paper-filed tax returns contributed to management\u2019s decision to destroy an estimated 30 million paper-filed information return documents in March 2021. The IRS uses these documents to conduct post-processing compliance matches to identify taxpayers who do not accurately report their income.\n\nThis information is deeply concerning to many, especially in the professional tax community.\n\nOn March 17, 2022, in an appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight on the 2022 Filing Season, you were quoted as expecting the backlog of unprocessed tax returns to clear before the end of 2022. During that hearing you said, \u201cAs of today, barring any unforeseen circumstances, if the world stays as it is today, we will be what we call \u2018healthy\u2019 by the end of calendar year 2022, and enter the 2023 filing season with normal inventories.\u201d In written testimony submitted to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance in April of 2022, you wrote:\n\nThe IRS pursued significant actions during the 2021 filing season to address the return and correspondence inventory. But due to resource issues and numerous unique factors tied to new legislation and the pandemic, we have entered the 2022 filing season with a significant inventory of unprocessed returns and correspondence\u2026\u201d\n\nYour statements in neither hearing suggest that the actions taken to clear the backlog or the \u201csignificant actions\u201d pursued benefitted from the destruction of 30 million information returns.\n\nA Tax Notes article noted that during the period IRS was destroying 30 million information returns and while the COVID pandemic harmed millions of Americans, \u201cit [the IRS] was imposing penalties for failing to file timely and accurate information returns, which, for all anyone knows, may have been among the documents destroyed.\u201d The document destruction also happened during a time many called for the IRS to exercise penalty relief. Since the summer of 2020, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has released at least seven letters or statements calling for some form of penalty relief from the IRS.\n\nSenate Republicans also asked the IRS for taxpayer relief due to the pandemic. In a letter dated February 10, 2022 (the February letter), many Senate Republicans, including all Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen and you that says,\n\nWhile recognizing the challenges the IRS currently operates under, we find the current situation at the IRS alarming. Given the current circumstances, we respectfully request the IRS consider exercising its existing authority to undertake measures to bring immediate relief to taxpayers and reduce backlogs, during this tax filing season\u2026.\n\nAmong other suggested solutions, the February letter asked that the IRS \u201c[c]ommunicate to the public, in a clear and timely manner, the status of IRS operations, current processing times, levels of unopened mail, number of error resolution cases, and dates to which mail, including paper and amended returns, has been processed.\u201d It is concerning that despite repeated requests from the tax professional community and Congress, the IRS never disclosed that among the measures taken to reduce the backlog was the decision to destroy 30 million information returns.\n\nThe information disclosed in the May 4 TIGTA report has surprised many in Congress and in the tax community. The destruction of documents ensuring taxpayers did not underreport income or inflate a deduction is concerning. It also raises questions about the IRS\u2019s ability to administer the tax code and ensure compliance. In order to understand how the destruction of 30 million information returns was allowed to happen and the ramifications for taxpayers, we respectfully ask that you respond to the following by June 5, 2022:\n\nPlease describe specifically what information return documents (e.g., 1099?MISC) were destroyed, exactly how many were destroyed, what tax periods the destroyed documents covered, how the documents were destroyed and how you complied with document retention requirements.\n\nBased on the most recent IRS analysis of the tax gap (2011-2013), 56 percent, or $245 billion, of the tax gap comes from underreporting by individuals. Also, according to the IRS FY 2020 Budget and Performance plan, the Automated Underreporter system where information return matching happens had a return on investment of $25.80 for every $1 spent. What is the estimated tax revenue lost because 30 million information returns were destroyed instead of processed?\n\nDid the IRS assess penalties against information return filers for failing to timely file or submit accurate information returns (e.g., 26 U.S.C. \u00a7\u00a7 6721 or 6722) when the paper information returns were actually in the IRS\u2019s possession and later destroyed? If penalty waivers were provided for paper information returns, were they also waived for e?filed information returns? If not, why was e-filing treated differently than paper filing?\n\nPlease describe in detail any other instances when the IRS destroyed tax documents filed, as required by law, without processing them.\n\nPlease provide the legal basis for this decision and describe how the conclusion was made to destroy the documents, and provide a copy of the risk assessment completed by the Small Business/Self-Employed Division that evaluates what the impact these missing information reporting documents would have on the IRS\u2019s post-processing compliance activities. Please note and document what specific IRS personnel were involved in the decision to destroy the information returns, the date of the final decision to destroy the returns, and the date at which the risk assessment began.\n\nHas the destruction of 30 million information returns negatively affected the ability of qualifying taxpayers to receive the earned income tax credit or the ability to accurately record withholding amounts credited on a destroyed Form 1099?\n\nThe May 4 TIGTA report suggests that after the conclusion of a tax year, the IRS is not able to process information returns for that year \u201cbecause the system used to process these information returns is taken offline for programming\u2026\u201d[1] Please confirm whether or not that suggestion is accurate and if it applies to all late or amended information returns filed after the conclusion of a tax year.\n\nThank you for your attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:09:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/wyden-crapo-cardin-thune-release-telehealth-policies-for-mental-health-care-initiative", "Wyden, Crapo, Cardin, Thune Release Telehealth Policies for Mental Health Care Initiative", "2022-05-26", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.\u2013Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) today released a discussion draft for telehealth policies as a part of the committee\u2019s ongoing work to improve mental health care across the nation, which has included a public call for comments and three hearings to help develop these initiatives.\n\n\u201cWhether for rural communities, urban areas or tribes, telehealth has undoubtedly expanded access in underserved areas, improved care coordination and integration, and provided more privacy to patients to combat stigma,\u201d Crapo said. \u201cThe Finance Committee took crucial first steps toward modernizing telehealth coverage for mental health services in late 2020, and I look forward to building on those efforts through this bipartisan process.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe pandemic made clear that telehealth is a game-changer, particularly so Americans can get mental health care when they need it,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThese policies will help strengthen access, awareness and support for telehealth, including by creating a \u2018bill of rights\u2019 for information on the availability of telehealth for mental health care. I want to thank Ranking Member Crapo and Senators Cardin and Thune for their hard work to produce this discussion draft on a bipartisan basis. I look forward to working with the rest of the committee co-chairs of this initiative who are leading the way to craft the remaining important components of the committee\u2019s legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cSouth Dakotans have long understood the value of telehealth, and the pandemic put a finer point on its importance,\u201d said Thune. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator Cardin and the committee leaders over the last few months to lay the necessary groundwork to advance policies that strengthen telehealth and expand access to mental health services.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on the health and well-being individuals and communities, exacerbating longstanding challenges with mental health and substance abuse,\u201d said Cardin. \u201cTelehealth, particularly for behavioral health services, has become an essential component of care, and I am pleased that we have this opportunity to improve access to telemental health care, particularly for underserved communities. I want to thank Senator Thune for his partnership in drafting this bipartisan legislation and Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo for their leadership. I look forward to our continued partnership as we work to improve access to telemental health services nationwide and make access to telehealth permanent in Medicare.\u201d\n\nThe discussion draft includes policies that would:\n\nRemove Medicare\u2019s in-person visit requirement for tele-mental health services.\n\nEstablish benefit transparency for mental health care services delivered via telehealth to inform Americans with Medicare how and when they can access telehealth.\n\nPreserve access to audio-only mental health coverage in Medicare when necessary and appropriate.\n\nDirect Medicare and Medicaid to promote and support provider use of telehealth.\n\nIncentivize states to use their CHIP programs to establish local solutions to serve behavioral health needs in schools, including through telehealth.\n\nThe telehealth discussion draft is the first legislative draft released by the committee since it began its mental health care initiative. Other discussion drafts may be released prior to a committee markup. The committee is committed to fully paying for any mental health package with bipartisan, consensus-driven offsets. Earlier this year, the committee announced five areas of focus for addressing shortfalls in mental health care: workforce, care integration, mental health parity, telehealth, and youth.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:09:24Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-announces-new-press-secretary", "Crapo Announces New Press Secretary", "2022-05-25", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "BOISE--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) announced a new press secretary has joined his staff. Marissa Morrison will be responsible for media relations and will be based in the Boise office.\n\n\u201cMarissa\u2019s unique background and experience, and extensive knowledge of the media landscape in Idaho, will be an immediate asset to our team and the people of Idaho,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cWe are excited to welcome her on board.\u201d\n\nMorrison, a Pocatello native, comes to the Crapo office from serving as Press Secretary for Idaho Governor Brad Little and working for KIVI Six on Your Side in Nampa and KPVI News 6 in Pocatello. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in broadcasting & electronic media studies from Gonzaga University.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/finance-committee-republicans-irs-should-speed-up-paper-returns-process", "Finance Committee Republicans: IRS Should Speed Up Paper Returns Process", "2022-05-25", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Senate Finance Committee Republicans, led by Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), wrote to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Chuck Rettig to strongly encourage the agency to implement 2-D barcoding for paper returns in the 2023 tax filing season--technology that would help to efficiently process millions of tax returns and speed up taxpayer refunds.\n\nProcessing paper returns is a tedious, time-consuming process, and the pandemic led to an unprecedented backlog of paper returns at the IRS. As the senators note in the letter, \u201cFor taxpayers due a refund, an IRS backlog means refund delays and possible financial hardship. For others, the backlog means the unavailability of tax transcripts necessary to secure a loan or employment.\u201d\n\nIn March, the National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) recommended the IRS implement 2-D barcoding for paper tax returns, which would concisely encode relevant data and import it in digital form into the IRS\u2019s computer systems, bypassing time-consuming manual data entry and streamlining the process. However, the IRS has signaled it is unlikely to do so.\n\nIn the letter, the senators make several arguments in favor of implementing 2-D barcoding:\n\nMillions of taxpayers need their refunds. 2-D barcoding will help efficiently process millions of tax returns and speed up taxpayer refunds.\n\nIt is affordable and the IRS has the funds. The American Rescue Plan of 2021 earmarked $1.86 billion toward the IRS to among other things provide taxpayer assistance, including $1 billion specifically for IT modernization. Entering into 2022, only $98.5 million of the $1 billion was spent. In 2017, the IRS estimated the cost for implementing 2-D barcoding technology was $8.3 million.\n\nThere is an urgent need to address the problem now, not in five years.\n\nStop chasing technological perfection. If we were to wait for the promise of better technology, nothing would ever get implemented. 2-D technology has been tested and is less expensive, and many states currently use it.\n\n2-D barcoding will likely pay for itself. Faster processing means faster refunds. The result will be improved taxpayer outcomes and a reduction in the billions of dollars the IRS pays in interest.\n\nRead the full letter, signed by all Senate Finance Committee Republican members, here or below.\n\n____________________________________\n\nDear Commissioner Rettig:\n\nWe are writing to strongly encourage the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to work with tax return software companies to implement 2-D barcoding technology for use during the 2023 tax filing season for the 1040 family of paper returns.\n\nThe pandemic started an unprecedented backlog of paper returns at the IRS. As of the week ending April 29, 2022, the IRS reported the following backlog:\n\nThe National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) reported that in 2021, 77 percent of individual taxpayers received a refund. For taxpayers due a refund, an IRS backlog means refund delays and possible financial hardship. For others, a backlog means the unavailability of tax transcripts necessary to secure a loan or employment.\n\nOn March 29, 2022, the NTA sent the IRS a directive recommending the IRS work with the tax software industry to implement 2-D barcoding for the 2023 tax filing season. The NTA noted since 2002, 17 states have used 2?D barcoding for paper returns prepared with tax return software. Also, 50-60 percent of paper individual income tax returns were prepared with tax return software and would not need to be manually transcribed if 2-D barcodes were added.\n\nWe consider the following points outweigh objections to implementing 2-D barcoding for the 2023 tax filing season.\n\nMillions of taxpayers need their refunds. Assuming 77 percent of individual taxpayers receive refunds, based on the above current backlog statistics, roughly 8 million individual taxpayers who filed paper returns are waiting for their refund. During pre-COVID times, the IRS would tell taxpayers that refunds generated from paper returns took about 4-6 weeks. Now taxpayers are waiting longer, much longer. Some of our constituents are waiting 10-13 months for their refund. It is time to stop pushing this problem forward. 2-D barcoding will help efficiently process millions of tax returns and speed-up taxpayer refunds.\n\nIt is affordable and you have the funds. The IRS\u2019s budget request for 2017 said the cost of implementing 2-D barcoding was approximately $8.4 million. The American Rescue Plan of 2021 earmarked $1.86 billion toward the IRS to, among other things, provide taxpayer assistance, including $1 billion specifically for IT modernization. Entering into 2022, $98.5 million of the $1 billion was spent.\n\nThere is an urgent need to address the problem now, not in five years.\n\nStop chasing technological perfection. If we were to wait for the promise of better technology, nothing would ever get implemented. To the contrary, the fact the 2-D technology is a bit older probably means it has been tested and is less expensive. Many states currently use 2-D barcoding for tax returns, so we have proof it works.\n\n2-D barcoding will likely pay for itself. With 2-D barcoding, the IRS will be able to do more with fewer people. Additionally, GAO reported, the IRS paid $3.3 billion in interest payments for FY 2021 due to refund processing delays. Faster processing will mean faster refunds. The result will be improved taxpayer outcomes and a reduction in the billions of dollars the IRS pays in interest.\n\nWe appreciate the 2-D barcoding is not a panacea. For example, returns will still need to be inspected for manual overwrites and unreadable barcodes. Nevertheless, if professionally implemented, 2-D barcoding can effectively bridge the paper and digital worlds. Let\u2019s make progress in giving taxpayers the IRS they deserve. Let us implement 2-D barcoding for the 2023 filing season.\n\nThank you for your immediate consideration of this matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-joins-51-colleagues-in-letter-to-president-biden-championing-taiwans-inclusion-in-proposed-trade-pact-with-indo-pacific-countries", "Crapo Joins 51 Colleagues in Letter to President Biden Championing Taiwan\u2019s Inclusion in Proposed Trade Pact with Indo-Pacific Countries", "2022-05-20", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and 49 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden to urge the Administration\u2019s inclusion of Taiwan as a partner in the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). In addition to recognizing Taiwan\u2019s importance to the United States as a trading partner, the Senators underscored that failing to include Taiwan in IPEF runs counter to U.S. economic interests in the region.\n\n\u201cIPEF can be a meaningful first step for the United States to assure its allies and partners that we are economically engaged in the region, which accounts for sixty percent of the world economy and two-thirds of all economic growth over the last five years. For IPEF to be a useful vehicle to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, however, we must make sure that all of America\u2019s regional allies and partners are included,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cThis is just one necessary aspect to ensuring the framework is competitive in a region already saturated with economic treaties and agendas.\u201d\n\nIn addition to requesting that the Biden Administration engage with the Committee on the issue and provide a briefing on economic security policy toward Taiwan, the Senators also underscored that excluding Taiwan would significantly distort both regional and global economic architecture.\n\n\u201cThe more economic engagement U.S. and allies and partners have with Taiwan, the stronger our collective resilience against coercion,\u201d the senators added. \u201cRussia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine shows the value of tangible economic support by the United States and like-minded allies and partners, and the same is true for Taiwan. Including Taiwan in the IPEF would be an invaluable signal of our rock-solid commitment to Taiwan and its prosperity and freedom.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-senators-colleagues-defund-bidens-disinformation-board", "Idaho Senators, Colleagues: Defund Biden\u2019s Disinformation Board", "2022-05-20", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Idaho\u2019s U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, along with a group of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security expressing opposition to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s (DHS) Disinformation Governance Board and urging that any funding for such board be prohibited in Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations.\n\n\u201c\u2026While DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified that the board will not be used for political purposes and did his best to explain away serious concerns raised, little remains known as to what the board will actually do, how it will determine what is disinformation, and the scope in which it will take to monitor disinformation from American citizens. It is known, however, that the board\u2019s executive director, Nina Jankowicz, is a hyper-partisan actor whose opinions of free speech and of those she disagrees with are well documented. It is also known that the board currently lacks any guiding policy, mission statement, or charter. Absent of these necessary guardrails to prevent mission creep, there is substantial risk of government overreach and First Amendment infringements. Although recent reports indicate that the board\u2019s operations have been \u2018paused\u2019, Ms. Jankowicz has resigned, and its dissolution is being considered by DHS, its future remains as unclear as its mission,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n\u201cWhile DHS has promised the board will \u2018protect privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties,\u2019 we do not take solace in words alone. A fine line exists between tackling disinformation and government censorship. Exactly where the Disinformation Governance Board falls on this line remains unclear and the potential for abuse is so egregious that we urge any and all funding for the board be prohibited during the Homeland Security appropriations process,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter led by Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) include Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/senate-commemorates-national-police-week", "Senate Commemorates National Police Week", "2022-05-19", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--The U.S. Senate today unanimously adopted a resolution marking National Police Week and reiterating support for the men and women in law enforcement. Idaho\u2019s U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch co-sponsored the bipartisan resolution led by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Illinois). It was also co-sponsored by 82 additional Senate colleagues.\n\n\u201cWe all must recognize the important role police officers have in making our communities safe and show support for police and law enforcement personnel,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThey need our support perhaps now more than ever.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur law enforcement and their families deserve our recognition and support for their brave work protecting and serving our communities,\u201d said Risch. \u201cI am deeply grateful to the more than 800,000 law enforcement officers across the country who put their personal safety on the line every day to keep us safe.\u201d\n\nThe resolution honors the 576 law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2021, including nearly 400 who died from COVID-19, as well as the 92 lost to date in 2022. Last year marked the most intentional killings of police since the September 11, 2001, attacks. In the face of an ongoing pandemic and rise in violent crime, law enforcement personnel continue to answer the call, serving their communities, often at great risk to themselves.\n\nThe resolution designates the week of May 15 through May 21, 2022, as \u201cNational Police Week,\u201d and expresses unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities.\n\nText the resolution is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-senators-introduce-resolution-calling-on-white-house-and-congress-to-combat-crime", "Idaho Senators Introduce Resolution Calling on White House and Congress to Combat Crime", "2022-05-17", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Idaho\u2019s U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined 29 Senate colleagues in introducing a Senate Resolution calling on the Biden Administration to work with Congress to develop a plan to combat the rise in crime in the United States, as well as to address the crisis at the southern border. The Resolution was introduced during the annual recognition of National Police Week.\n\n\u201cRecent data and news reports have highlighted just a sampling of the significant increase in violent crime across the country,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe United States reached record-breaking drug overdose deaths in 2021; 16 major U.S. cities set homicide rates in 2021; and illegal border crossings have surged to record-breaking levels. When communities are soft on crime and focused on defunding the police, we are all less safe. We must focus on policies that lay blame squarely on the perpetrators of violent, criminal behavior, not on law-abiding citizens.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need solutions to address the rise in violent crime and the continued surge of illegal immigration at the border,\u201d said Risch. \u201cSenate Republicans stand ready to get the work done \u2013 the White House should join us in making a plan of action.\u201d\n\nSenator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) led the resolution that is also co-sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Todd Young (R-Indiana).\n\nRead the full resolution HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-applaud-full-market-access-for-idaho-potatoes-in-mexico", "Crapo, Risch Applaud Full Market Access for Idaho Potatoes in Mexico", "2022-05-12", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Idaho Senators U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued the following statements after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Mexico is granting full market access for U.S. fresh potatoes, with the first shipment into Mexico coming from Idaho.\n\n\u201cThanks to commitments made under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, (USMCA), U.S. fresh potatoes now have full market access in Mexico, and a shipment of Idaho potatoes was cleared to enter the country,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cAddressing this decades-long dispute is a significant step forward in improving and strengthening our trade relationship with Mexico. While this is a positive development, we must continue to monitor Mexico\u2019s compliance with USMCA to ensure every aspect is fully enforced and the agreement lives up to its full potential.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s development has been a long time in the making. I\u2019m glad to see this initial shipment of fresh Idaho potatoes granted access to Mexico, but this needs to be the first step of many,\u201d said Risch. \u201cPotato growers in Idaho and across the country were promised meaningful market access more than 15 years ago, and Mexico has a responsibility to make good on its pledge to our farmers.\u201d\n\nTo view Senator Crapo\u2019s remarks, click HERE or the image above.\n\nWhile Mexico is the largest market for U.S. potatoes, until now, imports of fresh U.S. potatoes have been limited to a roughly 16 mile area along the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement late last year to expand market access for U.S. potatoes, something that the United States has actively sought for more than 15 years. The National Potato Council (NPC) estimates full market potential for fresh table potatoes could reach $250 million a year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-double-digit-producer-price-index", "Crapo Statement on Double-Digit Producer Price Index", "2022-05-12", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the Producer Price Index (PPI) showed numbers remaining at a troubling double-digit rate and well above the 1.8 percent average during the four years prior to Biden taking office.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s producer price data means more hits from the Biden Administration\u2019s runaway inflation to manufacturers, small businesses and consumers when they can least afford it. Inflation facing producers and consumers continues at historically elevated rates, harming businesses, eroding workers\u2019 paychecks, and hammering Americans\u2019 pocketbooks at the pump and in the grocery aisles.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-runaway-inflation", "Crapo Statement on Runaway Inflation", "2022-05-12", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) release showed inflation holding high at 8.3 percent year over year in April, and the Producer Price Index, or wholesale price inflation, remaining at a troubling double-digit rate of 11.0 percent.\n\n\u201cThe Biden Administration\u2019s runaway inflation is not contained and a slight, one-month dip downward in the consumer price index is no cause for celebration, as Idahoans continue to feel the pain of broad-based and rapid price increases. And, today\u2019s 11 percent wholesale price inflation means higher consumer prices down the road. With increasing risks of a recession and rising mortgage rates, this is no time to resurrect failed tax-and-spend proposals that will only cause further economic damage.\u201d\n\nTo view Senator Crapo\u2019s remarks, click HERE or the image above.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-side-with-sportsmen-urge-biden-administration-against-banning-lead-ammo-and-tackle-on-public-lands", "Crapo, Risch Side with Sportsmen, Urge Biden Administration Against Banning Lead Ammo & Tackle on Public Lands", "2022-05-11", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) and additional Senate Republican colleagues in urging the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Martha Williams, not to cave in to activists\u2019 calls to restrict the use of lead ammo and tackle on public lands.\n\n\u201cPolicies or actions that reduce or limit sportsmen activities necessarily implicate wildlife conservation programs by affecting state agencies\u2019 revenue. Such policies or actions also handcuff wildlife managers by removing a critical conservation tool while needlessly alienating one of our original conservationists, sportsmen. Phasing-out lead ammo and tackle on wildlife refuges would disproportionately affect lower-income households and those that depend on hunting and fishing for their subsistence as lead alternatives are often more expensive. The impact of such a policy would be devastating to the sportsmen heritage in our states,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) and Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-persistently-high-inflation", "Crapo Statement on Persistently High Inflation", "2022-05-11", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) release showed inflation holding high at 8.3 percent year over year in April.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s data on consumer price inflation shows the Biden Administration\u2019s runaway inflation is not contained and a slight, one-month dip downward is no cause for celebration, as Americans continue to feel the pain of broad-based and rapid price increases. With increasing risks of a recession and rising mortgage rates, this is no time to resurrect failed tax-and-spend proposals that will only cause further economic damage.\u201d\n\nAs Crapo has said, this inflationary environment preceded Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, and has outpaced inflation in other developed countries in no small part due to the outsized, unnecessary spending in the American Rescue Plan.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-senators-colleagues-defend-servicemembers-from-vaccine-punishment-with-americans-act", "Idaho Senators, Colleagues Defend Servicemembers from Vaccine Punishment with AMERICANS Act", "2022-05-11", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and 11 of their colleagues in introducing the Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots (AMERICANS) Act of 2022. The legislation counters the Biden Administration\u2019s efforts to coerce and punish servicemembers who decline the COVID-19 vaccine, and introduces accountability measures in response to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to undermine transparency.\n\n\u201cA one-size-fits-all COVID-19 vaccine mandate is no way to thank the women and men of our Armed Forces for their service,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe DOD should be seeking ways to retain servicemembers, not discharge them for politically-motivated reasons.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur service men and women, who serve to defend our democracy and individual liberties, should not be punished for their individual health decisions,\u201d said Risch. \u201cThe Department of Defense must recognize the merit and service of our military rather than their vaccination status.\u201d\n\nThis bill would:\n\nRequire the Secretary of Defense to make every effort to retain unvaccinated servicemembers;\n\nStrengthen language to ensure servicemembers receive discharge classifications commensurate with their record of service;\n\nRequire the DOD to report the number and type of COVID-19 vaccine religious exemptions that have been denied; and\n\nCreate an exemption from COVID-19 vaccine requirements for service members with natural immunity.\n\nThe measure would also protect service academy students and Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps (ROTC) members in the same way.\n\nThe bill is co-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Mike Braun (R-Indiana) and Steve Daines (R-Montana).\n\nLast week, Senators Crapo and Risch sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raising concerns about the number and nature of military discharges for not receiving a COVID vaccine.\n\nTo see a full list of Senator Crapo\u2019s efforts to fight against the federal government\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, click HERE.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/bipartisan-senate-finance-committee-members-call-for-improved-transparency-from-us-trade-representative-cite-failure-to-consult-with-congress-on-recent-trade-negotiations", "Bipartisan Senate Finance Committee Members Call For Improved Transparency from U.S. Trade Representative; Cite Failure to Consult with Congress on Recent Trade Negotiations", "2022-05-10", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Finance Committee Member Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) today called on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to dramatically improve transparency and consultation with Congress on pending trade negotiations, in a letter sent today with Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) and Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska).\n\nThe bipartisan senators cited negotiations to waive intellectual property rules at the World Trade Organization--where details became public before Congress was briefed or shown the text of the agreement--as a recent example of the executive branch failing to adequately consult with Congress.\n\n\u201cWe want to ensure that this failure to consult properly with Congress will not be replicated in other areas, particularly as the Administration seeks to launch new trade negotiations under the auspices of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, pursue multilateral and plurilateral negotiations at the WTO, and engage in bilateral discussions with countries such as the United Kingdom,\u201d the Senators wrote.\n\n\u201cAs such, we believe that the Administration must follow both the letter and the spirit of the Transparency Principles and Guidelines and consult fully with Members,\u201d they continued. \u201cThe mere fact that changes to U.S. law may not be required to implement a final agreement or that ideas are being exchanged in a \u2018white paper\u2019 does not excuse USTR from fulfilling its obligation to consult--in detail, including by sharing any and all text and specific proposals--in a timely fashion, throughout a negotiation.\u201d\n\nCongress has primary authority to regulate tariffs and commerce with foreign nations under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. It delegates authority to the executive branch, with the requirement that it be consulted about trade policies.\n\nRead the letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-thune-boozman-lead-republican-colleagues-in-urging-biden-administration-to-prioritize-market-access-in-us-trade-agenda", "Crapo, Thune, Boozman Lead Republican Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Prioritize Market Access in U.S. Trade Agenda", "2022-05-10", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Finance Committee Member John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry John Boozman (R-Arkansas) led a group of Republicans in a letter urging U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to prioritize market access initiatives as part of America\u2019s trade agenda.\n\nFrom the letter:\n\n\u201cAdvancing U.S. economic interests--particularly in the Indo-Pacific region--requires meaningful and enforceable market access commitments,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cWe are concerned that the Biden administration is foregoing America\u2019s trade and strategic leadership by failing to pursue such commitments, whether through its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) or through its decision not to pursue comprehensive free trade agreements, which was reflected in the President\u2019s 2022 Trade Policy Agenda. The lack of ambitious market-opening initiatives not only disadvantages U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses today, it jeopardizes America\u2019s competitiveness, resilience, and security in the long-term.\u201d\n\nThe letter was also signed by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Todd Young (R-Indiana).\n\nSenator Crapo recently highlighted the importance of free trade agreements to Idaho\u2019s economy, pressing the Administration to pursue comprehensive free trade agreements, not just dialogue and frameworks.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\n___________________________________\n\nDear Ambassador Tai and Secretary Vilsack:\n\nAdvancing U.S. economic interests \u2013 particularly in the Indo-Pacific region \u2013 requires meaningful and enforceable market access commitments. We are concerned that the Biden administration is foregoing America\u2019s trade and strategic leadership by failing to pursue such commitments, whether through its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) or through its decision not to pursue comprehensive free trade agreements, which was reflected in the President\u2019s 2022 Trade Policy Agenda. The lack of ambitious market-opening initiatives not only disadvantages U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses today, it jeopardizes America\u2019s competitiveness, resilience, and security in the long-term.\n\nUnlike traditional trade agreements, the IPEF is not expected to include critical market access commitments. The failure to include such commitments puts American exporters, including agricultural producers, at a competitive disadvantage in the global market. It also signals to the world that the United States is not committed to fully engaging commercially or strategically in the region. Thus, while some aspects of the IPEF may have potential, it is not a credible counterweight to the market-opening agreements that other countries, including China, are actively advancing.\n\nAmerica cannot afford to sit on the sidelines in trade. For generations, a large part of our nation\u2019s economic success has been based on the United States advocating for more, not less, open markets. For example, U.S. farm and food product exports grew from $46.1 billion in 1994 to more than $177 billion in 2021, which was largely due to greater market access opportunities for American exporters. These U.S. exports lead to good-paying jobs at home and help spread the reach of American influence abroad. Free trade agreements are also far from relics of the past, as Ambassador Tai recently implied at a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. In fact, 13 of the 16 enacted U.S. free trade agreements were passed by Congress since the turn of this century. Opening new markets for customers, reducing barriers for business, and enforcing robust trade agreements are cornerstones of our national prosperity.\n\nRegrettably, U.S. trade leadership has thus far taken a backseat to other priorities under this administration. But, as you know, global trade does not simply pause until the administration deems it worthy of pursuing. Opening new markets means more high-paying jobs for workers and lower-cost goods for consumers at home. The administration\u2019s failure to engage on Trade Promotion Authority or find other avenues to open markets means our workers and producers will continue to lose ground to competitors. In contrast, China continues to advance its Belt and Road Initiative; it recently concluded the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world\u2019s largest free trade agreement; and it now aspires to join the higher quality Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.\n\nWe respectfully urge you to include market access and enforceable commitments as part of the IPEF, and any other U.S. trade agreements, and we stand ready to work with you to strengthen American trade leadership.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/idaho-senators-work-to-protect-public-servants-and-their-families-from-threats-at-home", "Idaho Senators Work to Protect Public Servants and their Families from Threats at Home", "2022-05-10", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and eight of their Senate Republican colleagues to introduce the Public Servant Protection Act, which would protect all government employees and their families from having their home addresses listed publicly online.\n\n\u201cPublic servants and their families should not be subjected to protests or acts of violence at their private homes,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe freedom of speech should not be used as a weapon to intimidate or threaten others, and public officials should have the right to remove their address from the public domain.\u201d\n\n\u201cIntimidating Supreme Court justices is a federal crime, yet our justices are being terrorized in their own homes and they and their families subjected to threats of violence,\u201d said Risch. \u201cPermitting public servants to delist their home addresses from online websites in order to protect themselves and their families is common sense.\u201d\n\n\u201cJudges and other government officials should not be subjected to angry protests and violent threats at home simply because they serve the public at work. Our bill will protect public servants and their families by allowing them to remove their home addresses from any public website,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nAdditional co-sponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-join-effort-to-defund-homeland-securitys-disinformation-board", "Crapo, Risch Join Effort to Defund Homeland Security\u2019s \u201cDisinformation Board\u201d", "2022-05-03", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) in introducing legislation to bar federal funds from being used to establish a Disinformation Governance Board at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Text of the legislation may be found here.\n\n\u201cIdahoans are rightfully concerned with the Administration\u2019s latest attempts to brazenly establish a federal propaganda panel under the guise of countering disinformation,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cIf the Administration truly intended to counter disinformation threats to national security, it would not have established this so-called Disinformation Governance Board under a months-long veil of secrecy. This Orwellian Ministry of Truth effort is an unconstitutional waste of taxpayer dollars and a threat to free speech. The Administration should stop playing games and focus on securing our southern border, addressing skyrocketing inflation and reducing its excessive overreach into the lives of Americans.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Administration has created a \u2018Disinformation Board\u2019 in the name of protecting the U.S. from threats. However, the real threat to our democracy is giving unelected bureaucrats the power to chill free speech,\u201d said Risch. \u201cI will continue to defend our Constitutional right to freedom of speech and support legislation to defund acts of government overreach that trample our American principles.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration wants a government agency dedicated to cracking down on what its subjects can say, an idea popular with Orwellian governments everywhere. This board is unconstitutional and un-American\u2014my bill puts a stop to it,\u201d said Cotton.\n\nAdditional co-sponsors of the legislation include: Senators John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Todd Young (R-Indiana), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-raise-concerns-about-covid-vaccine-military-discharges", "Crapo, Risch Raise Concerns about COVID Vaccine Military Discharges", "2022-05-03", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho), strong opponents of federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and Senate colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin raising questions about the number and nature of military discharges for not receiving a COVID vaccine. Reports show more than 1,700 servicemembers have been discharged for their COVID vaccination status and many are being denied retirement or other service benefits, including GI Bill\u00ae education benefits, as a result.\n\nThe letter reads in part, \u201cWhile we are deeply troubled that the Department of Defense (DOD) is discharging U.S. military personnel as a result of their COVID-19 vaccination status, we are outraged that these brave men and women are potentially being stripped of various benefits, including education benefits afforded to them under the G.I. Bill. Whatever disagreements public officials of varying ideologies and political parties may have, we can and should agree on the importance of ensuring the promises made to members of our Armed Forces are fulfilled.\u201d\n\nAdditional signatories of the letter include Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).\n\nTo read the full letter, click HERE.\n\nTo see a full list of Senator Crapo\u2019s efforts to fight against the federal government\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, click HERE.\n\nGI Bill\u00ae is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/republican-leaders-blast-unprecedented-cms-decision-to-severely-limit-access-to-lifesaving-cures", "Republican Leaders Blast Unprecedented CMS Decision to Severely Limit Access to Lifesaving Cures", "2022-05-02", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--Republican leaders of the Senate and House Committees with oversight of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are raising concerns with a recent decision to severely restrict coverage of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Alzheimer\u2019s treatment and any similar future treatments, in a disturbing break with precedent.\n\nIn a letter to CMS, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), House Ways and Means Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) outline how the decision departs from precedent and creates dire new concerns, and ask for information on how CMS arrived at its decision.\n\nFrom the letter:\n\n\u201cOn various fronts, the national coverage determination issued by the agency strays from precedent, subordinates the clinical judgment and expertise of the Food and Drug Administration, and suggests a problematic new standard that risks chilling innovation and jeopardizing access to the cutting-edge treatments of the future. We urge CMS to reconsider this approach and to operate within the bounds of its statutory authorities and directives, which this latest decision oversteps.\u201d\n\nThe members outline a number of problems with the final decision, including that:\n\nCMS has never before restricted Medicare access (through CED) to an FDA-approved indication (use) of a drug or biologic.\n\nThe decision restricts access to an entire class of FDA-approved drugs based on a single drug\u2019s clinical trial results.\n\nCMS\u2019s decision inappropriately supplants FDA\u2019s authority and exceeds its own.\n\nUnder the decision, many beneficiaries will receive a placebo, and some may even need to pay cost-sharing for it.\n\nCMS has never before disadvantaged drugs approved via FDA\u2019s accelerated approval pathway, which has led to hundreds of approvals for drugs treating cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening conditions. The decision risks deterring and eroding the pathway, meaning delayed access to treatments.\n\nFull-benefit dually eligible (Medicaid and Medicare) beneficiaries will have no access to these drugs outside of the stringent CED standards, even though other Medicaid enrollees will have access to these products (potentially subject to utilization management).\n\nThis decision could chill investment in high-risk R&D, particularly for Alzheimer\u2019s treatments.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-presents-bronze-star-to-idaho-army-veteran", "Crapo Presents Bronze Star to Idaho Army Veteran", "2022-05-01", "2022", "2022-05", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Moscow, Idaho--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) presented the Bronze Star to U.S. Army veteran Michael \u201cMike\u201d S. Wells during a ceremony in Moscow.\n\n\u201cThe stories of Specialist Mike Wells\u2019 courage and bravery while under active enemy fire during Operation Goldwall are nothing short of awe-inspiring,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cIt has been a distinct honor for my staff and me to work with Mr. Wells to ensure his dutiful and heroic service has been properly recognized. I thank him for his service to our country and his continued efforts to support the veteran community in Moscow and throughout Idaho.\u201d\n\nMike Wells received the Bronze Star for his actions specifically on April 20, 2008, in which he demonstrated \u201ccourage and superb marksmanship [that] ensured mission accomplishment and protection of his comrades during fierce and intense fighting,\u201d as described by his platoon leader, Captain Millard Stewart. Wells was featured in Senator Crapo\u2019s #MilitaryMonday social media feature on October 11, 2021.\n\nAt the event, the Crapo office presented Specialist Wells with a surprise video, which included words of congratulations and encouragement from his former commanders. The video can be viewed by clicking here or the image below.\n\nThe Bronze Star is a U.S. Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the Armed Forces who have distinguished themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial fight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. It is the fourth-highest ranking award a servicemember can receive.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:29:07Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-statement-on-rising-inflation-shrinking-gdp", "Crapo Statement on Rising Inflation, Shrinking GDP", "2022-04-29", "2022", "2022-04", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after data for the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, a measure of consumer prices, jumped to 6.6 percent. The data follows a Bureau of Economic Analysis report for gross domestic product (GDP) which showed a -1.4 percent growth for January through March of this year.\n\n\u201cYesterday\u2019s unexpected decline in GDP, combined with today\u2019s data on continued high inflation, shows just how fragile our current economy is. There could not be a worse time to consider raising taxes on households and businesses, or to propose more runaway, deficit-financed federal spending.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:19:30Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/senate-extends-reca-program", "Senate Extends RECA Program", "2022-04-29", "2022", "2022-04", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--The U.S. Senate unanimously agreed to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program for two years, allowing individuals more time to apply for the compensation they deserve. U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), a longtime Senate lead on RECA expansion efforts, applauded the extension, and reiterated the need for additional efforts to expand the program to include coverage for all of those who lived downwind of above-ground atomic weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s. The legislation is now headed to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. Without reauthorization, the RECA program is scheduled to sunset in July.\n\n\u201cThe Senate\u2019s action to extend the RECA program for two years is critical to providing compensation downwinders rightfully deserve,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe House should move quickly on the extension and send the legislation to the President to be signed into law. Far too many innocent victims have been lost to cancer-related deaths from Cold War era above-ground weapons testing. More must be done to assist those still with us not currently covered under the program.\u201d\n\n\u201cA heartfelt thank you to the Senate for passing this extension,\u201d said Tona Henderson, Executive Director of Idaho Downwinders. \u201cWe still have the task of amending RECA. Expanding to more areas so all the Downwinders who are not covered now, will have the time to apply. We need to compensate all the states that were harmed during testing, which is exactly what Sen. Crapo and Sen. Luj\u00e1n\u2019s bill S 2798 will do. Compensating only a few counties or individual states does nothing to help all the Downwinders throughout the West who have suffered for 70 plus years \u2014 many of whom have already lost their lives and many that are still struggling. We applaud Senator Crapo and Senator Luj\u00e1n for leading the charge.\u201d\n\n\u201cPreserving and expanding the RECA program to provide long overdue justice to New Mexico downwinders and uranium workers is one of my top priorities in Congress. The Senate took a critical step to extend the RECA program ahead of the program\u2019s July sunset date,\u201d said Luj\u00e1n. \u201cNow, the House must swiftly pass this legislation and send it to President Biden\u2019s desk. Congress cannot let the RECA program expire and must continue to work to expand and strengthen RECA.\u201d\n\nIn March 2022, Senators Crapo and Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n (D-New Mexico) led a bipartisan letter urging Congressional Leadership to extend RECA. The legislation the Senate passed provides a clean, two-year extension of the RECA program.\n\nSenator Crapo will continue pushing for passage of his bipartisan legislation, S. 2798, which would extend and expand eligibility under the RECA program. S. 2798 would expand the coverage area to allow more potential victims, known as \u201cdownwinders,\u201d to file for compensation under RECA. While the original RECA program only covered parts of Utah, Nevada and Arizona, this legislation would expand the geographic downwinder eligibility to include then-residents of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Guam.\n\nCrapo chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the RECA program in June 2018. Tona Henderson, of Emmett, Idaho, and head of the Idaho Downwinders organization, provided testimony in the hearing and paid tribute to those in her community who have passed away due to radiation-related illnesses. Her birthplace of Gem County, Idaho, received the third-highest amount of fallout in the nation according to a 1997 National Cancer Institute study.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:19:30Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-colleagues-oppose-biden-doj-expanding-firearm-definitions-and-creating-national-gun-registry", "Crapo, Risch, Colleagues Oppose Biden DOJ Expanding Firearm Definitions and Creating National Gun Registry", "2022-04-28", "2022", "2022-04", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and 19 colleagues in introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Joint Resolution of Disapproval to prohibit President Biden\u2019s U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from implementing a new rule to expand firearm definitions.\n\n\u201cThe Administration is using all of its tools, including circumventing the legislative process, to go after law-abiding gun owners and firearms vendors,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cI will continue to press for policies that address violent crime without compromising law-abiding citizens\u2019 Second Amendment rights.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Biden Administration continues to pile on burdensome regulations that impact Idahoan\u2019s Constitutional freedoms,\u201d said Risch. \u201cI will do everything in my power to defend the Second Amendment and oppose any infringement on the right to bear arms.\u201d\n\nThe Biden Administration wants to institute a final rule redefining a \u201cfirearm\u201d under federal law to not only mean a complete product, but also its individual parts. If implemented, this new rule would require gun kits and gun parts to be regulated as if they were fully functional firearms--meaning they would not be able to be sold without a serial number or without the buyer undergoing a background check. The new rule would also require those with Federal Firearms Licenses to retain records permanently, in effect creating a national firearms registry. The current rule, which the Biden Administration seeks to change, allows for the disposal of records after 20 years.\n\nAccording to the Government Accountability Office, \u201cThe CRA allows Congress to review \u2018major\u2019 rules issued by federal agencies before the rules take effect. Congress may also disapprove new rules, resulting in the rules having no force or effect.\u201d\n\nAdditional co-sponsors of the resolution include Senators James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Josh Hawley (R-Arkansas), Tom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) and Rand Paul (R-Kentucky).\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:19:30Z"], ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-leads-idaho-delegation-in-pressing-va-on-electronic-health-record-rollout-in-boise", "Crapo Leads Idaho Delegation in Pressing VA on Electronic Health Record Rollout in Boise", "2022-04-27", "2022", "2022-04", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led an Idaho Congressional Delegation letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary McDonough expressing concerns with the VA\u2019s prospective Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to be implemented at VA Medical Centers (VAMCs). The letter, signed by Senator Jim Risch and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, details two Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports detailing a number of deficiencies in the EHR rollout at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, Washington, which has already negatively impacted several Idaho veterans. The EHR system is expected to be launched at the Boise VAMC in June.\n\n\u201cAlthough the intended goal of the EHR implementation is to provide a streamlined, seamless process for veterans receiving care, the rollout in the Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center resulted in confusion, frustration and alarming situations for many veterans and their medical providers,\u201d the letter reads in part.\n\n\u201c[D]eficiencies included, but were not limited to, providers not being alerted when patients were flagged as high risk for suicide, limited access to suicide prevention and assessment tools, EHR-caused delays in scheduling primary care appointments and lab orders \u2018disappearing\u2019 before reaching the facility laboratory. At the time of the OIG report\u2019s release, one-third of these issues remain unresolved,\u201d the letter continues.\n\nThe letter asks Secretary McDonough a series of questions with regard to the VA considering a delay in the Boise VAMC EHR rollout until issues with the Mann-Grandstaff and Walla Walla VAMC are resolved, as well as questions to ensure veteran care is not further impacted by the system rollout.\n\nRead the full letter HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T02:19:30Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 158, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Senate", "p1": "ID", "p2": "2022"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID&year=2022&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=ID&year=2022", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "ID", "label": "ID", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&year=2022", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID&year=2022", "results": [{"value": "2022", "label": "2022", "count": 158, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2022-04-27,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ecrapo~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fmedia~2Fnewsreleases~2Fcrapo-leads-idaho-delegation-in-pressing-va-on-electronic-health-record-rollout-in-boise", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=Senate&state=ID&year=2022&_next=2022-04-27%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ecrapo~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fmedia~2Fnewsreleases~2Fcrapo-leads-idaho-delegation-in-pressing-va-on-electronic-health-record-rollout-in-boise&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 92.79346000403166, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}