Press releases
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285 rows where party = "Republican", state = "ID" and year = 2015 sorted by date descending
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| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361829 | Senator Mike Crapo Delivers the Republican Christmas Address | 2015-12-24 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | December 24, 2015 Senator Mike Crapo Delivers the Republican Christmas Address 'We all know people in our communities who are making good things happen. They reach out to those who are hurting, shelter those without and demonstrate examples of selfless service throughout our great nation. Many devote countless hours to lessening the burdens of others. To all those giving Americans serving others, please know that you are setting lasting examples.' WASHINGTON, D.C. - In the Weekly Republican Address, Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho delivers a holiday message that recognizes the importance of service to others and thanks the men and women who strive to keep our nation and its citizens safe, both at home and abroad. 'Thank you, to all our first responders and law enforcement officers who serve in the face of evil," says Crapo. "And to the men and women of our military, many of whom are far from home right now missing their families and the joys of this holiday season, we thank you.' Video of Crapo's remarks is available here. A full transcript of the address follows: "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I am Mike Crapo and I represent the people of the great state of Idaho in the United States Senate. "This season is a time to gather with loved ones and celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. An important part of Christmas is remembering our Father's love. God loved us so very much that He sent His Son to earth so that we may better understand that love. "As we love and care for our families, strive to protect them, and always no matter how grown our children get, long for what is best for them, we can start to grasp the magnitude of God's love and reflect it not only throughout the Christmas season, but also every day. For many families, this time of year is when children learn charity and service to others, and realize that giving to others, is always more important than receiving. "For those of different faiths, including those who choose not to observe a higher power or any religious … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398499 | House Overwhelmingly Passes FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations Big Wins for Idaho | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today applauded the passage of H.R. 2029, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations bill that included many important provisions for Idaho and Western States. The House passed H.R. 2029 by a vote of 316-113, and it will be considered by the U.S. Senate today. Links to the bill text and reports can be found here: https://rules.house.gov/bill/114/hr-2029-sa. I applaud Chairman Rogers and Speaker Ryan for their hard work in assembling this comprehensive and responsible package that will keep the government open through the rest of this fiscal year, said Simpson. This bill contains many critical wins for Idaho and Western States. It avoids the inefficient and negligent practice of funding the government through continuing resolutions, and is instead the product of this past years worth of thoughtful deliberation and line-by-line analysis of our budget. It will make vital investments in our national economy, all while adhering to budget caps that are $56 billion below the Ryan budget for FY16 and $70 billion below the Ryan budget for FY17. With all of the provisions that support conservative priorities and Idaho specifically, and I am so pleased to see that it passed the House with overwhelming support. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, Simpson had a key role in deciding funding levels for Department of Energy and Department of Interior programs, including the following highlights: Energy and Water Development The Energy and Water division of the omnibus continues to support accelerating nuclear innovation programs and addressing much needed infrastructure enhancements at the Idaho National Laboratory, said Chairman Mike Simpson. INL plays a vital national and international role in leading the development of new nuclear technologies, and this bill will help maintain and expand that role in the future. We are so… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1015 | Labrador on Spending Deal: Bad for Idaho and the West | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Friday | Dec. 18, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR ON SPENDING DEAL: BAD FOR IDAHO AND THE WEST WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued the following statement onthe end-of-year omnibus spending bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016: The spending deal between Republican leadership and Democrats is an abject failure for Idaho. Instead of advancing conservative policies this bill funds President Obamas agenda and ignores the needs of Western states. Thats why I voted no today. Pursuing a low-hanging-fruit strategy, negotiators picked provisions that were always going to be in any year-end spending bill, such as funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes and A-10 aircraft. But they didnt deliver on key priorities for Idaho and other Western states. Among its omissions, the bill fails to roll back the Waters of the United States rule, block the Clean Power Plan that raises electricity costs, lift regulatory restraints on mining and energy production, or allow state conservation plans for sage grouse to supersede economically damaging federal plans. The 2,009-page behemoth is also bad for America, raising spending by $51 billion above the limits that Congress and the President agreed to in the Budget Control Act of 2011. It uses a wartime account as a slush fund to further increase domestic spending. In exchange, our majority party didnt get any of the important policy changes I advocated, including tougher screening for refugees from Syria and Iraq and defunding Planned Parenthood. Additionally, the bill includes the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, which strips privacy protections against excessive government intrusion and surveillance. Its no surprise that Democrats are pleased. Adam Jentelson, a top aide to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, tweeted about nixing more than 150 GOP riders, and said the deal will secure major p… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361826 | Crapo Opposes Year-End Spending Bill | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | December 18, 2015 Crapo Opposes Year-End Spending Bill WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today voted against the year-end spending bill and issued the following statement: "This catch-all funding measure is a big part of what is wrong with Congress. Earlier this year, Congress put together and passed a budget for the first time in seven years. That budget put us on a path to balance over ten years and would have increased economic growth by an estimated $500 billion, while achieving $4.4 trillion in deficit reduction. But we didn't even make it through one year. Now, not even a full year later, Congress has already broken that budget, adding billions of dollars to our national debt through this omnibus spending measure. Moreover, this funding process should have been used to achieve reforms of major overreach by the executive branch in areas like managing sage grouse habitat or stopping the federal grab of jurisdiction over water from the states. Yet these and many other needed reforms were stripped out." The measure, which passed the Senate by a vote of 65-33, will now go to the President who is expected to sign the measure. # # # Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361827 | Trevor's Law Passes U.S. Senate | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | December 18, 2015 Trevor's Law Passes U.S. Senate Effort by Idahoans on cancer cluster study spearheaded by Crapo Washington, D.C. - An historic improvement of how childhood and adultcancers are documented and studied across the United Stateshas passed the U.S. Senate as part of a Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform bill. Named for former McCall and now Boise resident,Trevor Schaefer, Trevor's Law was included by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo in the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. Crapo, who introduced the bill originally in 2011, was joined by his Senatecolleagues, Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Ranking Member Barbara Boxer (D-California),SenatorsDavid Vitter (R-Louisiana) and Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), to ensure final passage. Trevor's Law calls on the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop criteria to monitor, track andrespond to instances of potential cancer clusters in the United States. The legislationwould create a mechanism to study and document where such clusters exist, why they exist, and who they might affect. The law seeks to improve communication and data sharing between local, state and federal governments. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would also be required to track cancer clusters and offer assistance as needed to local residents and government officials. Trevor Schaefer survived a diagnosis of brain cancer at age 13. He and his mother, Charlie Smith, also of Boise, and Susan Rosser, brought the idea for cancer cluster legislation to Crapo in 2010. Crapo and Boxer introduced the original bill in 2011 and similar legislation again in 2013, when Trevor joined cancer activist Erin Brockovich and others to testify before the committee in Washington, D.C. "I am extremely excited for the Senate passage of Trevor's Law and TSCA reform," said Trevor Schaefer. "Thanks to the tireless efforts… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398497 | What the FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Means To Idaho | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson applauded the release of H.R. 2029, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations bill that included many important provisions for Idaho and Western States. I applaud Chairman Rogers and Speaker Ryan for their hard work in assembling this comprehensive and responsible package that will keep the government open through the rest of this fiscal year, said Simpson.This bill contains many critical wins for Idaho and Western States. It avoids the inefficient and negligent practice of funding the government through continuing resolutions, and is instead the product of this past years worth of thoughtful deliberation and line-by-line analysis of our budget. It will make vital investments in our national economy, all while adhering to budget caps that are $56 billion below the Ryan budget for FY16 and $70 billion below the Ryan budget for FY17. This bill has countless provisions that support conservative priorities and Idaho specifically, I look forward to its swift passage. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, Simpson had a key role in deciding funding levels for Department of Energy and Department of Interior programs, including the following highlights: Energy and Water Development The FY 2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill sets funding for the DOEs Office of Nuclear Energy at $986 million, an increase of $73 million above fiscal year 2015 and $79 million above the Presidents request. Nuclear energy research and development programs that receive funding within the overall $986 million allocation include: The Idaho Facilities Management account, which covers infrastructure maintenance and improvement at INL, is funded at $222.5 million an increase of $16.5 million above FY15, and $11 million above the Presidents request. INLs Safeguards and Security Program is funded… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=dbd43321-05a4-4454-8a70-ca6f57d88c22 | Wyden, Crapo, Merkley and Risch: Spending Bill Boosts Wildfire Funds, But Much More Work to Do | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. A bipartisan group of Oregon and Idaho senators praised congressional leaders for boosting wildfire funding in a year-end spending bill, and vowed to continue pushing for a long-term solution. Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, joined with Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch to renew their call for a long-term solution to wildfire funding. The bill directly funds firefighting at 100 percent of the 10-year average of firefighting costs. Additionally, it contains nearly $600 million in rollover reserve funds that can be used in the event of a catastrophic fire season, which will reduce the severity of fire borrowing by the U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department. However, it lacks a long-term solution, and does little to free up new funding for fire prevention or hold down-long term firefighting costs. This years spending bill is a real improvement over the status quo, but there is far, far more to do to protect communities in Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho and across the United States that are threatened by wildfire every year. Im proud to stand with Senators Crapo, Merkley, Risch and a strong bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate to work toward a long-term solution to this problem. Its disappointing a small number of members blocked that solution this year, but well keep fighting until we get it over the finish line, Wyden said. It is positive to see this the year-end spending measure includes an increase in funding for wildfire suppression. This will provide our wildland firefighters with the certainty they need to plan and allocate resources appropriately, said Crapo. However, I consider such funding to be a first-step in what must be a long-term solution to fighting wildfires each year. As disaster-level fires and the resulting damages grow each year, government agencies cannot bankrupt themselves by continually taking funds from other priorities to fight fires. Moreover, Congress near-yearly passage of off-budget emergency funding measures to cover funding for our wors… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361825 | Crapo, Wyden, Risch, and Merkley: Spending Bill Boosts Wildfire Funds, But Much More Work to Do | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | December 17, 2015 Crapo, Wyden, Risch, and Merkley: Spending Bill Boosts Wildfire Funds, But Much More Work to Do Year-End Bill Reduces Risks of Damaging Fire Transfers; Senators Disappointed In Lack of Long-Term Solution Washington, D.C. -A bipartisan group of Oregon and Idaho senators praised congressional leaders for boosting wildfire funding in a year-end spending bill, and vowed to continue pushing for a long-term solution. Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, joined with Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch to renew their call for a long-term solution to wildfire funding. The bill directly funds firefighting at 100 percent of the 10-year average of firefighting costs. Additionally, it contains nearly $600 million in rollover reserve funds that can be used in the event of a catastrophic fire season, which will reduce the severity of "fire borrowing" by the U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department. However, it lacks a long-term solution, and does little to free up new funding for fire prevention or hold down-long term firefighting costs. " This year's spending bill is a real improvement over the status quo, but there is far, far more to do to protect communities in Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho and across the United States that are threatened by wildfire every year. I'm proud to stand with Senators Crapo, Merkley, Risch and a strong bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate to work toward a long-term solution to this problem. It's disappointing a small number of members blocked that solution this year, but we'll keep fighting until we get it over the finish line," Wyden said. "It is positive to see this the year-end spending measure includes an increase in funding for wildfire suppression. This will provide our wildland firefighters with the certainty they need to plan and allocate resources appropriately," said Crapo. "However, I consider such funding to be a first-step in… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398496 | Chairman Mike Simpson Praises Release of FY16 Omnibus Appropriations Act | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | The House Appropriations Committee released FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill last night. This legislation includes funding for the 12 annual Appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2016. Many provisions that are critical to Idaho are included in the legislation. Chairman Simpson secured increased funding for operations and research at the INL, funding for the A-10 at Gowen Field, and full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Simpsons language allowing trucks weighs up to 129,000 pounds on Idaho Interstates is also in the bill. Along with these provisions for Idaho, the legislation includes numerous important policy items that increase transparency and accountability to federal agencies and stop the administrative overreach. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, released the following statement: I applaud Chairman Rogers and Speaker Ryan for their hard work in assembling this comprehensive and responsible package that will keep the government open through the rest of this fiscal year, said Simpson. This bill contains many critical provisions for Idaho and Western States, including increased funding for operations and research at the INL, continued funding for the A-10 at Gowen Field, and full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, on which rural counties throughout Idaho depend. I was also very pleased to see my language allowing trucks weighing up to 129,000 pounds on Idaho Interstates. This is something I have been seeking for years on behalf of Idaho Transportation Department, and it will be a major generator of economic activity in Idaho. This bill avoids the inefficient and negligent practice of funding the government through continuing resolutions, continued Simpson, and is instead the product of this past years worth of thoughtful deliberation and line-by-line analysis of our budget. It is an important step back toward regular order, it contains many provisions that suppor… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1014 | The New Yorker Magazine Explores Labrador's Role in Reforming the House | 2015-12-10 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Thursday | Dec. 10, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE EXPLORES LABRADORS ROLE IN REFORMING THE HOUSE WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, is featured prominently in a story in The New Yorker profiling the role of the House Freedom Caucus in changing House leadership and efforts to reform the institution. The 6,000-word article, A House Divided, is authored by the magazines Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza and appears in the Dec. 14 edition. Lizza recounts the founding of the Freedom Caucus by Labrador and eight colleagues and the groups push to restrain federal spending and advance other conservative causes. The article describes Labrador as the public face and strategist for the Freedom Caucus. Excerpts: The innovation that Labrador and his colleagues brought to the Republican conference was a willingness to use tactics that Boehner and his allies saw as beyond the pale. We dont want a shutdown, we dont want a default on the debt, but when the other side knows that youre unwilling to do it you will always lose, Labrador said. In his view, Boehner dangerously misunderstood Obama and had an outdated view of political combat in Washington. You have somebody in the White House who plays hardball, Labrador said. He wants to fundamentally change America. And when you have a guy whose only job is to govern, and doesnt realize that the other guy is trying to fundamentally change America, you just dont have an even match. You have two choices, Mr. Speaker, Labrador told Boehner. Either you change the way youre running this place, which you have been unwilling to do, or you step down. The next morning, Boehner announced that he would retire. It is clear to me now that many of the members of this conference want a change, he told his colleagues at a private meeting, and want … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1013 | Labrador Issues Statement on Passage of Bill Strengthening Visa Waiver Program | 2015-12-08 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Dec. 8, 2015 Dan Popkey (208)800-1565 LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF BILL STRENGTHENING VISA WAIVER PROGRAM WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued the following statement following todays 407-19 House vote for H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program and Terrorist Travel Protection Act: This bill is a good first step in securing our borders and strengthening visa processes.While the Visa Waiver Program is a cornerstone of our foreign policy, we cannot let it be abused by those who seek to harm Americans. H.R. 158 prevents individuals who were present in countries of concern -- including Iran, Iraq and Syria -- on or after March 1, 2011, from entering the United States without first obtaining a visa. It also targets fraud and requires collection of new information, including all current or past citizenship. Still more must be done to ensure our security, but I am proud to have been a part of this effort and will continue to work on this important issue. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398493 | Simpson Opposes Egregious EPA Water Takeover Plan | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Simpson Opposes Egregious EPA Water Takeover Plan Signs Amicus Brief supporting states authority over water f t # e Washington, December 3, 2015 Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson signed onto an amicus brief regarding the recent decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the American Farm Bureau Federation v. United States Environmental Protection Agency. The brief outlines concerns about the EPAs overreach in the Chesapeake Bay blueprint, in which the EPA has issued an ultimatum to states that if they dont follow the federal blueprint, they risk the EPA taking over their water quality plans under the Clean Water Act. Weve seen a lot of examples of EPA overreach throughout the Obama Administration, said Simpson, but this is one of the most egregious. The Third Circuit Court has basically handed the EPA the right to usurp states authority over their own water, as long as the law doesnt expressly prohibit them doing so. This is totally backwardsagencies should only act when Congress expressly authorizes them to do so, and the idea that Congress should have to pass laws to prohibit each and every activity that an agency could do is ludicrous. If this can happen in the Chesapeake Bay area, it can happen in Idaho, and I am extremely concerned about the implications of this decision. Simpson sits on the subcommittee that oversees the budget for the EPA. He has long opposed efforts by the Obama Administration to expand the agencys jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. f t # e | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398494 | Simpson Supports Long-Term Overhaul of Education, Transportation Programs | 2015-12-03 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported the conference report to reauthorize highway programs for five years, providing long-term certainty to state and local governments to carry out much needed maintenance and repair projects for our roads, bridges, and transit systems. The Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed the House by a vote of 359-65. Funding for highways is some of the most important money appropriated on the federal level, said Simpson. Idahos economy depends on an efficient and affordable transportation system to move people and products across the country. After years of doing short term extensions and patches that make long term planning and investment impossible, this bill will provide critical economic development, job creation, and safety improvements on our Federal Highway System. I was also pleased to see this bill make good on the promise to reverse the recent $3 billion cut to crop insurance payments. Earlier in the week, Congressman Simpson supported passage of the conference report to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act, passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 359-64. It has been more than seven years since the last long term education bill No Child Left Behind expired. Passing a final version of ESEA reauthorization is a victory for education in our country, said Simpson. This bill represents positive reforms to the education system, returns important decisions back to states and localities, and empowers the most integral people in the education system educators, parents, and of course students. It makes improvements based on what we learned from No Child Left Behind and will no longer allow the president to unilaterally impose his agenda through conditional waivers. Specifically, the Every Student Succeeds Act reduces the federal role in education by removing ineffective policies such as the adequately yearly progress federal criteria, and returns accountability … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398492 | Simpson Votes to Block EPA Cap and Trade Rules | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted for two resolutions intended to put the brakes on the Obama Administrations new cap and trade regulations. The votes on S.J Res. 23 and S.J. Res. 24 disapprove of two rules recently finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants. S.J.Res. 23 and S.J.Res. 24 would employ the Congressional Review Act to ensure that the rules do not go into effect. Simpson has long opposed efforts to impose unworkable regulations on the energy sector that would do little to improve climate conditions but would impose prohibitive costs to consumers. The American people have already rejected the idea of imposing a costly and unrealistic cap and trade system on our economy, yet the Obama Administration continues to be bent on implementing its own climate change regulations, in spite of their unpopularity with the public, said Simpson. Frankly, the Presidents lack of regard for the economic impact of his regulatory actions and his willingness to ignore the legislative process make it necessary to use the Congressional Review Act to get the Administrations regulatory appetite in check. The EPAs new and existing power plant rules were finalized in October. The new power plant rule depends on technologies, like carbon capture and sequestration, which are still not largely available or viable. The existing power plant rule would effectively put into place a cap and trade system, even though many economists agree that such a system is not the most effective way to reduce the impacts of climate change. Without global participation in such a program, including heavy polluters in growing economies like India and China, U.S. industries will be unable to compete on the world stage and American jobs will be forced overseas. The Obama Administrations rules impose a regulatory structure on our nations energy sector that is simply not viable, and even worse, it forces the American people to foot the bill, said Simpson. Instead, I s… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361822 | Crapo: By Any Objective Measure, President's Health Care Plan Is A Disaster | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | December 02, 2015 Crapo: By Any Objective Measure, President's Health Care Plan Is A Disaster WASHINGTON, D.C. -Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today highlighted the negative effects of Obamacare on Idaho residents. In remarks delivered from the Senate floor, Crapo spoke about how Obamacare is raising insurance plan premiums and highlighted stories from residents in Boise, Melba, and Meridian. Excerpts of Crapo's remarks follow. Video of Crapo's remarks may be viewed here. On rising insurance premiums in Idaho: "In Idaho, which operates a state exchange, the average premium increase for a BlueCross Idaho plan is 23 percent. The average increase for a Regence BlueShield of Idaho Plan is 10 percent. The average premium increase for a SelectHealth plan is 14 percent. This is after year after year of increasing health care premiums" About one Idahoan, Daniel, from Meridian: "Daniel is employed and the sole provider for his family. His employer offers health coverage, but the estimated cost of premiums for his family would be over $900 per month. He chose to purchase insurance from the exchange, but decided the coverage was not worth a $500 per month premium and an $8,000 deductible." About Bill, a small business owner from Boise: "[Bill] purchases his own health insurance and provides coverage to his 45 employees. He saw his premiums increase by 7 percent in 2014, by 12 percent in 2015 and was recently notified by his insurance company that premiums will increase by 25.6 percent in 2016." And about Layne, from Melba: "Layne experienced his premium increase to be over $900 per month for his family. Even without preexisting conditions, [Layne's] plan includes a $3,500 deductible." Background: Crapo has been an opponent of Obamacare since it was initially proposed and voted against final passage when it was considered in the Senate in 2009. The Idaho lawmaker has backed repeated legislative efforts to repeal, … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=f11f9b8a-78b5-4a99-9112-1091cef1d0eb | Risch, Crapo Join Bipartisan Effort to Increase Flexibility For Dairy Sector | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch today joined a bipartisan group of senators calling for increased weight limit flexibility in the transportation and delivery of milk as part of a finalSurface Transportation Bill. In a letter to Senate negotiators, Crapo and Risch request the final bill include a provision recognizing food safety and time-sensitive considerations for trucks hauling milk. Negotiators are working to merge individual House and Senate measures into one final Surface Transportation Bill. The bill passed by the House includes language that would designate fluid milk products as a non-divisible load for the purposes of federal truck weight regulations. A non-divisible load is defined as cargo that cannot be easily dismantled or divided due to the risk of ruining the value of the load.Current law sets federal truck weight limits at 80,000 pounds but includes a provision that allows states the option to issue overweight permits for non-divisible loads. Treating milk as non-divisible is important because truck weight limits currently vary between states and can create logistical challenges when milk is transported across state lines. Once milk is loaded onto a truck, it is subject to stringent food safety regulations that require the container to be sealed and transported immediately. Transportation disruptions resulting from varying truck weight limits could run afoul of these food safety guidelines and spoil the load, thereby destroying the value of the milk. Full text of the letter is below: November 23, 2015 The Honorable Jim Inhofe The Honorable Barbara Boxer Chairman Ranking Member Senate Committee on Environment Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and Public Works 205 Russell Senate Office Building 112 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable John Thune Ranking Member Bill Nelson Chairman Ranking Member Senate Committee on Commerce, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation S… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361820 | Crapo, Risch Join Bipartisan Effort to Increase Flexibility for Dairy Sector | 2015-11-23 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 23, 2015 Crapo, Risch Join Bipartisan Effort to Increase Flexibility for Dairy Sector WASHINGTON, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch today joined a bipartisan group of senators calling for increased weight limit flexibility in the transportation and delivery of milk as part of a final Surface Transportation Bill. In a letter to Senate negotiators, Crapo and Risch request the final bill include a provision recognizing food safety and time-sensitive considerations for trucks hauling milk. Negotiators are working to merge individual House and Senate measures into one final Surface Transportation Bill. The bill passed by the House includes language that would designate fluid milk products as a non-divisible load for the purposes of federal truck weight regulations. A non-divisible load is defined as cargo that cannot be easily dismantled or divided due to the risk of ruining the value of the load. Current law sets federal truck weight limits at 80,000 pounds but includes a provision that allows states the option to issue overweight permits for non-divisible loads. Treating milk as non-divisible is important because truck weight limits currently vary between states and can create logistical challenges when milk is transported across state lines. Once milk is loaded onto a truck, it is subject to stringent food safety regulations that require the container to be sealed and transported immediately. Transportation disruptions resulting from varying truck weight limits could run afoul of these food safety guidelines and spoil the load, thereby destroying the value of the milk. Full text of the letter is below: November 23, 2015 The Honorable Jim Inhofe The Honorable Barbara Boxer Chairman Ranking Member Senate Committee on Environment Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and Public Works 205 Russell Senate Office Building 112 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable John… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361817 | Crapo, Bennet Lead Bipartisan Letter on County Payments | 2015-11-20 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 20, 2015 Crapo, Bennet Lead Bipartisan Letter on County Payments Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) today led a bipartisan coalition urging Senate leaders to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program in any end-of-year legislation. Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) provide federal payments to nearly 1,900 local governments across 49 states to help offset losses in property taxes because of nontaxable federal land within state boundaries. PILT payments are critical to rural counties across the country and are used to fund services such as police, fire protection, and emergency response. "PILT funding is an important resource for many counties in Idaho and across our nation and is not exclusive to rural or western communities," said Crapo. "The strong showing of bipartisan senators on this letter is evidence that PILT payments are critical to communities nationwide. I look forward to working with all my colleagues to restore funding to this important program in a fiscally-responsible manner." "Counties throughout Colorado, particularly those with vast expanses of public lands, consider PILT an essential part of their budgets," Bennet said. "This funding helps pay for road maintenance, emergency services, and law enforcement. Full funding for PILT will ensure these counties have the resources they need to provide these crucial services to Coloradans." "Without full funding for the PILT program before the end of the year, counties across the nation will be unable to provide essential services such as education, law enforcement, search and rescue, road maintenance and public health to residents and millions of federal lands visitors alike," the lawmakers wrote to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid. "However, as the end of the year approaches, enacting full-funding for PILT in FY 2016 is essential in order to provide counties with the certainty they need to plan their own budgets and continue providing essential co… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=02e7303f-f6fa-48fd-8670-79b8fbce07c8 | Senate Sportsmen's Caucus Hails Bipartisan Passage of Sportsmen's Act | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. Members of the Senate Congressional Sportsmens Caucus today hailed the bipartisan passage of the Sportsmens Act of 2015 by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Introduced by Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), with original cosponsors Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), the bill passed the committee by a voice vote. The Sportsmens Act of 2015 builds on last years bipartisan legislation, which had 46 cosponsors and more than 40 groups supporting. The bill strengthens of all of last years provisions plus some additional provisions that increase access to federal lands for the benefit of sportsmen and women. Whether you hunt or fish to put food on the table, to pass down a tradition to your family, or for game management purposes, there is something in this bill for you. With more than a half-a-million sportsmen and women in Idaho alone, this legislation will ensure they can continue to access their favorite hunting or fishing spot. I commend Senators Murkowski and Heinrich for their work to get this bill through the committee today and urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the bill on the Senate floor. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmens Caucus. The Sportsmans Act celebrates some of our nations longest-standing traditions and will benefit millions of Americans who love fishing, hunting, recreational shooting, and a wide range of other outdoor activities. It will ensure that our public lands are open unless closed, provide new opportunities for more Americans to enjoy those lands, and require federal agencies to expand and enhance access in accordance with their missions. As a sportswoman, I am proud of the work we have done today to advance this important bipartisan effort. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The Sportsmens Act has been a long … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398489 | Simpson Applauds Motion to Move the Discussion Forward on Education Reform | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | On Tuesday, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson praised the passage of a motion to go to conference on a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The motion to go to conference, which was passed by the House without opposition, is the next step towards finalizing ESEA, which was last reauthorized in 2001, and is the primary law which governs K-12 education in the United States. Today is a positive step forward on education reform, said Simpson. I have heard from teachers, parents, administrators, and of course students about how we can update our K-12 education system. I am very pleased the House has acted to go to conference and I look forward to analyzing the conferees work as they ultimately craft a final bill with the Senate. Both the House and Senate passed individual versions of ESEA reauthorization in July. The Senate also agreed on a motion to go to conference. While No Child Left Behind was not without its flaws, it certainly gave stakeholders an evaluation of which education reforms work and which simply do not. This conference committee is a unique opportunity for Congress work together to advance solutions for one of the most important issues in our country education. Last Friday, Congressman Simpson signed a letter to the House and Senate chairmen and ranking members with jurisdiction over education reform, urging them to finish their work and complete conference negotiations to reauthorize ESEA as soon as possible. The first conference committee between House and Senate conferees is today. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398490 | Simpson Opposes Obama Administrations Cap and Trade Rules | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson strongly supports efforts to put the brakes on the Obama Administrations new cap and trade regulations. Simpson has long opposed efforts to impose unworkable regulations on the energy sector that would do little to improve climate conditions but would impose prohibitive costs to consumers. Most recently he has cosponsored resolutions to disapprove of two rules recently finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants. H.J.Res. 71 and H.J.Res. 72 would employ the Congressional Review Act to ensure that the rules do not go into effect. The American people have already rejected the idea of imposing a costly and unrealistic cap and trade system on our economy, yet the Obama Administration continues to be bent on implementing its own climate change regulations, in spite of their unpopularity with the public, said Simpson. Frankly, the Presidents lack of regard for the economic impact of his regulatory actions and his willingness to ignore the legislative process make it necessary to use the Congressional Review Act to get the Administrations regulatory appetite in check. The EPAs new and existing power plant rules were finalized in October. The new power plant rule depends on technologies, like carbon capture and sequestration, that are still not largely available or viable. The existing power plant rule would effectively put into place a cap and trade system, even though many economists agree that such a system is not the most effective way to reduce the impacts of climate change. Without global participation in such a program, including heavy polluters in growing economies like India and China, U.S. industries will be unable to compete on the world stage and American jobs will be forced overseas. The Obama Administrations rules impose an unfeasible regulatory structure on our nations energy sector and force the American people to foot the bill, said Simpson. Instead, I support using technology, incentives,… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1012 | House Judiciary Committee Approves Bipartisan Sentencing Reform Legislation | 2015-11-18 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN BOB GOODLATTE PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2015 CONTACT: Kathryn Rexrode or Jessica Collins, (202) 225-3951 House Judiciary Committee Approves Bipartisan Sentencing Reform Legislation This bill is part of the Committees bipartisan criminal justice reform initiative Washington, D.C. The House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote bipartisan legislation to reform federal sentencing laws. The Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3713) authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Congressman Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), and Congressman Mike Bishop (R-Mich.) is part of the House Judiciary Committees ongoing bipartisan criminal justice reform initiative. The Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 reduces certain mandatory minimums for drug offenses, including the three-strike mandatory life sentence to 25 years and the second-strike mandatory sentence from 20 to 15 years. It broadens the mechanism for non-violent drug offenders to be sentenced below the mandatory minimum sentence and provides judges in those cases with greater discretion in determining appropriate sentences. Significantly, the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 contains important limitations on retroactivity to ensure that serious violent criminals serve the full time for their crimes in federal prison and do not get out of prison early. It also contains sentencing enhancements for Fentanyl trafficking, a highly addictive and deadly drug that is becoming a growing epidemic in the United States. Below are statements from the authors of this bipartisan Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 on todays Committee approval of the bill. Chairman Goodlatte:The House Judiciary Committee has been hard at work on a number of bills to improve our nations criminal justice … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=e09e5e18-9df6-4dad-9984-b7379e19b9b8 | Idaho Delegation Wants Syrian Refugee Program Put on Hold | 2015-11-17 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, and Idaho Representatives Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador, called for suspending bringing Syrian refugees to Idaho through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program until better assurances of security can be obtained. The attack on France demonstrates in stark horror the risks that not all who enter our country have peaceful intentions. It has become evident at least one of the terrorists who carried out this plot entered the country under the guise of being a Syrian refugee, Crapo said. I support Governor Otters call to suspend this program. I have strong concerns about the effectiveness of how we vet those coming in. And we must give our state and our local communities a strong voice in how they participate in the decisions being made about refugees in their community. Of the more than 350 calls that have come into my office since this attack, all but two have opposed resettling Syrian refugees who have not been adequately vetted. Idahoans deserve a voice in this decision. Having been recently briefed in a classified setting as to the methods and process used to vet potential refugees, I have serious reservations about the effectiveness and the guarantees currently in place which allows people into the United States from this region of the world, said Risch. This government program is no different than other federal programs in which the government attempts to handle sizable undertakings, such as the response to Hurricane Katrina and the rollout of Obamacare. The safety of Americans is the first and most important responsibility of the government. The current process simply cannot guarantee our safety under these circumstances. Although the exact method by which the government vets these people is classified, I can tell you that after my review I lack confidence in the ability of the process to keep us safe. In addition, the individual states and communities should have a say in this process. I fully support Governor Otters call to halt the refugee resett… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1011 | Idaho Delegation Wants Syrian Refugee Program Put on Hold | 2015-11-16 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 16, 2015 Contact: Lindsay Nothern (Crapo), 208-344-1776 Suzanne Wrasse (Risch), 202-224-8078 Nikki Wallace (Simpson), 208-334-1953 Dan Popkey (Labrador), 208-800-1565 Idaho Delegation WANTS SYRIAN REFUGEE PROGRAM PUT ON HOLD Washington, D.C. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, and Idaho Representatives Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador, called for suspending bringing Syrian refugees to Idaho through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program until better assurances of security can be obtained. The attack on France demonstrates in stark horror the risks that not all who enter our country have peaceful intentions. It has become evident at least one of the terrorists who carried out this plot entered the country under the guise of being a Syrian refugee, Crapo said. I support Governor Otters call to suspend this program. I have strong concerns about the effectiveness of how we vet those coming in. And we must give our state and our local communities a strong voice in how they participate in the decisions being made about refugees in their community. Of the more than 350 calls that have come into my office since this attack, all but two have opposed resettling Syrian refugees who have not been adequately vetted. Idahoans deserve a voice in this decision. Having been recently briefed in a classified setting as to the methods and process used to vet potential refugees, I have serious reservations about the effectiveness and the guarantees currently in place with allows people into the United States from this region of the world, said Risch. This government program is no different than other federal programs in which the government attempts to handle sizable undertakings, such as the response to Hurricane Katrina and the rollout of Obamacare. The safety of Americans is the first and most important responsibility of the government. The current process simply cannot guarantee our safety under these circumstances. Although the exact method… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361816 | Idaho Delegation Wants Syrian Refugee Program Put on Hold | 2015-11-16 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 16, 2015 Idaho Delegation Wants Syrian Refugee Program Put on Hold Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, and Idaho Representatives Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador, called for suspending bringing Syrian refugees to Idaho through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program until better assurances of security can be obtained. "The attack on France demonstrates in stark horror the risks that not all who enter our country have peaceful intentions. It has become evident at least one of the terrorists who carried out this plot entered the country under the guise of being a Syrian refugee," Crapo said. "I support Governor Otter's call to suspend this program. I have strong concerns about the effectiveness of how we vet those coming in. And we must give our state and our local communities a strong voice in how they participate in the decisions being made about refugees in their community. Of the more than 350 calls that have come into my office since this attack, all but two have opposed resettling Syrian refugees who have not been adequately vetted. Idahoans deserve a voice in this decision." "Having been recently briefed in a classified setting as to the methods and process used to vet potential refugees, I have serious reservations about the effectiveness and the guarantees currently in place with allows people into the United States from this region of the world," said Risch. "This government program is no different than other federal programs in which the government attempts to handle sizable undertakings, such as the response to Hurricane Katrina and the rollout of Obamacare. The safety of Americans is the first and most important responsibility of the government. The current process simply cannot guarantee our safety under these circumstances. Although the exact method by which the government vets these people is classified, I can tell you that after my review I lack confid… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=18279fe6-4a9b-48bf-af0d-1474f1abadd1 | Risch Recognizes Fall Interns | 2015-11-13 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch selected two college students from the state of Idaho to serve as interns in his Washington, D.C. office this fall. The interns have had the opportunity to engage at the national level of government while assisting with constituent services and legislative research. Interning in the U.S. Senate is an excellent way to learn about the legislative branch of government and to see where much of our nations early history took place, said Risch. Emily and Devin have served Idaho well during their internship and each has a bright future ahead. The interns are: Emily Greene, a native of Boise, is a recent graduate of the University of Idaho with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies with a minor in German language, and a Bachelor of Science degree in History. Emily is the daughter of David and Susan Greene. She studied abroad in Germany for a year during school, served as a research scholar at for the U of I Martin Institute, and was a note taker for the Disability Support Services at U of I. Devin Ferrell of Boise is a recent graduate of Boise State University with a dual degree in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Communications. Devin is the son of Elise Hyde. He has worked previously as an EMT and enjoys photography, cycling, and volunteering at the Humane Society. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361814 | Idaho Veterans See Nearly One Million Dollars in Benefits from Casework, Survey Efforts | 2015-11-11 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 11, 2015 Idaho Veterans See Nearly One Million Dollars in Benefits from Casework, Survey Efforts Senator Crapo releases highlights from Idaho Veterans Survey Boise - Idaho veterans received nearly $1 million in benefits related to successful casework in partnering with Idaho Senator Mike Crapo's office over the past year. Crapo thanked veterans for participating in his recently-completed Idaho Veterans Survey, and said that participation was a factor regarding increased requests for casework help that benefitted veterans. "About a thousand new requests for casework assistance came in last year, much of it from awareness created by our dialog with veterans and the veterans surveys," Crapo said. "Although many veterans described themselves as reasonably satisfied with veterans services, vets are telling us they want improvements for outside health care and increased attention to benefit services for veterans. This survey effort has helped to break down past barriers. We are taking the findings to the Veterans Administration and the result should benefit more and more Idaho veterans over time." Crapo noted the $957,716 in veteran-related casework in his office over the past fiscal year included retrieval of past benefits, medical coverage, status updates and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by veterans. As examples, Crapo noted one veteran who received more than $200,000 in a medical claim, and others who received overdue disability benefits and resolved home loan payment disputes. One veteran won a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) case after a wait of nearly 20 years. "This is real help that is available to every veteran from advocates and their Congressional offices and this survey has helped get out the word that these services are available," Crapo added. The survey responses showed 52 percent of veterans as "satisfied" with service in the VA system but 27 percent describing th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1008 | Labrador Lauds Court of Appeals Blocking Obama Executive Amnesty | 2015-11-10 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Nov. 10, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 Labrador Lauds Court of Appeals Blocking Obama Executive Amnesty MERIDIAN Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued the following statement after Mondays decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold an injunction blocking President Obamas unilateral action to confer lawful status to millions of undocumented aliens. The Court held that the Presidents executive actions fail to comply with the Administrative Procedures Act. I am encouraged by the Courts decision to prevent further implementation of President Obamas dangerous attempt to expand executive authority. The Presidents disregard for the law and Congressional involvement has made it impossible for Congress to work with him on immigration reform. I look forward to crafting solutions within the bounds of Constitutional authority and will continue to oppose any further hijacking of the legislative process. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361812 | Crapo Announces Spirit of Freedom Award Recipients | 2015-11-10 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 10, 2015 Crapo Announces Spirit of Freedom Award Recipients Awards Recognize the Service and Sacrifice of Veterans, Volunteers Across Idaho Washington, D.C.-Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today announced the names of twenty-one Idahoans-twelve veterans and nine volunteers-who will be honored with his Spirit of Freedom Award at ceremonies to be held throughout Idaho on Veterans Day, November 11. The Spirit of Freedom Award was created by Crapo thirteen years ago to recognize the outstanding service of Idaho veterans as well as the many Idahoans who dedicate extensive volunteer time and service supporting those who have served our country. "The veterans honored with this award have spent decades serving our country. They continue to set the example of selfless leadership by volunteering to serve their communities and fellow veterans," said Crapo. "In addition, these awards honor the work of many community volunteers who selflessly give of themselves to ensure our veterans receive the care and compassion they have rightfully earned." The 2015 Spirit of Freedom Awards will be presented at the following ceremonies, all of which open to the public. Boise (Note: Sen. Crapo will be in attendance to present awards in Boise) Idaho State Veterans Home 320 Collins Road 11:00 AM Mountain Time Firth Firth High School 101 N Park Ave 10:00 AM Mountain Time Twin Falls Twin Falls City Park 400 & 500 block of Shoshone Street East 11:00 AM Mountain Time Coeur d'Alene and Hayden Hayden City Hall 8930 N. Government Way 11:00 AM Pacific Time Lewiston Idaho State Veterans Home 821 21st Avenue 2:00 PM Pacific Time Pocatello Idaho State Veterans Home 1957 Alvin Ricken Dr. 2:30 PM Mountain Time Sandpoint Veterans Memorial Field 855 Ontario St 1:00 PM Pacific Time The following biographies highlight the military service and volunteer cont… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361809 | Crapo to Discuss Veterans Survey, Spirit of Freedom Awards Wednesday | 2015-11-09 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 09, 2015 Crapo to Discuss Veterans Survey, Spirit of Freedom Awards Wednesday Presses VA and IRS on Second Amendment issues Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will hold a news conference Wednesday, Veterans Day, to discuss results of his recently-completed survey of almost a thousand Idaho veterans and their families, plus preview his Spirit of Freedom ceremony at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise and highlight Second Amendment concerns stemming from initiatives from the Veterans Administration and the Internal Revenue Service against veterans. Crapo will meet with local veteran Karl Johnston to present him the Spirit of Freedom Award before joining state, local and veterans group leaders inside the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise for the formal Spirit of Freedom Award presentations. News conference: veterans survey, Spirit of Freedom Awards, Second Amendment issues: Wednesday, November 11, Veterans Day 10:15 - 10:45 AM Idaho State Veterans Home Memorial Corner of Collins Road and South VA Hospital Loop (next to Idaho State Veterans Home) 320 Collins Road Boise Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361811 | Idaho Falls Veteran to Receive Service Medals Tomorrow | 2015-11-09 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 09, 2015 Idaho Falls Veteran to Receive Service Medals Tomorrow American Legion to present medals obtained by Senator Crapo Ammon - Idaho Falls veteran Larry Watson will receive long-awaited medals for his military service tomorrow during a special ceremony in Ammon. Watson will receive the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal during the ceremony at Hillcrest High School's Performing Arts Center. Captain Robert Skinner, USN Retired, will present the medals. Medal Ceremony for Larry Watson: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 6:30 PM Hillcrest High School Performing Arts Center 2800 Owen Street Ammon Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361810 | Crapo Calls Administrations Disapproval of Keystone XL Pipeline Project Unacceptable | 2015-11-06 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 06, 2015 Crapo Calls Administration??s Disapproval of Keystone XL Pipeline Project Unacceptable "It is unacceptable for the President to walk away from a commonsense project that would provide energy from a stable, allied trading partner while also creating much-need jobs domestically," said Crapo. "It should come as no surprise that after seven years of unnecessary delays, the President has again failed to exercise true leadership. During that time, five environmental impact studies were completed that all found no significant impact on the environment would result from the Keystone proposal. Instead, the President opted to exercise no leadership and lectured Congress that if we really want to create jobs, we should do so through embracing his preferred sources of energy for the nation. We need a strong, balanced energy portfolio that keeps energy costs from rising for those who can least afford it. This project would have been a critically important component in helping our nation achieve that balance. Given the potential benefits of this proposal, the President and his Administration today chose to abandon the American people by not seizing an opportunity to further bolster the nation's economic recovery." Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=709dc26a-fda9-44e2-8c47-0dfd41a74876 | Risch Pushes for State Management of Grizzlies | 2015-11-05 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch today met with Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to discuss the dramatic increase of the grizzly bear population in and around Yellowstone National Park in recent years. This increase has caused the number of human and grizzly bear conflicts to rise dramatically. The increase in the grizzly bear population in recent years has led to more grizzly bears being in close proximity to homes, and worse, more bear and human interactions, said Risch. The Fish and Wildlife Service can and should make the necessary changes to keep humans safe and responsibly manage the grizzly bear population. Ashe has heard, loud and clear, that Idahoans have major concerns with grizzlies in our backyards. Risch urged Ashe to pursue the process of removing grizzlies from the endangered species list with due diligence, and pushed for more flexibility for the State of Idaho to remove problem bears. Risch also pressed Ashe to develop a stricter protocol for informing state and federal agencies, as well as residents, when grizzly bears are relocated. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1003 | Labrador to host Nov. 11 town hall in Meridian, speak at Veterans Day event in Caldwell | 2015-11-04 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Nov. 3, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR TO HOST TOWN HALL IN MERIDIAN NEXT WEEK, SPEAK AT VETERANS DAY EVENT IN CALDWELL Q & A set for Meridian City Hall MERIDIAN Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, will field questions from the audience at a 90-minute town hall on Nov. 11 in Meridian. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The public is invited to meet with Labrador in the Meridian City Council Chamberat City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Ave. Before the town hall begins, Labrador will be available to the media. Reporters may meet him at 6:30 p.m. in his office atCity Hall, Suite 251. Earlier in the day at 11 a.m., Labrador will help celebrate Veterans Day with remarks at the Caldwell Veterans Memorial Hall. The hall is housed in the historic Carnegie Library, at 1101 Cleveland Blvd. The building is undergoing extensive renovations, overseen by the Caldwell Veterans Council.Following the ceremony and until 3 p.m., the public is invited to tour the facility and view displays from veterans service organizations. Owned by the city of Caldwell, the building has been vacant for a decade. The Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion have a 100-year lease to occupy the building and improve services for veterans on the western side of the Treasure Valley. Of approximately 124,000 veterans in Idaho, about 15,000 live in Canyon County. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=361808 | Crapo: Water War Will Continue | 2015-11-04 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | November 04, 2015 Crapo: Water War Will Continue Senate uses Congressional Review Act to block EPA rule Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted today to stop a federal rule seizing control over water, known as the "Waters of the U.S." rule. Crapo voted with the majority as the Senate utilized the Congressional Review Act to pass a resolution stopping the water rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The effort needed just a simple majority and was passed on a vote of 53 to 44 That vote against the WOTUS rule came after a similar measure fell just short of the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle. Crapo, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee with jurisdiction over the EPA, invited Idahoans to testify on the bill last year. He said that despite today's vote, the fight against the federal rule will likely continue because the president can veto the resolution. "There was bipartisan support today to reject this extreme example of federal overreach, because it removes state's rights over water and the private property rights of individuals," Crapo said. "For the federal government to try and manage every puddle and seasonal stream in Idaho clearly violates the constitutional rights of Idahoans. The Clean Water Act-and subsequent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court-make it clear that 'navigable' waters can be regulated. Temporary puddles, ditches and groundwater are not 'navigable" waters. "The EPA is engaged in what I consider to be nothing short of a federal government power grab and seizure of water rights," Crapo added. "This rule, which will effectively give the federal government jurisdiction over and control of all water in the United States is against the will of Congress. The legislation under which it is being promulgated violates the time-honored principal that jurisdiction over the management, allocation, and use of water is a states rights'… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1002 | ICYMI: Noted scholar says Freedom Caucus keeping faith with voters to reform Congress | 2015-11-03 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Nov. 3, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Noted scholar says Freedom Caucus keeping faith with voters to reform Congress WASHINGTON, D.C. Ross K. Baker, a congressional scholar at Rutgers, provides clear-eyed analysis of the goals of the House Freedom Caucus: ending "the stench of backroom deals, secrecy and insider dealings" on Capitol Hill. "The rebels who dethroned (Speaker John) Boehner campaigned openly to end business as usual in Washington," writes Baker in a column in USA Today. "We can hardly object when they keep faith with the voters who sent them to Congress." Baker has written extensively about Congress and has a forthcoming book, "Is Bipartisanship Dead?" A member of the Board of Contributors at USA Today, Baker has worked for Sens. Frank Church of Idaho, Walter Mondale of Minnesota, Birch Bayh of Indiana, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Patrick Leahy of Vermont. He is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio and has twice been Scholar-in-Residence in the Office of the Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate. Read Baker's column in USA Today and learn more about Baker. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360806 | Crapo Opposes Debt Ceiling Deal | 2015-10-29 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | October 29, 2015 Crapo Opposes Debt Ceiling Deal Deal Diverts From Balanced Budget Path Established in Budget Resolution Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will vote against a measure currently being considered by the Senate that will raise federal spending caps, as well as the debt ceiling. Final passage of the measure is expected in the early morning hours Friday. "This bill does almost nothing to establish long-term fiscal restraints necessary to balance the nation's budget," said Crapo. "Instead, this measure will enable continued, irresponsible government spending for the next two years, remove budget caps previously agreed to by the President and both houses of Congress, and use budgetary gimmicks to promise future savings in exchange for more spending today. Congress once again missed an opportunity to negotiate and enact real, responsible, fiscal reforms." The measure, titled the "Bipartisan Budget Act" (H.R. 1317) will raise the federal debt ceiling through March of 2017, while at the same time, increasing federal spending by more than $80 billion over the same two-year period. "As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I've expressed my continuing frustration about the inability of Congress to get to the second year of any budget it passes. Finally, earlier this year, after so many years without a budget under the previous Senate leadership, I welcomed the opportunity to vote for the budget resolution approved by this Congress, " Crapo added. "Not only was this the first time Congress approved a budget resolution in five years, it was a budget that put us on a path to balance, without raising taxes, within 10 years. Regrettably, this measure being considered by the Senate will ensure that we fail to execute on that previously passed budget resolution. We cannot continue to fund our government through budgetary methods that mask the true picture of our fiscal reality while failing to… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398486 | Simpson Works to Prevent Implementation of EPA Water Rule | 2015-10-28 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has cosponsored a resolution intended to stop the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from implementing the Obama Administrations controversial Clean Water Rule. In spite of widespread opposition in Congress and among the public, in June the Administration implemented a new rule broadly expanding its jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. H.J.Res. 59 would use the Congressional Review Act to prevent the rule from being enacted and bring the agencys actions back in line with congressional intent. The resolution comes at the same time that a federal appeals court has put implementation of the rule on hold. The EPA continues marching down a path of issuing one onerous federal regulation after another without regard for public opinion or the impact that these regulations have on the states and on farmers and ranchers, said Simpson. I have continually joined a majority of the House of Representatives in expressing my concern about this rule, and so its no surprise that I support utilizing the Congressional Review Act, which guards against federal agencies imposing economically burdensome regulations, to prevent this harmful rule from going into effect. Simpson added, Im also encouraged by the courts decision to put a hold on the nationwide implementation of this rule. There are real problems with the way the EPA has claimed jurisdiction over state-regulated waters, and this rule will have a devastating impact on Idaho if it is allowed to move forward. That is why I will continue working to prevent it from taking effect. Simpson is the Chairman of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the Corps of Engineers budget. He also sits on the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the budget of the EPA. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398488 | Simpson Casts Responsible Vote on Bipartisan Budget Agreement | 2015-10-28 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted to support H.R. 1314, the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015. In addition to preventing a catastrophic national default, this agreement achieves long-term savings through entitlement reform, delivers predictability and certainty to the appropriations process and the funding of our national defense, and repeals an onerous mandate put in place by Obamacare. H.R. 1314 is fully offset and does not increase taxes. It is imperative that we act in the best interest of our nation by preventing a default on our national credit, said Simpson. To allow that to happen would be irresponsible at best and catastrophic at worst. Given that reality, Im pleased that House and Senate leadership have reached an agreement that protects the budget cuts put in place by the sequester, but protects our military and domestic programs from its mindless cuts by replacing it with meaningful reforms in mandatory spending and other savings. This agreement reduces the deficit by nearly $80 billion over 10 yearswhich means that budget it keeps us on track to save taxpayers more than $2 TRILLION, as mandated by the original Budget Control Act. Recognizing that we have a responsibility to act on this issue, I believe this is a fiscally responsible agreement. Among other provisions, the agreement would do the following: Puts in place budget caps that are $56 billion below the Ryan budget for FY16 and $70 billion below the Ryan budget for FY17. Ensures that the Social Security Disability Trust Fundcurrently scheduled for a 20% reduction across the board at the end of next yearwill be able to continue to pay full benefits; Includes structural entitlement reforms to strengthen the long-term solvency of the Social Security program; Replaces sequestrations arbitrary, across-the-board cuts with more rational deficit reduction; Eliminates Obamacares mandate that employees must enroll into their companys health care plan; … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=a1601755-062a-4163-a068-3280f147a3b4 | Risch Welcomes New Director of Naval Reactor Program | 2015-10-28 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch today met with Admiral James Caldwell, Director of the Naval Reactors Program for the United States Navy, to welcome him to the role and express the importance of the Naval Reactors Facility to the Idaho National Lab. The Naval Reactors Facility at the INL is vital to the future of our nuclear Navy and our national security overall, said Risch. After meeting with Admiral Caldwell today in Washington I am confident that the future of the program is in very capable hands. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1001 | ICYMI: Idaho Falls Post Register highlights Labrador's 'central role' in bipartisan sentencing reform | 2015-10-27 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Oct. 27, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Idaho Falls Post Register highlights Labradors central role in bipartisan sentencing reform WASHINGTON, D.C. A lengthy story by Bryan Clark in todays Idaho Falls Post Register notes the efforts of Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, as part of a broad coalition making significant progress on sentencing reform. In a story titled, Land of the locked up, Clark explores how Labradors experience as a young, conservative lawyer influenced him to advocate for judicial discretion rather than mandatory sentences. Labrador has been working on the issue since shortly after he took office in 2011. Post Register subscribers mayclick here to read the article. The newspaper also granted permission to republish the story, which follows: By BRYAN CLARK bclark@postregister.com The United States of America is known as the Land of the Free. But more people are behind bars here than in any other country many, many more. An American is roughly 1.6 times more likely to be in jail or prison than a Russian, six times more likely than a Chinese, seven times more likely than a Canadian and nine times more likely than a German, according to the Institute for Criminal Policy Research. About one of every five prisoners worldwide is in an American jail or prison. Its a weird thing to (consider) the most repressive regimes you can think of, and know that we have a higher incarceration rate than they do, said Kevin Ring, director of strategic initiatives for Families Against Mandatory Minimums. The USA is the land of the lockedup. But theres a movement afoot to change that, and Idaho Rep. Ral Labrador has played a central role within it. Many say the tide has turned against the tough-on-crime policies enacted in the 1980s that have helped the federal prison populatio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398483 | Simpson Votes to End Harmful Obamacare Policies | 2015-10-23 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act today. The legislation repeals the most onerous Obamacare provisions through a mechanism known as reconciliation, which is a budgeting process that allows Congress to align the priorities outlined in the current years budget resolution with existing law. Even though Obamacare was signed into law five years ago, I still hear from Idahoans every single day about the laws negative impacts, said Simpson. A major issue with Obamacare since day one has been limiting the freedom of choice for beneficiaries. H.R. 3762 directly addresses this by repealing the major barriers that are impeding Americans ability to make choices about their healthcare plans. Specifically, H.R. 3762 would address key problems with Obamacare including: Repeal the individual mandate Currently, Americans who do not purchase a health insurance plan through an exchange, receive insurance through Medicaid, or receive employer sponsored coverage, are subject to a penalty; Repeal the employer mandate Employers with 100 or more employees who do not offer health insurance are subject to penalties that range from $2,000-$3,000; Repeal the Medical Device Tax the 2.3% excise tax on medical devices is currently being passed on to consumers; Repeal the Cadillac Tax 40% excise tax of the value of employer sponsored health coverage that exceeds certain benefit thresholds; Repeal Prevention and Public Health Fund Referred to as the Obamacare slush fund that gives Secretary of Health and Human Services billions of dollars annually to spend with limited accountability; Repeal Auto-Enrollment Mandate Requires large employers to auto-enroll employees in their medical plans. The reconciliation package passed by the House eliminates burdensome government mandates and repeals Obamacare taxes that are responsible for driving up the cost of healthcare for families, patients, and doctors. As the broken promises … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398485 | Simpson Supports Domestic Mineral Development | 2015-10-23 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported H.R. 1937, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act when it came before the House of Representatives this week. The legislation would ensure the availability of domestic minerals and mineral materials that are essential for national security, technological innovation, and economic growth by streamlining the permitting process for mineral exploration and development projects. Simpson is an original cosponsor of H.R. 1937. The United States is increasingly dependent on mineral materials for everything from technology to national security and defense, said Simpson. In spite of this, the permitting process has become more and more difficult to navigate, and today we are almost completely reliant on countries like China for the rare earth minerals we need for energy production, national security, and communication technology. I dont like the idea that we are subject to the legal and political whims of other nations for strategic minerals, which is why I cosponsored H.R. 1937 and am pleased that the House has taken it up. H.R. 1937 was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 254-177. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360804 | Crapo Says President's Veto of the National Defense Authorization Act Will Weaken National Defense | 2015-10-22 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | October 22, 2015 Crapo Says President's Veto of the National Defense Authorization Act Will Weaken National Defense Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo said today that President Obama's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will weaken America's defense and deny the military the certainty it needs to prepare for, and respond to, unfolding events around the world. "The President's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act is a disservice to the men and women who honorably serve at Idaho's Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho's National Guard, and around the world," said Crapo. "This measure authorizes programs and operations that are important for our troops, their families and the security of our nation." Last week, the Senate passed the measure with the support of 70 senators. The legislation, which President Obama vetoed this afternoon, would have authorized Congress to appropriate funds for the U.S. Department of Defense. "This measure, which received broad support, authorizes funding for the Department of Defense at the budget levels the President himself requested, while also providing needed policy guidance from Congress," added Crapo. "With the increasing number of global threats around the world, the President's veto of this bill denies our military the stability and certainty it needs to develop and execute the programs essential for our national defense." # # # Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398482 | Simpson Pushes for Better Federal Land Management | 2015-10-21 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has signed onto legislation to give federal land managers better tools to improve sage-grouse habitat. H.R. 1793, the Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2015, would create a categorical exclusion from the NEPA process in order to remove pinyon-juniper from sage-grouse and mule deer habitat. Some of the major threats to sage-grouse habitat are wildfire and invasive species, and controlling these threats requires good, active land management practices, said Simpson. Unfortunately, the environmental review process has grown so cumbersome for the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management that it has gotten in the way of their efforts to conserve the species. H.R. 1793 addresses this problem by providing the agencies with the tools they need to remove pinyon-juniper on sage-grouse and mule deer habitat throughout the west. H.R. 1793 is currently under consideration by the House Natural Resources Committee. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=f0db5b86-bfb3-4230-b06f-d0d5575e8d33 | Risch Praises INL at National Lab Day on Capitol Hill | 2015-10-21 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Jim Risch today welcomed Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and new Idaho National Lab Director Mark Peters to National Lab Day on Capitol Hill. Risch, a cofounder of the Senate National Laboratory Caucus, gave opening remarks at the annual event after touring the lab exhibitions alongside Moniz and other members of the National Laboratory Caucus. My home state of Idaho is fortunate to have the Idaho National Laboratory located in Idaho Falls, said Risch. The INL has a rich history dating from the dawn of commercial nuclear power and the launching of the nuclear Navy. Today, the INL is the nation's lead nuclear laboratory as well as a world leader in securing the ever-growing cyber network. The valuable work done at the Idaho National Laboratory lays the groundwork for extending the life of the nuclear fleet, fortifying the grid and wireless networks, and developing advanced battery storage capabilities which are just a few among many, many other missions. Most senators are not fortunate to have a national lab in their state, so events like National Lab Day are a valuable tool to share the good work being done at the labs. The Idaho National Lab played a role in National Lab Day, joining with directors and representatives from the other sixteen Department of Energy National Labs to showcase demonstration projects across five theme areas under the umbrella of national security homeland security, cyber security and protection of U.S. space assets, emergency response, U.S. nuclear nonproliferation goals, and the U.S. nuclear deterrent. The Senate National Laboratory Caucus was founded in 2014 by Risch and Senator Dick Durban (D-IL). The bipartisan, bicameral caucus aims to increase awareness of the reach of the national labs as leaders in developing new breakthrough technologies and discoveries to address some of our nations most pressing challenges. High resolution versions of these photos can be found on Senator RischsFlickr page. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1000 | ICYMI: Rolling Stone reporter explores 'really effective' reform efforts of the House Freedom Caucus in NPR interview | 2015-10-21 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Oct. 20, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Rolling Stone reporter explores really effective reform efforts of the House Freedom Caucus in NPR interview WASHINGTON, D.C. In a lengthy radio interview, Rolling Stones Tim Dickinson says Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, and his conservative colleagues have enjoyed extraordinary success, including extracting $2 trillion in federal spending cuts. Dickinson describes Labrador and other members of the House Freedom Caucus as smart, principled, committed conservatives who put constituents ahead of party in fighting for major change in Congress. Labrador helped found the Freedom Caucus in January. Dickinson, national affairs correspondent for Rolling Stone, appeared on NPRs Fresh Air last week to discuss his article, Meet the Right-Wing Rebels Who Overthrew John Boehner. In the 36-minute interview Dickinson elaborates on his story, published online and in the Oct. 22 print edition of Rolling Stone. Highlights of the radio interview follow. To view a transcript, click here. And if you get inside their heads a little bit, they see that America is going off a cliff eventually, that our spending is out of control, that we have no budget discipline in Washington, that something dramatic needs to change. And so they're willing to bring short-term pain now in part, as they see it, to prevent an even greater catastrophe down the line, if we keep spending the way that we are. And to be honest, I mean, we talk about how obstructionist they've been, but they've also been really effective. I mean, under a Democratic president, conservatives have extracted $2 trillion in avoided spending over the next 10 years, which is really quite extraordinary. I mean, this is - this is $2 trillion of spending - government spending that's not going to happen because of the kind of obstructionism th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398480 | Ex-Im Bank levels the playing field, supports job growth, and helps reduce the national debt | 2015-10-09 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idahos economy, both urban and rural, is inextricably tied to our ability to export the products and commodities we produce. Whether it be by our high tech industry, which is the largest Idaho export to the world, or our agricultural products, which help support thousands of jobs. I strongly believe that Idahos farmers and businesses can compete and win on a level playing field and this is where the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank plays an important role. The Ex-Im Bank is the official export credit agency of the U.S., with a mission to finance and promote exports of U.S. manufactured goods and services. More than 80% of trade worldwide requires financing, and most countries that we trade with have established export credit agencies, which often support their companies much more generously than the Bank has ever done. China alone has provided its exporters with at least $670 billion in export financing over the last two years. To put that in context, the Ex-Im Bank has provided about $590 billion in financing since its inception81 years ago. Why would we want to put American companies at a disadvantage against their Chinese competitors? That is exactly what we have done since July 1st, when the charter of the Ex-Im bank expired. Since then, the U.S. has not been able to finance exports, leaving American companies to lose out on business to other countries. With 95% of the worlds consumers living outside the U.S., now is not the time to surrender this important job growing tool. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, U.S. nuclear energy suppliers compete against international rivals that are supported by their governments, and the availability of export credit agency support is almost always a bidding requirement for nuclear power plant tenders. Numerous American businesses have said that allowing the Ex-Im Bank to expire would be tantamount to unilateral trade disarmament, conceding billions of dollars in orders to other nations that maintain their own export credit agencies. For 70 years, the Ex-Im Bank ha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=999 | Labrador leads on new bipartisan sentencing reform bill | 2015-10-08 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Thursday | Oct. 8, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR LEADS ON NEW BIPARTISAN SENTENCING REFORM BILL Momentum builds for comprehensive criminal justice reforms WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador today joined House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich., in introducing the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, one of several criminal justice reform initiatives backed by the Idaho Republican. Labrador is the lead Republican co-sponsor of the bill, which is companion legislation to sentencing provisions in a bill introduced last week by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. After five years of working for common-sense reforms, Im gratified to see our efforts bear fruit as support builds for historic change, Labrador said after a news conference with Goodlatte, Conyers and other sponsors. Our bill provides tough punishment for the most serious offenders, while reducing sentences for those worthy of a second chance. These reforms promise a more just society and I am proud join the effort. Labradors bipartisan bills in the 114th Congress also include: co-authorship of the Smarter Sentencing Act; lead Republican co-sponsorship of the Safe, Accountable, Fair and Effective Justice Act; and co-sponsorship of the Recidivism Risk Reduction Act. Our first obligation is to ensure public safety, Labrador said. But as a conservative, I am troubled by the fact that with 5 percent of the worlds population, the U.S. incarcerates 25 percent of the worlds inmates. We must be mindful of our Constitutional principles that guard against government depriving us of our liberty. Labrad… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360800 | Idaho Delegation Backs Kotek Nomination to Lead DOE Nuclear Initiatives | 2015-10-05 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | October 05, 2015 Idaho Delegation Backs Kotek Nomination to Lead DOE Nuclear Initiatives Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, along with Idaho Representatives Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador, issued the following statement on President Obama's nomination of John Kotek of Idaho to be Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). "We congratulate John on his nomination to be the permanent Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, a position he has been holding on an interim basis for several months," the delegation said in a joint statement. "In addition to his deep Idaho roots, John's service as a deputy manager for DOE in Idaho has solidified his understanding and appreciation of the research being conducted at Idaho National Laboratory-the nation's lead nuclear research facility. We have enjoyed a strong working relationship with John over many years and he is extremely qualified for this position." Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398478 | Simpson Supports Legislation to Fund A-10s and Troops | 2015-10-01 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | The House of Representatives today passed the conference report to H.R. 1735, - the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported the legislation which authorizes many important programs that support our military, including a pay increase and benefits to military members and their families. The conference report includes important Idaho priorities such as a provision which prevents retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, a squadron of which currently operates at Gowen Field in Boise and it also authorizes funding for the aircraft to continue operating. By ensuring the A-10 remains available for close air support, we are responding to the needs of the service members that operate them and to the brave men and women on the ground that rely on them, said Simpson. While I certainly acknowledge that the Air Force must make difficult decisions in this time of reduced budgets, the A-10s low operating costs and unique capabilities merit our continued support until an appropriate replacement can be identified. I am pleased todays conference report recognizes the unique importance and contributions of the A-10. The conference report also delays the transfer of AH-64 Apache helicopters from the Army National Guard to active duty Army through June 30th of fiscal year 2016. The Apache helicopters also operate at Gowen Field. The conference report to H.R. 1735 passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 270-156. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=998 | LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON SPEAKER BOEHNER | 2015-09-25 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Friday | Sept. 25, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON SPEAKER BOEHNER WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued the following statement in response to todays news that House Speaker John Boehner will resign next month: Though I differed with Speaker Boehner on the pace of reform, I respect and admire him. He served Ohio and the House with distinction and grace. I wish him the very best. As for succession, today is not the day for such talk. But I am committed to supporting leaders who will keep our promise to the American people to fight for real change in Washington. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360798 | Calling All Idaho Students: Senator Crapos Office Seeking Interns | 2015-09-23 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | September 23, 2015 Calling All Idaho Students: Senator Crapo??s Office Seeking Interns Deadline to apply for spring semester is October 15 Washington, D.C.-The deadline is rapidly approaching for Idaho's students to apply for upcoming internship opportunities in U.S. Senator Mike Crapo's Washington, D.C., office, or one of his six regional offices throughout Idaho. Students have until October 15 to submit an application to be considered for an internship position for the spring semester. The internship experience provides Idaho students a unique opportunity to learn about Congress and the legislative process firsthand. Interns assist the Senator and his staff with legislative research, constituent services and communications operations. Additionally, for interns serving in Washington, D.C., opportunities to attend congressional hearings and provide tours of the U.S. Capitol to visiting Idahoans and industry leaders are made available. To learn more about internships offered through Crapo's office and access application materials, please visit the intern section of the Senator's website at https://www.crapo.senate.gov/services/interns.cfm. Due to unanticipated delays in mail delivery on Capitol Hill, students who are applying are encouraged to email, not mail, their materials to Crapo's D.C. office. Students seeking a position within Crapo's D.C. should address their applications to the attention of Katie Amacio, Internship Coordinator, and emailed to Kathleen_amacio@crapo.senate.gov. For students wishing to intern in one of Crapo's six regional offices in Idaho, applications should be addressed to the attention of Courtney Lehosit, Internship Coordinator, and emailed to Courtney_lehosit@crapo.senate.gov.Further questions can be directed to the intern coordinator in the Washington, D.C., office, 202-224-6142. Print Email … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=82d63e56-1ca7-4e6f-a52e-c831faf88f8e | Risch, Crapo Skeptical of Sage-Grouse Decision | 2015-09-22 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo issued comments reacting to news that the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, has announced that placing the greater sage-grouse on the Endangered Species List is not warranted. The Record of Decision for the Land Use Plan Amendments has already been signed. While I am pleased Secretary Jewell has acknowledged the greater sage-grouse population is on the rebound, I am concerned the regulations generated by the Department of the Interior to reach this decision will do little to continue the recent population rebound in Idaho, said Risch. We had pressed DOI early on to rely on a locally-driven, collaborative process to conserve the sage-grouse, but this process changed when it came to Washington, D.C. The two main threats to the greater sage-grouse in Idaho are fire and invasive species. The Secretary adopts a plan that relies heavily on regulation of the mining, oil, and gas industries when it should focus more heavily on fire control. Todays announcement serves as political cover for another top-down mandate that will not be the best prescription for sage-grouse in Idaho. While a not warranted decision is better than a listing determination under the Endangered Species Act, the Department of Interiors reliance on heavy-handed land-use management plans to arrive at this decision is unacceptable, said Crapo. The Department ignored much of what the Idaho Sage Grouse Task Force recommended and, instead, opted to move forward with top-down federal lands-use management plans. While the agency cited collaboration as the basis for its decision, the move to abandon the states planning process that adequately addressed true threats to the bird--namely the impact of wildfires and invasive species on sagebrush habitat--will ultimately lead to greater uncertainty for sage grouse populations in the future. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=996 | LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON DECISION NOT TO LIST SAGE GROUSE | 2015-09-22 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Sept. 22, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON DECISION NOT TO LIST SAGE GROUSE WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued the following statement in response to todays decision by the Obama Administration on the greater sage grouse: I welcome the Administrations decision against listing the greater sage grouse. A listing would have immediately wreaked economic havoc across the West. However, the accompanying imposition of new federal management plans undermines much of the good work done at the state level. Governors, private property owners and other stakeholders have spent years crafting plans that protect habitat while allowing the development of natural resources, sustainable use of rangeland and recreational access. Unless an overreaching federal government respects the wisdom of state-level conservation efforts, the sage grouse wont recover and the new federal restrictions will undermine local economies. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360796 | Crapo Calls on VA to Improve New Veterans Choice Program | 2015-09-22 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | September 22, 2015 Crapo Calls on VA to Improve New Veterans Choice Program Senator outlines concerns of Idaho??s veterans following two statewide surveys; invites VA Secretary to Idaho Washington, D.C. -After hearing from hundreds of Idaho's veterans about their experiences with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is seeking to drive meaningful change within the agency. In a letter to the head of the VA, Crapo calls upon the Secretary to pay special attention to Idahoans as the VA works to improve the beleaguered Veterans Choice Program (VCP). He is calling on the agency to report to Congress on how it plans to streamline the program and improve access to services for veterans. Crapo's questions force the VA to focus on issues of importance to Idahoans as the agency follows Congressional guidance to report on its ability to streamline the VCP with its other non-VA care programs. The Senator also invited VA Secretary Robert McDonald to Idaho to hear firsthand from Idaho's veterans. The letter comes as Crapo concludes his second statewide Veterans Survey at the end of September. In conjunction with his town meeting tour, Crapo has sought to learn more about the experiences and needs of Idaho's veterans community by having current and former servicemembers and those active in the veteran communityprovide feedback through a survey. The surveyisavailable on the Senator's website and also can be taken by telephone or in person at any one of the Senator's six regional offices throughout Idaho. Crapo says Idahoans' willingness to participate in the survey is encouraging and critical to guiding meaningful reforms. "While some progress has been made, ensuring timely, high-quality veterans care is an ongoing effort," said Crapo. "Idaho veterans and their loved ones know best what is working and not working for veterans utilizing VA services.Constant communication with the VA … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360797 | Crapo, Risch Skeptical of Sage-Grouse Decision | 2015-09-22 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | September 22, 2015 Crapo, Risch Skeptical of Sage-Grouse Decision Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch issued comments reacting to news that the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, has announced that placing the greater sage-grouse on the Endangered Species List is "not warranted". The Record of Decision for the Land Use Plan Amendments has already been signed. "While a 'not warranted' decision is better than a listing determination under the Endangered Species Act, the Department of Interior's reliance on heavy-handed land-use management plans to arrive at this decision is unacceptable," said Crapo. "The Department ignored much of what the Idaho Sage Grouse Task Force recommended and, instead, opted to move forward with top-down federal lands-use management plans. While the agency cited collaboration as the basis for its decision, the move to abandon the state's planning process that adequately addressed true threats to the bird--namely the impact of wildfires and invasive species on sagebrush habitat--will ultimately lead to greater uncertainty for sage grouse populations in the future." "While I am pleased Secretary Jewell has acknowledged the greater sage-grouse population is on the rebound, I am concerned the regulations generated by the Department of the Interior to reach this decision will do little to continue the recent population rebound in Idaho," said Risch. "We had pressed DOI early on to rely on a locally-driven, collaborative process to conserve the sage-grouse, but this process changed when it came to Washington, D.C. The two main threats to the greater sage-grouse in Idaho are fire and invasive species. The Secretary adopts a plan that relies heavily on regulation of the mining, oil, and gas industries when it should focus more heavily on fire control. Today's announcement serves as political cover for another top-down mandate that will not be the best prescription for sage-grouse in Idaho." Print … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398476 | Wildfires are National Disasters | 2015-09-17 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | The 2015 wildfire season has been brutal. In mid-August the National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level was raised to the highest Level 5 and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) mobilized active duty military personnel to fight wildfires for the first time in almost a decade. Millions of acres are burning in the drought-plagued Westmore than twice as many as last yearand the Forest Service anticipates that suppression costs will exceed the budget by nearly a half a billion dollars. The severity of this fire season underscores the fact that our current wildfire suppression budget process simply does not work. Twenty years ago wildfire suppression made up about 15% of the Forest Service budget. This year it is over half. This means that the Forest Service spends the majority of its time, funding, and staff resources putting out fires instead of managing our nations public lands. This situation has reached a crisis point. This is why we have introduced H.R. 167, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act (WDFA). The WDFA discards the old, broken model for wildfire suppression and replaces it with one that treats wildfires like the natural disasters they are. Today wildfire suppression funding is based primarily on an historical average of suppression costs over the past ten years. The ten-year average funding model worked when the cost of wildfire suppression was relatively stable. But wildfire suppression costs have steadily grown over the past two decades. Drought, invasive vegetation, and increasing development near wildland areas increase the risk of catastrophic fires. Fire season is longer, fires are more severe, and suppression is more costlyand these trends are expected to continue. And because suppression costs now routinely exceed the budget, agencies are continually forced to transfer funding from non-fire projects to pay them. Our current path only leads to bigger, more expensive, and more devastating fires. The WDFA changes directions by treating catastrophic wildfires like other natural disasters. It… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=539640aa-38e5-4c62-baf8-f95dce56888b | Risch Votes to Reject Obama Agreement with Iran | 2015-09-17 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch released the following statement after he voted once again for cloture to disapprove of President Obamas nuclear agreement with Iran: Senate Democrats have successfully mounted a filibuster to protect President Obama from having to face the reality of this disastrously imperfect agreement. A majority of Americans know this is a very bad deal. The Iranians will now have the resources they desire to fund terrorism, attack Israel, and foster instability across the Middle East, while the president and his administration stand by and call this a good deal. The deal gives Iran a path forward, permission, and a timetable to develop and industrialize its nuclear industry so it can build a nuclear weapon. The agreement also lifts the conventional arms embargo on Iran and permits them to develop, build, and test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. This agreement is indefensible, but President Obama will not have to defend it. In addition, even with all the pressure we could assert the administration left behind the American prisoners being held in Iran, including Idahoan Pastor Saeed Abedini. Cloture failed with a partisan vote of 56-42, meaning that the disapproval failed. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360794 | Crapo: President's Iran Deal Bad for America and Idaho | 2015-09-17 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | September 17, 2015 Crapo: President's Iran Deal Bad for America and Idaho Says the deal weakens America??s foreign policy posture Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted for a second time to consider a resolution rejecting President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran: "The President's executive nuclear agreement legitimizes Iran's nuclear weapons program and directly threatens our national security and regional allies. This agreement releases billions of dollars to Tehran, a portion of which even the administration acknowledges will wind up in the hands of terror groups," Crapo said. "As I travel throughout the state, Idahoans have echoed many of my concerns with this agreement-it contains unseen "side deals" and depends on a questionable verification process. Furthermore, Idahoans are shocked at the negotiators' failure to secure the release of Americans long detained in Iran, including Boise Pastor Saeed Abedini." "The Administration's flawed negotiations repeatedly provided concessions to Iran, weakening our bargaining and foreign policy positions throughout the process. The American people widely disapprove of the agreement, which is reflected in the overwhelming and bipartisan Congressional opposition to it. The President's decision to go forward with the agreement is unacceptable, and gives the Iranian regime a green light to continue its export of violence-posing a very real threat to the United States, Idaho and the world." The Senate failed to pass the resolution to reject the President's nuclear deal with Iran by a vote of 56-42, failing to invoke cloture on the measure. Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360793 | Crapo Blasts Weak Iran Deal on Senate Floor | 2015-09-16 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | September 16, 2015 Crapo Blasts Weak Iran Deal on Senate Floor Says agreement does not stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapon, lacks adequate inspection and verification measures Washington, D.C. -Idaho Senator Mike Crapo took to the Senate Floor this afternoon to outline his strong opposition to the President's nuclear agreement with Iran. Crapo says the deal does not stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and will all but guarantee Iran is able to continue its aggression in the middle east and beyond. The Senator also made note during his remarks of the Administration's failure to secure the release of Boise Pastor Saeed Abedini and other Americans being held prisoner in Iran from the outset of the negotiations. "We cannot forget that Iran is a regime with a history of sponsoring terrorism against Americans and our allies and a regime which continues to threaten the existence of Israel," said Crapo during his remarks on the Senate Floor. "This agreement changes the United States policy toward Iran, but does very little, if anything, to change Iran's aggressive nature. Iranian leaders have already renewed their threats to Israel and continue to call the United States the 'Great Satan' and have rejected the Administration's hope publicly that the agreement will lead to better cooperation with IranThis agreement is dangerous. It is dangerous to the security interests of the United States. It is dangerous to the security interests of the world. It is destabilizing in the Middle East and it contains very, very serious potential consequences for the future security of all Americans and, frankly, for people throughout the world." Video of the full speech can be found on the Senator's YouTube channel. Print Email Tweet … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398475 | Simpson Introduces Resolution Recognizing Water Fluoridation as Effective Public Health Measure | 2015-09-10 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has introduced a resolution recognizing community water fluoridation as an effective and important public health measure. This year marks the 70th anniversary of communities utilizing fluoridated water which helps strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay. The oral health community is in steadfast agreement that water fluoridation is a vitally important public health measure, said Simpson. Communities who have chosen this proactive measure receive improved oral health benefits for people of all ages. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends adding fluoride to drinking water for its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay. The decision about whether to fluoridate public water supplies is always made at the local or state level. Twenty-two years of practicing dentistry showed me firsthand the value of good oral health and the consequences of neglect, especially among children, said Simpson. That is why improving access to oral health care has been a top priority for me since coming to Congress. This resolution sheds light on a cost-effective measure that has helped improve the health of millions of Americans. Community water fluoridation was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century. Water fluoridation has been proven to reduce tooth decay by 25% among children and adults, and school children on average have roughly 2 fewer decayed teeth compared with children who live in communities without fluoridated water. As of 2012, almost 75% of Americans who use public water supplies had access to optimally fluoridated water supplies. Congressman Simpson, co-chair of the Oral Health Caucus and a former dentist, introduced the resolution with a bipartisan group of cosponsors including two former dentists. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=995 | LABRADOR TO OPPOSE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL | 2015-09-01 | 2015 | 2015-09 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | Sept. 1, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR TO OPPOSE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL MERIDIAN Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, will vote to disapprove President Obamas nuclear agreement with Iran. Under the Iran Nuclear Review Act of 2015, Congress has the authority to review the July 14 agreement and block the lifting of sanctions. The vote is expected this month. Labrador issued the following statement: I was initially skeptical of the nuclear talks because Iran has long proven unworthy of our trust. But I kept an open mind because diplomacy is an important tool to prevent global conflicts. Having carefully studied President Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran, I will vote against the agreement because it threatens our national security and clears the way for a rogue nation to secretly develop nuclear weapons. It would free about $120 billion in frozen assets that the Obama Administration admits could be used by the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism to finance more attacks on innocents. The Administrations interest in a foreign policy legacy has produced a misbegotten deal that escalates risk. The one-sided document is riddled with loopholes, including a 24-day delay before inspectors may access undeclared nuclear sites. The recent revelation of a secret side deal allowing Iran to conduct its own inspections of the military site at Parchin is proof that the U.S. is placing far too much trust in one of historys most dubious and dangerous regimes. The agreement fails to make the world safer. Instead, it gives Iran access to sophisticated nuclear technology that could allow advancement of a weapons program, lifts bans on Irans import and export of conventional weapons and development of ballistic missiles, and risks stimulating a Middle East arms race. It also lifts sanctions on Iranians responsible for killing Americans. We must not invest … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=994 | LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON RULING BY FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKING FEDERAL WATER GRAB | 2015-08-28 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Friday | Aug. 28, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON FEDERAL JUDGE'S RULINGBLOCKING FEDERAL WATER GRAB MERIDIAN On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson issued a temporary injunction blocking a controversial Obama Administration rule that would vastly expand federal jurisdiction by rewriting the four-decade-old definition of navigable watersunder the Clean Water Act. The waters of the United States rule was scheduled to take effect today. The judge said the rule posed an imminent risk of irreparable harm to 13 states, including Idaho, which sought the injunction. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, who has been working on a legislative solution since the rule was proposed in 2014, issued the following statement: "Thursdays injunction will temporarily stop the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers from implementing one of the worst water grabs in American history, a rule that could require Idahoans to obtain a federal permit to dig a ditch or till their land. The Obama Administration seems determined to usurp state authority. The administration ignored states opposition and didnt take the hint to revise the rule after a bill opposing the regulation passed the House with bipartisan support in May. My hope is that the courts will permanently strike down this executive branch overreach, which Judge Erickson called exceptionally expansive. Meanwhile, I will continue to work with my colleagues on a legislative remedy that protects the rights of the states and ordinary Americans trying to make a living. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360790 | Crapo Statement on Courts Decision to Temporarily Block EPA Water Grab | 2015-08-28 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 28, 2015 Crapo Statement on Court??s Decision to Temporarily Block EPA Water Grab Washington, D.C. - Late yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Erickson issued a temporary injunction blocking the controversial U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Waters of the United States" rule, which had been set to go into effect today. Under the preliminary injunction, the 13 states, including Idaho, that were parties in the suit against the regulations will temporarily be exempted. Crapo, who has repeatedly pushed back on the rule since its proposal in 2014, released the following statement: "The states, not the federal government, have always had primary jurisdiction over the allocation, management and use of water," said Crapo. "This blatant overreach by the Administration, which goes far beyond the legal scope of what Congress intended in the Clean Water Act, sets a dangerous precedent and significantly expands federal authority by allowing the EPA to regulate nearly every stream, ditch, pond and puddle on both state and local lands, as well as private property. The court's decision to halt the rule for the time being comes as no surprise as the Supreme Court has repeatedly rebuked similar efforts. While this is a short-term victory, I will continue to work with my colleagues on a legislative fix to permanently block this harmful rule." Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360788 | Crapo Full Town Meeting Schedule | 2015-08-21 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 21, 2015 Crapo Full Town Meeting Schedule CRAPO TOWN MEETING SCHEDULE Visits cities in southern Idaho during August, September Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is ramping up his town meeting schedule in Idaho during the August and September state work period. Crapo opens his town meetings with a discussion about the federal government's federal debt that is nearing $19 trillion, then takes questions from Idahoans in attendance. He plans an additional 58 Idaho town meetings during August and September. Crapo's schedule includes the following town meetings: Monday, August 10: 9:00 AM Wendell Wendell City Hall, 375 1 st Avenue East 10:30 AM Gooding Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind,Multipurpose Room, 1450 Main 12:30 PM Fairfield Camas County Senior & Community Center,129 Willow Avenue West 2:30 PM CareyCarey City Hall, 20482 Main Street 4:30 PM Richfield Richfield Senior Center, 130 South Main Street 6:30 PM Dietrich Dietrich City Park, 620 North Main Avenue Tuesday. August 11: 9:00 AM Filer Filer City Hall, 300 Main Street 10:30 AM Hollister Grange Hall, 2340 Main Street 12:30 PM Castleford Castleford Community Center, 475 Main Street 2:00 PM Buhl Buhl City Hall, 230 Broadway Avenue N. 4:00 PM Hagerman Hagerman City Hall, 191 State Street North 5:30 PM Bliss Bliss Fire District, 120 U.S. Highway 30 Wednesday, August 12: 12:30 PM Boise Fire briefing and news conference,National Interagency Fire Center. Thursday, August 13: 11:00 AM Middleton Middleton Fire Station, 302 E. Main Street 1:00 PM New Plymouth VFW Hall, 114 S. Plymouth Monday, August 17: 10:00 AM Boise Participates in Congressional Awards Ceremony,Idaho Statehouse Tuesday, August 18: Noon Idaho Falls Speaks at the Intermountain Energy Summit,Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay Boulevard Monday, August 24: 9:30 AM Minidoka … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360786 | Crapo Measure to Explore 'Test-Bed' Concept at DOE Labs Adopted By Senate Energy Panel | 2015-08-18 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 18, 2015 Crapo Measure to Explore 'Test-Bed' Concept at DOE Labs Adopted By Senate Energy Panel Senator to speak at Intermountain Energy Summit in Idaho Falls today Washington, D.C.- Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will be speaking at the Intermountain Energy Summit today in Idaho Falls. The event comes on the heels of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's recently unveiled Energy Policy Modernization Act (EPMA), which includes three measures supported Crapo. The EMPA includes a Crapo measure (S. 1363) that fosters innovation in the nuclear energy industry by requiring the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to report on its ability to on its ability to authorize, host and oversee privately-funded fusion and fission reactor prototypes at DOE-owned sites, such as the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The measure also includes language from a Crapo-supported (S. 822) measure that would allow the Department of Interior to award noncompetitive leases on federal land for geothermal development. Finally, the EPMA will include a Warren-Crapo energy efficiency measure (S. 1342). The full bill could see possible floor consideration this fall. Promoting nuclear research and investment in the United States Crapo is a strong advocate of encouraging research and investment in nuclear energy, especially as the United States continues to lag behind in developing new nuclear technologies. He previously introduced the Nuclear Energy Innovation Act as a standalone bill. The measure would direct the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other federal agencies (such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) to assess their capabilities to authorize and host privately-funded reactor prototypes at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) labs, such as the Idaho National Laboratory. "The United States must regain its leadership in nuclear technology" said Crapo. "Nuclear energy is a key component of the kind o… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360787 | Crapo Announces Change in Town Meeting Schedule | 2015-08-18 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 18, 2015 Crapo Announces Change in Town Meeting Schedule Some meetings moved to the Magic Valley August 31 and September 1 Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is announcing a change in his Idaho town meeting schedule for August 31 and September 1. Meetings previously scheduled in Victor, Basalt, Blackfoot and Aberdeen are being postponed because of travel issues. They will be rescheduled. New meetings in Kimberly, Eden and Glenns Ferry are being added. Crapo's revised town meeting schedule for August 31 and September 1: Monday, August 31: 10:00 AM Ririe Ririe City Hall, 464 Main Street Noon Irwin South Fork Inn & Grill, 3427 Swan Valley Highway 1:30 PM Swan Valley American Legion Hall, 157 Stoltenberg Lane Tuesday, September 1: 10:30 AM Kimberly City Hall, 242 Highway 30 East Noon Eden Silver and Gold Senior Center, 210 E. Wilson 2:30 PM Glenns Ferry City Hall, 110 E. Second Street Crapo's original full schedule can be found on his official website at: https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360778 Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360782 | Crapo, Wyden, Risch Visit Interagency Fire Center; Discuss Growing Support for Wildfire Funding Solution | 2015-08-10 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 10, 2015 Crapo, Wyden, Risch Visit Interagency Fire Center; Discuss Growing Support for Wildfire Funding Solution WYDEN-CRAPO WILDFIRE DISASTER FUNDING ACT HAS 16 SENATE COSPONSORS, SUPPORT OF MORE THAN 250 ORGANIZATIONS Boise - Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden, (D-Oregon) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) will visit the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise Wednesday to receive a briefing on the nation's wildfire situation to date and discuss growing support for their legislation to fix the broken system for funding wildfires. The senators have secured commitment from nine other senators from both parties to work together on a precedent-setting bipartisan solution to funding wildfires when the Senate resumes regular business in September. Led by Sen. Mike Enzi, (R-Wyoming)., Wyden and Crapo submitted a statement for the Congressional Record on the need to work together to find a solution to address budget concerns surrounding wildfire funding and fire suppression. They were joined by Sens. Lisa Murkowski, (R-Alaska), Maria Cantwell, (D-Washington), John McCain, (R-Arizona)., Jeff Flake, (R-Arizona)., John Barrasso, (R-Wyoming)., Jeff Merkley, (D-Oregon)., Steve Daines, (R-Montana)., and Jon Tester, (D-Montana). Enzi is the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, where the Crapo-Wyden Wildfire Disaster Funding Act was referred for consideration. Language similar to the Crapo-Wyden proposal has also been included in the FY16 Interior Appropriations Bill. Crapo and Wyden reintroduced the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act in January to end the cycle of underfunding fire suppression, which currently forces federal agencies to steal from fire prevention funding just to fight fires. Instead, Wyden and Crapo's bill will end this so-called "fire borrowing" by funding the largest wildfires from a similar disaster account used to fund other natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. The Interio… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360784 | Crapo Leads Effort to Stop Social Security Administrations Backdoor Gun Grab | 2015-08-10 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 10, 2015 Crapo Leads Effort to Stop Social Security Administration??s Backdoor Gun Grab Senators say old age or disability not grounds to revoke Americans?? constitutional rights Washington, D.C. -Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is leading a group of 25 senators in calling on the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) to halt its plan to unfairly target the Second Amendment rights of millions of Social Security beneficiaries. In a letter to the SSA Acting Administrator, the senators call into question the Administration's recently announced plan to begin reporting millions of Social Security beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Crapo says that flagging these individuals in the NICS database -a database designed to prevent gun sales to felons, drug addicts, illegal or unlawful immigrants and others-is unnecessary and misguided. "Automatically labeling millions of seniors and entering them into a system designed to prevent the sale of guns to bad actors is not the solution to stopping violence in society," said Crapo. "This misguided effort is a severe overreach by the Administration and one that is at odds with Americans' constitutional rights. The Social Security Administration should cease any action designed to move this proposed policy forward. " News reports have indicated that the Administration is preparing to begin providing the names of Social Security beneficiaries who utilize the representative payee system within the program and have a designated "payee" to the NICS. If an individual is reported to the NICS, they are instantly prohibited from purchasing a firearm from a Federal Firearm Licensee. If finalized, the unprecedented move by the Administration could arbitrarily deny millions of Americans their Second Amendment rights. According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, over 8 million inviduals had a representative payee in 2013. … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398472 | Simpsons Boulder White Clouds Bill Signed by President | 2015-08-07 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Simpsons Boulder White Clouds Bill Signed by President President Barack Obama signs legislation into law f t # e Washington, August 7, 2015 U.S. President Barack Obama today signed into law Congressman Mike Simpsons legislation creating three new Wilderness areas in Idaho. The legislation, The Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act (H.R. 1138), was signed earlier today in a signing ceremony at the White House. I am grateful to President Obama for his signature on this important legislation and humbled by the tireless work of countless Idahoans that led to its passage, said Simpson. The Boulder White Clouds area is now protected, in perpetuity, by the gold standard of preservation designations. I am proud that this was accomplished through a truly collaborative process that produced an Idaho solution to decades of conflict and debate. Without the work of our many partners in this process, and especially the tireless efforts of Senator Jim Risch, todays signing would not have been possible. Specifically Simpsons legislation will do the following: Sawtooth National Recreation Area: The Sawtooth National Forest would remain as the principle administrative body and the current management would remain intact under the existing SNRA law (PL 92-400) and the existing SNRA management and travel plans. The Challis BLM would remain the managers of the East Fork BLM and Salmon-Challis National Forest areas. Wilderness: Three new wilderness areas would be created totaling 275,665 acres.They are the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness (88,079 acres), the White Clouds Wilderness (90,841 acres) and theJim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness (117,040). The total wilderness acreage would be reduced by 36,968 acres from the original CIEDRA bill that would have created 332,928 acres. Multiple … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360781 | Crapo, Bennet Reintroduce Bill to Increase Resources for Wildfire Mitigation | 2015-08-06 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 06, 2015 Crapo, Bennet Reintroduce Bill to Increase Resources for Wildfire Mitigation Would Reduce Future Spending for Wildfire Suppression Washington, DC -U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced a bill to provide targeted investments for wildfire mitigation. The bill would help save future costs related to wildfire response efforts and the damage to property and land without adding to the deficit. "FEMA directs a substantial portion of its resources every year to helping communities at risk of natural disasters prepare for such events by providing aid for things like flood preparation for hurricanes or modification to houses in Tornado Alley," said Crapo. "However, it provides very few resources to communities at risk of being impacted by wildfires, which, those in the west know all too well, can be devastating to homeowners and communities. This bill seeks to address that disparity." "Colorado has experienced catastrophic wildfires that have caused immeasurable damage," Bennet said. "We need to do more to prepare for these disasters to help save lives and protect property. This bill targets investments at mitigation efforts to help reduce the size and scope of fires and in some cases prevent them from occurring altogether." The Prepare, Ready, Equip, and Prevent Areas at-Risk of Emergency (PREPARE) Wildfires Act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a funding stream specifically for wildfire mitigation. The bill would authorize $20 to $30 million per year for a five year wildfire mitigation pilot program, as part of agency's Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund. States and local governments would provide matching funds, leveraging federal dollars for maximum efficiency. The bill would also allow the President to provide post-wildfire mitigation assistance to States that have received Fire Management Assistance Grants. This change, whi… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=f1e93452-2d33-41cc-a9b5-2b02dfe306ae | Risch Recognizes Summer Interns | 2015-08-05 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch selected three college students from around the state of Idaho to serve as summer interns in his Washington, D.C. office this summer. The interns have had the opportunity to engage at the national level of government while assisting with constituent services and legislative research. Interning in the U.S. Senate is an excellent way to learn about the legislative branch of government and to see where much of our nations early history took place, said Risch. This group of interns has served Idaho well and shown great promise. The interns are: Kaitlin Wallis is a junior at Hillsdale College and native of Sandpoint. She is studying Financial Management with a minor in Politics. Kaitlin is the daughter of Karen and Bert Wallis. Porter Chelson, a native of St. Anthony, is a senior at Brigham Young University studying Communications with an emphasis in Journalism and Digital Media. He is the son of Gary and Shannon Chelson. Porter has worked previously for the BYU Athletics Marketing Department and also as a campus tour guide. Andrew Roan is a graduate of Colby College and a native of Boise, with a major in Government with an emphasis in Middle Eastern Politics and Islamic Law. He is the son of Dr. Peter Roan and Dr. Cari Coleman. Andrew has worked on several of Governor Butch Otters gubernatorial campaigns and at Cascade Raft and Kayak. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360780 | Crapo Regulatory Relief Bill Clears Committee | 2015-08-05 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 05, 2015 Crapo Regulatory Relief Bill Clears Committee Measure to repeal redundant and costly EPA regulation Washington, D.C.-Idaho Senator Mike Crapo's legislation to eliminate a duplicative and costly U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulation affecting Idaho's farmers took center stage at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing today. Crapo said providing regulatory relief to not only farmers, but ranchers, state and local governments, forest managers, water users and others impacted is long overdue. If enacted, the Sensible Environmental Protection Act will lift the burden placed on pesticide users after a 2009 court ruling imposed an additional layer of needless red tape under the Clean Water Act. After an unscheduled recess delayed the Committee's consideration of the bill, the measure was adopted by voice vote at a later meeting. "This bipartisan legislation would fix a critical issue resulting from a federal court decision that up-ended decades of federal regulatory interpretation," Crapo added in a statement after the hearing. "This court decision has not provided meaningful environmental protections, but has created tremendous paperwork, compliance and litigation costs on regulated entities, including local governments, farmers, ranchers and other water users. The bottom line is, pesticide applications in or near water were already federally regulated prior to the Sixth Circuit's 2009 ruling, and S. 1500 seeks to codify the EPA's previous interpretation of this issue and ensure that pesticide users do not have to comply with multiple regulatory burdens." Background For more than 30 years, the EPA has implemented a comprehensive and rigorous regulatory structure for pesticide applications under what is commonly known as FIFRA, or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. FIFRA governs the sale, distribution and use of pesticides, with th… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398468 | Simpsons Boulder White Clouds Passes Senate | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Simpsons Boulder White Clouds Passes Senate Bill now heads to the Presidents Desk f t # e Washington, August 4, 2015 The passage of this bill is a huge victory for Idahoans whove worked for over 15 years to create a land management plan for the Boulder White Clouds, said Simpson. I am grateful for each and every person who participated in crafting this solution over the years and I am especially grateful to Senator Jim Risch who worked relentlessly to see this pass the U.S. Senate today. share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpsons legislation H.R. 1138, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act, today passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent. The passage of this bill is a huge victory for Idahoans whove worked for over 15 years to create a land management plan for the Boulder White Clouds, said Simpson. I am grateful for each and every person who participated in crafting this solution over the years and I am especially grateful to Senator Jim Risch who worked relentlessly to see this pass the U.S. Senate today. Specifically Simpsons legislation will do the following: Sawtooth National Recreation Area: The Sawtooth National Forest would remain as the principle administrative body and the current management would remain intact under the existing SNRA law (PL 92-400) and the existing SNRA management and travel plans. The Challis BLM would remain the managers of the East Fork BLM and Salmon-Challis National Forest areas. Wilderness: Three new wilderness areas would be created totaling 275,665 acres.They are the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness (88,079 acres), the White Clouds Wilderness (90,841 acres) and theJim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness (117,040). The total wilderness acreage would be reduced by 36,968 … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=a7f0e171-7fb6-42e2-bba8-7661363d2d4a | Senate Unanimously Passes Boulder-White Clouds Bill | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch today obtained the passage of H.R. 1138, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act. This bill, commonly known as the Boulder-White Clouds wilderness bill, was authored by Congressman Mike Simpson in the House of Representatives. The Senate passed this legislation unanimously. Through a collaborative effort, Congressman Simpson crafted this legislation that is truly an Idaho bill, said Risch. Regardless of where people are on this issue there isnt anyone who would disagree that the heart of this area is one of the most remarkable places in the world. The bill identifies that land for management as well as wilderness and releases 153,000 acres from de facto wilderness. Importantly, a vast and diverse coalition of the land users and preservationists came together as a result of Congressman Simpsons work and created an Idaho solution. I am glad to see that every one of my Senate colleagues agreed and supported this Idaho bill. Video of Senator Rischs floor speech and the vote can be found on the Senators YouTube page or downloaded via FTP link. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360778 | Crapo Plans New Round of Town Meetings | 2015-08-04 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | August 04, 2015 Crapo Plans New Round of Town Meetings Will travel across southern Idaho during August, September Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is ramping up his town meeting schedule in Idaho during the August and September state work period. Crapo opens his town meetings with a discussion about the federal government's federal debt that is nearing $19 trillion, then takes questions from Idahoans in attendance. He plans an additional 58 Idaho town meetings during August and September. In Boise, Crapo will receive a briefing on the Northwest fire situation at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. Crapo and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) have introduced legislation to ensure forest restoration efforts are not stopped by so-called federal "fire borrowing" efforts to pay for catastrophic wildfires. Crapo will also speak during the Intermountain Energy Summit in Idaho Falls and he will present his Spirit of Idaho Award to Joe Bell for his efforts to document public access at Lake Lowell on the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge south of Nampa. Crapo will also participate in the Idaho Congressional Awards ceremony at the Idaho Statehouse. Crapo's schedule includes the following town meetings; all times are for town meetings except where noted: Monday, August 10: 9:00 AM Wendell Wendell City Hall, 375 1 st Avenue East 10:30 AM Gooding Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind, Multipurpose Room, 1450 Main, Enter in back 12:30 PM Fairfield Camas County Senior & Community Center, 129 Willow Avenue West 2:30 PM Carey Carey City Hall, 20482 Main Street 4:30 PM Richfield Richfield Senior Center, 130 South Main Street 6:30 PM Dietrich Dietrich City Park, 620 North Main Avenue Tuesday. August 11: 9:00 AM Filer Filer City Hall, 300 Main Street 10:30 AM Hollister Grange Hall, 2340 Main Street 12:… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=992 | LABRADOR, OTHER OFFICIALS TO ATTEND IDAHO COUNTY GUN RANGE CEREMONY | 2015-08-03 | 2015 | 2015-08 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Monday | August 3, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR, OTHER OFFICIALS TO ATTEND IDAHO COUNTY GUN RANGE CEREMONY MERIDIAN Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, will help cut the ribbon to celebrate the transfer of 31 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to Idaho County for use as a shooting range. The event is set for 10 a.m. PDT Aug. 12, near Riggins. The public is invited to attend. Also expected to attend are Idaho BLM Director Tim Murphy, Idaho County Commissioner Skip Brandt, Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings, Will Runnoe, manager of the BLMs Cottonwood field office and staff from the offices of Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch. The Idaho County Commission will manage the shooting range, in cooperation with law enforcement. The county is working with the Salmon River Gun Club to develop the site, raise funds and hopes to open the range in the near future. Those wishing to attend should park at the state weigh station on U.S. 95 about 1.5 miles north of the Time Zone Bridge, north of Riggins. Due to limited parking, participants will carpool to the range, about a half-mile south of the weigh station. The site was transferred thanks to Rep. Labradors legislation, the Idaho County Shooting Range Land Conveyance Act, whichbecame law in December. For years, Idaho County commissioners sought to acquire the parcel in the Riggins area which has been informally used by sportsmen and women. Cumbersome federal regulations blocked the transfer to Idaho County, even though the Bureau of Land Management supported the idea. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360777 | Crapo, Finance Republicans Press CMS Nominee on Obamacare Enrollment Safeguards | 2015-07-29 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | July 29, 2015 Crapo, Finance Republicans Press CMS Nominee on Obamacare Enrollment Safeguards Letter follows GAO??s findings that Obamacare Marketplace approving subsidies for fake applicants Washington, D.C. -Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is seeking answers from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) after a recent report revealed that an alarming number of fake applicants were reenrolled for health coverage for 2015 through the federal Obamacare exchange, known as Healthcare.gov. In a letter to the acting administrator, Crapo, along with his Republican colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee, questioned the agency's ability to verify and authenticate information used to enroll invidividals in the Obamacare Marketplace. The letter follows this month's Senate Finance Committee hearingon the continued probe by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GOA)into the federal marketplace. Last summer, the watchdog agency announced that it had conducted a "secret shopper" investigation and created 12 fictitious applicants in an attempt to enroll them in coverage through Healthcare.gov. Of those 12 fake enrollees, 11 applicants were approved for health coverage andtogether qualified for nearly $30,000 in taxpayer funded subsides. Even more alarming, a new follow-up report by GOA released earlier this month shows that those very same 11 fake enrollees had their coverage automatically extended for 2015. The marketplace did later flag and temporarily cease coverage for 6 of the 11 phony enrollees, but GOA was able to reinstate coverage for 5 of those enrollees by simply calling the Healthcare.gov call center. " The GAO findings show that there has been a rise in major problems with enrollment controls, with little to no improvement. The findings highlight CMS's conscious decision to downplay program integrity in order to focus on mass enrollment,"the Senators wrote. Joining Crapo on… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398466 | House Passes Simpsons Boulder White Clouds Bill | 2015-07-27 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpsons legislation H.R. 1138, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act, today passed the U.S. House of Representatives without objection. Todays action by the U.S. House of Representatives is a great accomplishment for the thousands of Idahoans working to solve the Boulder White Clouds land management issue, said Simpson. I am extremely optimistic that we will continue to move this legislation forward to become law. H.R. 1138 will establish certain wilderness areas in central Idaho and authorize various land conveyances involving the National Forest System land and Bureau of Land Management land in central Idaho. Specifically Simpsons legislation will do the following: Sawtooth National Recreation Area: The Sawtooth National Forest would remain as the principle administrative body and the current management would remain intact under the existing SNRA law (PL 92-400) and the existing SNRA management and travel plans. The Challis BLM would remain the managers of the East Fork BLM and Salmon-Challis National Forest areas. Wilderness: Three new wilderness areas would be created totaling275,665 acres.They are the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness (88,079 acres), the White Clouds Wilderness (90,841 acres) and theJim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness (117,040). The total wilderness acreage would be reduced by 36,968 acres from the original CIEDRA bill that would have created 332,928 acres. Multiple Use: Four wilderness study areas would be released back to multiple use: the Jerry Peak Wilderness Study Area, the Jerry Peak West Wilderness Study Area, the Corral-Horse Basin Wilderness Study Area, the Boulder Creek Wilderness Study Area and any USFS recommended wilderness not made wilderness totaling 155,003 acres.This is up 23,333 acres released from the original CIEDRA bill which totaled 131,670. Motorized Use: No roads that are currently open to vehicles, or trails that are currently open to two wheeled motorized use would be closed. The G… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=1fe8eb34-af08-4a08-ad88-cdc61d36f3af | Senators Call for Hearing on RECA | 2015-07-27 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. A bipartisan coalition of five U.S. senators from Idaho, New Mexico and Colorado have asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing into legislative efforts to assist Americans who have suffered health issues as a result of nuclear arms testing in the western U.S. during the Cold War period of the 1950s and 1960s. S. 331, the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act of 2015, introduced by Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) and Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) would extend benefits under the existing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to victims who can demonstrate health issues related to the weapons testing. As the United States government built up its Cold War nuclear testing program during the mid-20th century, many Americans paid the price with their health, the senators wrote in a letter to Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont). Considering the importance of RECA to many of our constituents, we respectfully request that you move quickly to hold a hearing to bring to light existing deficiencies in the compensation program and to review our legislation. The RECA program was originally created to assist workers in the uranium mining industry who were exposed to harmful radiation levels in the course of assisting the national defense. But the legislation stopped short of helping citizens exposed to airborne radiation from bomb testing in Nevada, New Mexico, Guam and testing locations in the Pacific Ocean. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360774 | Crapo, Risch Join Group of 50 Senators Raising Concerns with Planned Parenthood Practices | 2015-07-24 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | July 24, 2015 Crapo, Risch Join Group of 50 Senators Raising Concerns with Planned Parenthood Practices Senators call on HHS Secretary to comply with investigations, conduct assessment to facilitate congressional review WASHINGTON, D.C. -Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch this week joined a bipartisan group of senators in calling on Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to get to the bottom of what has been going on at Planned Parenthood. In a letter to the Secretary, the Senators draw attention to the legal, ethical and policy issues raised by the recent video footage released by the Center for Medical Progress depicting senior Planned Parenthood Federation of America executives discussing in gruesome detail the organization's role in the harvesting of the organs of unborn babies. " The footage raises a number of questions about the practices of the organization, including whether they are in compliance with federal laws regulating both the use of fetal tissue and partial-birth abortions," the senators wrote. " In addition to questions about Planned Parenthood's compliance with applicable federal law and medical ethics, we believe the footage prompts important policy questions surrounding the issue of abortions permitted so late in a pregnancy - sometimes even later than 5 months - that an unborn baby's organs can be identified and harvested." The senators also requested that the Secretary confirm the commencement or immediate initiation of "a thorough internal review of the compliance of the Department and Planned Parenthood - one of the Department's grantees - with all relevant and applicable federal statutes, regulations, and other requirements." The full text of the senators' letter can be found here. Print Email Tweet … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360775 | Senators Call For Hearing on RECA | 2015-07-24 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | July 24, 2015 Senators Call For Hearing on RECA Crapo, Risch, Udall, Heinrich, Bennet seek to help downwinders Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan coalition of five U.S. senators from Idaho, New Mexico and Colorado have asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing into legislative efforts to assist Americans who have suffered health issues as a result of nuclear arms testing in the western U.S. during the Cold War period of the 1950s and 1960s. S. 331, the Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act of 2015, introduced by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tom Udall (D-New Mexico), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) and Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) would extend benefits under the existing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to victims who can demonstrate health issues related to the weapons testing. "As the United States government built up its Cold War nuclear testing program during the mid-20 th century, many Americans paid the price with their health," the senators wrote in a letter to Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont). "Considering the importance of RECA to many of our constituents, we respectfully request that you move quickly to hold a hearing to bring to light existing deficiencies in the compensation program and to review our legislation." The RECA program was originally created to assist workers in the uranium mining industry who were exposed to harmful radiation levels in the course of assisting the national defense. But the legislation stopped short of helping citizens exposed to airborne radiation from bomb testing in Nevada, Guam and testing locations in the Pacific Ocean. Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398465 | Simpson Votes to Protect States Rights from EPA | 2015-07-23 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted this week for legislation to bring certainty under EPAs recently finalized coal ash regulations. H.R. 1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015, would put states in charge of implementing coal ash regulation in order to ensure that public health and the environment are protected while states rights are preserved. The bill passed by a vote of 258-166. Coal ash is the byproduct of coal combustion and is used to create roads, bridges, and buildings. It is also regularly recycled and used in construction materials. The EPA finalized a rule to regulate coal ash in April. Under H.R. 1734, states would have the authority to implement a coal ash permit program, with EPA implementing a permit program for states that choose not to establish their own. While I am concerned about the practical implementation of EPAs final rule, I do believe that reasonable regulations should be in place regarding coal ash, said Simpson. This legislation ensures that human health and the environment are protected without creating a new and unneeded regulatory system, leaving regulation and permitting to the states, where it belongs. The bill is now under consideration by the U.S. Senate. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=a6dd2a16-66ef-4f54-8855-337709b44f91 | Crapo, Risch Join Group of 50 Senators Raising Concerns with Planned Parenthood Practices | 2015-07-23 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Senators call on HHS Secretary to comply with investigations, conduct assessment to facilitate congressional review WASHINGTON, D.C. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch this week joined a bipartisan group of senators in calling on Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to get to the bottom of what has been going on at Planned Parenthood. In a letter to the Secretary, the Senators draw attention to the legal, ethical and policy issues raised by the recent video footage released by the Center for Medical Progress depicting senior Planned Parenthood Federation of America executives discussing in gruesome detail the organizations role in the harvesting of the organs of unborn babies. The footage raises a number of questions about the practices of the organization, including whether they are in compliance with federal laws regulating both the use of fetal tissue and partial-birth abortions, the senators wrote. In addition to questions about Planned Parenthoods compliance with applicable federal law and medical ethics, we believe the footage prompts important policy questions surrounding the issue of abortions permitted so late in a pregnancy sometimes even later than 5 months that an unborn babys organs can be identified and harvested. The senators also requested that the Secretary confirm the commencement or immediate initiation of a thorough internal review of the compliance of the Department and Planned Parenthood one of the Departments grantees with all relevant and applicable federal statutes, regulations, and other requirements. The full text of the senators letter can be found here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=cf9429cb-e3dc-4c8b-8368-c53d83a99d8d | Risch, King Celebrate the Semiconductor Industry, Launch the Semiconductor Caucus | 2015-07-21 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Angus King (I-ME) today welcomed the Semiconductor Industry Association and its members to the Capitol to launch the Semiconductor Caucus. The Semiconductor Caucus aims to increase awareness of the semiconductor industry and the vast scope of products that contain semiconductors. As building blocks of modern technology, semiconductors have played a key role in improving the lives of every American, said Risch. Idaho, in particular, has seen the incredibly positive direct and indirect impacts that the industry has on this country. I am honored to co-chair the Semiconductor Caucus and look forward to highlighting the many good things this industry contributes to our economy. Semiconductors like those manufactured by several companies in Maine play an enormous role in our day-to-day lives, helping to power smartphones, cars, computers, medical devices, and a seemingly endless list of other products, said Senator King. As a founding member of the Semiconductor Caucus, I will work to shine light on this important industry here in Congress, and promote innovation and cooperation that can help this already-thriving sector continue to grow and create jobs in Maine and around the country. Semiconductors are the building blocks of integrated circuits that are present in nearly every electronic device, and therefore this technology directly or indirectly enables most of the economic activity in a wide range of sectors. The semiconductor industry employs nearly 250,000 Americans and semiconductors are a top U.S. export. The industry spends more than $30 billion on research and development each year and nearly 64 billion semiconductors are sold in the U.S. annually. The launch event for the Semiconductor Caucus will be held this evening at 6 p.m. in the Senate Visitors Center of the U.S. Capitol Building. The Semiconductor Caucus is also co-chaired by Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=990 | LABRADOR DISGUSTED BY PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTIONS AND COMMENTS | 2015-07-21 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | July 21, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR DISGUSTED BY PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTIONS AND COMMENTS WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued this statement after watching videos showing Planned Parenthood officials negotiating the sale of fetal organs: I am sickened and disgusted by the inhumane attitude Planned Parenthood officials displayed as they discussed the sale of aborted fetuses over lunch. Their attitude towards human life should be condemned.I believe that all life is sacred, and should not be for sale.The fact that these officials view aborted fetuses as mere commodities is a sad commentary on our society. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I will participate in a vigorous investigation into whether Planned Parenthood is illegally profiting from the sale of organs and body parts from aborted babies. Nothing is more sacred than human life. Indifference to these grotesque practices demeans every American, regardless of their view on abortion. These videos pull back the curtain on the horrors of the abortion industry. Today I am joining as a cosponsor of a new bill, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, to place a one-year moratorium on any federal funding of Planned Parenthood. I also urge the Senate to schedule a vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support in May. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=989 | LABRADOR TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATON ON 'MEET THE PRESS' | 2015-07-17 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Friday | July 17, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATON ON MEET THE PRESS MERIDIAN Congressman Ral Labrador will appear on Meet the Press with Chuck Todd on Sunday to discuss immigration reform. A leader on the issue since his election in 2010, Labrador will appear with Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas. Meet the Press airs in Boise on KTVB-TV, at 8 a.m. MDT; in Spokane on KHQ-TV in Spokane, at 8 a.m. PDT; in Twin Falls on KTFT-TV, at 8 a.m. MDT; and in Idaho Falls on KPVI-TV, at 8 a.m. MDT. The program also is rebroadcast Sunday on radio in Boise on 670 KBOI, at 1 p.m. MDT; and twice in Spokane, on 790 KJRB at noon PDT, and 1510 KGA at 3 p.m. PDT. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=7ec3e8f1-7a22-42e6-8ba4-d48b718a16bc | Risch Statement on Nuclear Deal with Iran | 2015-07-14 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch made the following statement today regarding news of a nuclear deal with Iran: "From the start, Congress was told by President Obama and Secretary Kerry there would be clear red lines for any deal with Iran. This deal violates every priority the administration initially laid out and crosses every red line that was initially drawn, from complete access to Iran's facilities and scientists to a robust inspection and verification regime. "This deal allows Iran to accelerate its nuclear weapons development program and will provide international legitimacy to their program within a limited number of years. It also provides Iran with billions of dollars it will certainly use to fuel terrorism and instability in the world, just as it has done with the limited funds it had under the current sanctions regime. "In addition, the deal shreds the legacy of arms control and nonproliferation that the United States has championed for decades- it will spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that will be impossible to contain. "This deal falls disastrously short of what the Obama Administration originally promised and gives the Iranian government what it desires. The West will have to live with a nuclear Iran and will abandon our closest ally, Israel, under this horribly flawed agreement. In addition, the failure of the administration to secure the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, which should have been a simple task, even at the outset of negotiations, has been ignored despite the chorus of pleas to achieve this goal." ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=987 | NEWS RELEASE: LABRADOR TO CO-CHAIR BIPARTISAN HOUSE CAUCUS AIMED AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM | 2015-07-14 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | PRESS RELEASE -July 14, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION LAUNCHES CAUCUS AIMED AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM WASHINGTON, D.C. In the midst of growing bipartisan recognition that America must confront our overcriminalization problem, a group of Democratic and Republican members of Congress have launched an effort to comprehensively address public safety and our broken criminal justice system. U.S. Representatives Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Raul Labrador (R-ID), Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will serve as co-chairs of the newly-formed Congressional Criminal Justice and Public Safety Caucus, a bipartisan membership organization dedicated to educating the public and Members of Congress on crime mitigation, rehabilitation, community collaboration, reform of the prison system, and the advancement of safety and justice in the United States. Rep. Chaffetz said: "The price of maintaining the largest inmate population in the world is high, both for our communities and for our pocketbooks. Working together across the aisle, I believe we can find common ground on proven strategies to administer justice, rehabilitate offenders, reduce recidivism, and cut costs." Rep. Labrador said: Since I took office, Ive made it a top priority to improve our criminal justice system. This new caucus will accelerate bipartisan momentum for comprehensive reform. Working with colleagues in Congress, the White House and advocates of reform spanning the political spectrum, I believe we have an excellent chance of passing historic legislation in the 114th Congress. Rep. Richmond said: The time has long since come to fix our badly broken criminal justice system. We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars and ruined millions of lives with no clear indication that were more safe as a result. Members on both sides of the aisle have come together to end the era of mass incarceration. This caucus will continue that spirit of bipartisanship and work to develop and advance real solutions to … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=988 | LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL | 2015-07-14 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Raúl Labrador | L000573 | labrador.house.gov | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION: Tuesday | July 14, 2015 Dan Popkey 208-800-1565 LABRADOR ISSUES STATEMENT ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Ral Labrador, R-Idaho, issued this statement following todays announcement in Vienna of an agreement with Iran: I will carefully review the proposed agreement and decide whether it is a prudent replacement for the long-established sanctions aimed at blocking Irans attempt to build nuclear weapons. The Iranian government claims to want constructive engagement with the world.Yet, Iran refuses to free Boise Pastor Saeed Abedini, imprisoned since 2012. Last month the House unanimously called for the release of the U.S. citizens held in Iran, as well as information on any Americans who have disappeared. That these men remain captive is deeply disturbing and raises foundational questions of trust that should have been addressed before striking any deal with Iran. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360770 | Crapo Statement on Iran Nuclear Deal | 2015-07-14 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | July 14, 2015 Crapo Statement on Iran Nuclear Deal Washington, D.C.-Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today released the following statement after it was announced that the United States and five other nations reached a nuclear deal with Iran: "I am deeply disappointed by the failure of the Administration to secure the release of Boise Pastor Saeed Abedini and other Americans being held prisoner in Iran, " said Crapo. "Their release should have been a prerequisite to beginning any negotiations in the first place, let alone a final agreement. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that no deal was better than a bad deal before a joint session of Congress, he was right. Though I will fully scrutinize the deal in further detail as Congress begins the review process, initial reports indicate that the agreement is just that-a bad deal. The Administration has repeatedly provided concessions to Iran and weakened our bargaining position with little, if any, assurances they will abandon their nuclear ambitions. The consequences of an agreement that leaves Iran's nuclear program intact and allows the country to continue its aggression in the Middle East are monumental and pose a very real threat to the United States and the world." Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360771 | Crapo Staff in Glenns Ferry July 20 | 2015-07-14 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | July 14, 2015 Crapo Staff in Glenns Ferry July 20 Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo's staff will be on hand July 20 th in Glenns Ferry to assist Idahoans with issues with federal agencies. Crapo staff members regularly hold "remote office hours" to move staff from regional offices to smaller communities to meet directly with Idaho constituents on issues ranging from veterans care to questions about the IRS or Social Security. Bryan Ricker, Crapo's regional director in the Boise office, will be in Glenns Ferry to meet with Idahoans: Crapo Staff Remote Office Hours Monday, July 20, 2015 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM Glenns Ferry City Hall 105 East First Street Glenns Ferry Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398462 | Simpsons Boulder White Clouds Bill Surges Ahead | 2015-07-09 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpsons legislation H.R. 1138, Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act, today passed the U.S. House Resources Committee by unanimous consent. To say I am pleased about the BWC bill moving forward would be an understatement, said Simpson. For more than a decade, Idahoans of all walks of life have worked tirelessly on this legislation. It is because of their dedication that we are one step closer to achieving our goal creating an Idaho solution for managing the Boulder White Clouds. H.R. 1138, which will establish certain wilderness areas in central Idaho and to authorize various land conveyances involving National Forest System land and Bureau of Land Management land in central Idaho, and for other purposes. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act will now be considered by the House of Representatives for final passage. Senator Jim Risch has sponsored the bill in the U.S. Senate, S. 538. Risch successfully held a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining on May 21, 2015. The senate bill is waiting to be considered in Senate Resources Committee for final mark-up. I greatly appreciate the hard work that Senator Risch and his staff have done to move this legislation through the Senate. Its been a great effort on both sides to keep the BWC bill moving forward, said Simpson. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398464 | Simpson Supports Healthy Forest Bill | 2015-07-09 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted today for legislation to promote healthier forests and more effective forest management. H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, addresses the land management crisis created by catastrophic wildfires, promotes collaborative management projects, and modernizes the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Simpson is a cosponsor of the legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 262-167. The Forest Service faces a number of very real challenges when it comes to active land management, and Im pleased with a number of steps that this bill takes to respond to those issues, said Simpson. Frivolous lawsuits paralyze federal land management agencies and put management decisions into the hands of the court rather than land managers. This legislation addresses several issues at the heart of this problem. Another major problem, added Simpson, is the cost of catastrophic wildfires.Addressing this issue is one of my top legislative priorities, and while this bill takes steps toward that goal, Im going to continue working on my comprehensive solution to funding catastrophic wildfires. Simpson has introduced H.R. 167, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, which is bipartisan legislation with broad support intended to fix the budgeting process for wildfire suppression. His bill would treat catastrophic wildfires like similar natural disasters and would end the disastrous process known as fire borrowing. When fire suppression costs exceed the budget, the Forest Service is forced to rob from other non-fire accountsincluding projects intended to reduce hazardous fuels and make forests less susceptible to firein order to keep fighting the fires.Fire borrowing was intended as an extraordinary measure, but as wildfires have grown more costly, it has become standard procedurein fact, fire borrowing has been necessary in 7 of the past 10 years. H.R. 2647 includes language that would allow FEMA to transfer limited funds to the Forest Service and the BLM for fire sup… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=c6a0d5ad-f38d-4221-8c82-84646c518cfa | Risch Highlights INL at National Lab Day on Capitol Hill | 2015-07-09 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Jim Risch today joined Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Deputy Secretary of Energy, Franklin (Lynn) Orr, Under Secretary for Science and Energy, Vice Admiral John J. Grossenbacher, Director of the Idaho National Laboratory, and other leaders and scientists from Americas National Laboratories at the Department of Energys annual National Lab Day on Capitol Hill. Americas National Laboratories, including the Idaho National Lab, were in Washington, D.C. to highlight their respective contributions to the National Laboratory system supporting Americas infrastructure. Today the Idaho National Lab joined Americas National Laboratories in coming to Capitol Hill to share the great work that they contribute to our country and the National Laboratory System, said Risch. I am so proud of the INL and their incredible team of scientists and experts who make Idaho proud by being a leader in supporting Americas energy infrastructure and collaborating with the other labs in the process. It is a real honor to share with my colleagues the work INL is doing as our country's lead nuclear lab, as well as the important research they are doing in alternative energy systems, and their many contributions to national security, cyber security, and environmental clean-up. I cannot stress enough how important the great work that they do is for all of America. High resolution versions of these photos can be found on Senator Rischs Flickr page. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398461 | Simpson Language Keeps Sheep Station Open | 2015-07-08 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Mike Simpson | S001148 | simpson.house.gov | legacy | Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today praised the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees decision to preserve ARS research programs including those at the U.S. Sheep Experimental Station (USSES) in Dubois, Idaho. Simpson, who requested the language in the FY16 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, is working with other western representatives to support the USSES. I was disappointed when USDA attempted to close USSES last year and failed to provide prior notice to Congress and the sheep industry, said Simpson. I am very pleased this appropriations bill includes language that maintains the mission at Dubois. Because of its location and expertise, staff at the Dubois station are working on unique issues, including research on the domestic-wildlife interface that is vital to the sheep industrys future. Congressman Simpson has worked closely with USDA, University of Idaho, and members of the sheep industry throughout the process to ensure the long-term viability of the USSES and the economic activity it generates in the area. After the committee meeting Simpson said, The bill passed out of committee today recognizes the stations valuable work and is an important step towards ensuring the stakeholders and ARS come together to work on a viable, long-term future for USSES. The Agriculture Appropriations bill was passed by the House Appropriations Committee on a voice vote. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=66dbfaa0-5ec3-4879-8846-4b545da1598e | Risch, Heinrich Introduce Bill to Reduce Federal Government Energy Use | 2015-07-07 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Jim Risch | R000584 | www.risch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today introduced the Energy Efficient Government Technology Act in an effort to reduce the federal governments energy consumption and save taxpayer dollars. The bipartisan legislation would require the federal government to develop plans to reduce energy consumption at federal data centers. "Every private business has to look at ways to save energy and costs at their facilities and the federal government should do the same, said Risch. Federal data centers use a tremendous amount of energy and by focusing efficiency efforts there, we will see a great deal of savings for taxpayers. I am pleased to work with Senator Heinrich in introducing legislation that will reduce unnecessary spending." This common sense approach will improve energy efficiency at federal data centers across the country, whilesaving taxpayer dollars at the same time, said Heinrich. Finding innovative ways to reduce our energy needsdoesnt only make fiscal sense, it also cutscarbon emissionsthat harm public health.My home state of New Mexico is already capitalizing on a diversified but rapidly transforming energy sector and stands to benefit from leveraging investments in efficiency projects and innovative technologies. This legislation has strong support from the Information Technology Industry Council and Hewlett-Packard. The federal government is one of the biggest operators of data centers and is also the single largest energy user in the U.S., said Chris Hankin, ITI senior director for environment and sustainability. The EEGTA bill would make the federal government smarter and more efficient at no additional cost to the U.S. taxpayer simply by using the latest energy-efficient and energy-saving technologies our companies have pioneered for the marketplace. We applaud the leadership of Senators Jim Risch and Martin Heinrich in addressing our nations immediate need to ha… | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360768 | Crapo Launches Second Statewide Veterans Survey | 2015-07-01 | 2015 | 2015-07 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | July 01, 2015 Crapo Launches Second Statewide Veterans Survey Says continuous feedback from Idahoans key to seeing results and improving VA services for veterans BOISE-Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is launching his second statewide Veterans Survey today and is encouraging Idaho's veterans to participate as he makes stops throughout southern Idaho as a part of his continued town meeting tour. Last year, Crapo received feedback from more than 1,000 Idahoans about their experiences with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Crapo says this year he hopes to double that number in an effort to hear from more veterans. "Throughout my travels across Idaho, I have heard loud and clear the frustration many veterans feel while trying to access the services they deserve," said Crapo. "I share that frustration and am committed to getting it right for veterans, which is why I am conducting a second Veterans Survey." Crapo noted that this year's survey builds on the previous year's by incorporating feedback from Idaho's veterans community. The 2015 Veterans Survey asks more comprehensive questions about the VA benefits and services Idahoans use. "Improving the VA is a continuous process that requires constant communication with the VA and frequent feedback from veterans to ensure Idahoans are seeing results," Crapo added. "As we have seen, the solution to 'fixing' the VA is not necessarily based on broad, top-down reforms and increased federal dollars alone. Feedback from Idaho's veterans community is critical. This information helps me evaluate what is working and what is not working for the VA. Based on the information Idahoans share, I can approach the VA with specific, precise information about which programs and policies are failing and why they are failing. The survey helps me communicate with the VA about successful initiatives as well, and is an important tool to help me hear directly from Idahoans."< … | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | ||
| https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=360766 | Crapo: Supreme Court Right to Consider Consumers in Ruling Against EPA | 2015-06-29 | 2015 | 2015-06 | Republican | House | ID | Michael Crapo | C000880 | www.crapo.senate.gov | legacy | June 29, 2015 Crapo: Supreme Court Right to Consider Consumers in Ruling Against EPA Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said the U.S. Supreme Court ruled correctly today when it ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency and in favor of consumers, state, and industry in striking down unreasonable rules against power plants. "The economic costs to consumers paying for energy must be considered when the government seeks to regulate energy production, be they from coal, oil or other sources," Crapo said. "The Supreme Court ruled wisely in recognizing that Americans pay for the energy decisions made by federal agencies like the EPA. Whether it is water or energy, the economic damage to Americans must be recognized." Crapo noted that while Congress debates ways to diversify the nation's energy portfolio, it should take into account what the costs are for consumers and make any moves in a measured way. The nation's high court ruled today that the EPA must take into account federal regulations that could cost billions a year---increases that will be seen in the energy bills of power customers. Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |
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