url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349260,"Statement From Idaho Senator Mike Crapo On The Passing Of Bethine Church",2013-12-22,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 22, 2013 Statement From Idaho Senator Mike Crapo On The Passing Of Bethine Church Idaho Falls, ID - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo released the following statement on the passing of Bethine Church, wife of the late U.S. Senator Frank Church: ""Idaho has lost a great friend and advocate.  Bethine had a way to mix civility with politics that is too often forgotten on the national scene. I will miss her input and charm and I join with all Idahoans in mourning the passing of this Idaho legend.""                               # # # Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349250,FDA Heeds Call From Crapo And Others To Revise Fresh Produce Rules,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 20, 2013 FDA Heeds Call From Crapo And Others To Revise Fresh Produce Rules FDA received thousands of negative comments; will propose and seek comment on new rule language Washington, D.C. - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will revise key provisions of its proposed fresh produce rule after Idaho food producers deemed the new water quality and manure standards unworkable.  Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has repeatedly pressed the FDA for revisions since the draft rules were released pursuant to the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.  ""The announcement from the FDA is not only a victory for Idaho's farmers and ranchers, but more importantly a victory for consumers across the state and country,"" said Crapo.  ""For months, the agriculture industry in Idaho expressed its concerns about the cost these proposed rules would have on the industry if not properly tailored.  The FDA has heard these concerns and I call on the administration to take a vastly different approach in addressing the needs of both small and mid-sized farms and ranches."" On January 4, 2013, the FDA issued a proposed rule for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh produce.  Among its requirements, the proposed rule would require weekly testing of all agricultural water at a cost of $35 to $40 per week.  If levels of coliform bacteria exceed the FDA's stringent standard, the farmer must cease irrigation until the water is in compliance, running a high risk of ruining a crop.  The FDA estimates that the cost of implementing this rule would cost a producer approximately $5,000 to $30,600 per farm, depending on size, with a total industry cost of $460 million. Crapo, along with Idaho Senator Jim Risch, introduced the Stopping Costly Regulations Against Produce (SCRAP) Act as an amendment to the Senate version of the 2013 Farm Bill.  Unfortunately, the amendment was not allowed a vote during consideration of the bill.  More recently, Crapo wrote the FDA, urging them to release a second set of proposed rules before finalizing the current one.  Previously, the FDA extended the comment period on the proposed rules to November 15, 2013.  Crapo voted against the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, cautioning that the bill gave extensive discretionary power to the FDA while drastically burdening rural America. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349252,Crapo Opposed Defense Bill Due To Increased Spending,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 20, 2013 Crapo Opposed Defense Bill Due To Increased Spending All amendments were blocked and the legislation violates the new budget agreement Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo could not support the National Defense Authorization Act, or the NDAA, due to the increased spending included in the package.  The NDAA violates the spending caps put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and spends more than what was agreed upon in the recently passed Ryan/Murray budget agreement.  ""Passage of this bill is a prime example of Washington speaking out of both sides of the mouth,"" said Crapo.  ""This legislation continues the bad policy of spend now and pay later, yet Washington never finds the will to pay its bills.  The budget caps we have in place are finally helping to control spending, and by violating these spending levels we are doing a disservice to our men and women in uniform who fight to protect this nation daily.   When dealing with our fiscal situation, everything must be on the table and the defense department can be no exception. ""Additionally, while this bill was being considered on the Floor, the majority leader blocked consideration of any amendments to improve the legislation.  This practice has become all too common in the U.S. Senate.  Obstructing the right to offer amendments is not only creating more gridlock, but prevents the views and opinions of our constituents from being heard."" Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221130700/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=db16aa86-8e2b-4490-8e64-43f89f30f1ff,Senate Committee Passes Bill Protecting Snowmobilers? Access,2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch voted in support of S. 37, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, which passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this morning. “The Forest Jobs and Recreation Act will designate and provide land for forest management projects such as hazardous fuels reductions and provide timber materials for mills, creating jobs and all the good things that flow from job creation. It also designates some areas as wilderness. “Although this law applies to Montana lands, it directly affects Idahoans. The original proposal closed the southern portion of Mt. Jefferson to snowmobiling. This area is accessed directly from Idaho and is enjoyed by Idahoans who snowmobile in that area. I have heard from many Idahoans protesting that closure. “For years I have insisted that the southern portion of Mt. Jefferson must remain open to Idaho snowmobilers. Senator Mike Crapo joined me in this fight. After years of negotiations, common sense has prevailed. The southern portion of Mt. Jefferson will remain open for Idaho snowmobilers to enjoy. We are pleased with the result.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349247,"Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bipartisan Wildfire Funding Reform Legislation",2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 19, 2013 Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bipartisan Wildfire Funding Reform Legislation Bill Frees Up To $412 million for Prevention, Ends Damaging â??Fire Transfers,â?? and Treats Massive Wildfiresas Natural Disasters Washington, D.C. - Today Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced a bill to reform federal wildfire policy, target more funding for fire prevention, and treat the largest wildfires as natural disasters. ""This is about as common-sense as it gets: Congress needs to fund the biggest, most catastrophic wildfires like the natural disasters they are, and free up funding to break the destructive cycle that underfunds fire prevention and shorts fire management,"" Wyden said. ""This bill ends that cycle, puts money back into prevention, and provides the resources agencies need to effectively protect rural communities and forests."" ""This approach will give our firefighters and managers more tools for efficient and effective fire management and strengthen fire prevention efforts,"" Crapo said.  ""Forest health, communities and public safety will all benefit."" The bill ends the cycle of underfunding fire suppression accounts. Currently agencies base wildland fire suppression budgets on the average costs of the past 10 years, which has underestimated the actual costs 8 of the past 10 years, and forced the U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department to steal money from other important programs to make up the difference. This measure would move any fire suppression spending above 70% of the 10-year average to a disaster funding account that is separate from Forest Service and Interior budgets. Interior and the Forest Service estimate 1 percent of fires consume 30 percent of firefighting budgets, and thus should be treated as true natural disasters. Removing those megafires from the regular budget could free up to $412 million for land management agencies to fund fire prevention and hazardous fuels reduction projects that can help break the cycle of increasingly dangerous and costly fires.  Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=257b4caa-5c0c-4f4e-860a-516ea2655a55,Risch Announces Military Academy Nominations,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C.—Senator Jim Risch has announced his nominations to the United States Military Academies for the 2014 school year. The nominees were selected from dozens of applicants and will now be considered by each of the four academies for final selection. ""This year's nominees have met the high standards required to attend our military academies and each of them have demonstrated a level of commitment to our nation that is commendable. They are each truly deserving of this honor and I applaud them for their efforts,"" said Risch. Those interested in applying for future nominations to the military academies can find details on Senator Risch’s website or by contacting Tim Petersen at (208) 342-7985. U.S. Air Force Academy Benjamin Beier, Kingston Margaret Boggan, Boise Austin Box, Boise Pete Coats, Rupert Nikolas Fagen, Fruitland Anna Filce, Sagle Kyle Flack, Moscow Daniel Garz, Emmett Thomas Hentges, Boise Conner Mallet, Boise Katelyn Manker, Caldwell Brady Miner, Ammon Vanessa Munro, Boise Ryan Murphy, Boise Connor Odneal, Meridian Alan Orr, Bonners Ferry Nolan Richerson, New Meadows Tanner Stuart, Pocatello Andrew Wardle, Boise Madison Wilson, Nampa U.S. Naval Academy Casey Cobb, Nampa Rebecca Failing, Meridian Vandye Forrester V, Meridian Scott Givens, Post Falls Brielle Ibe, Boise John Kenyon, Lewiston Aden Kutsurelis, Boise Thomas Latham, Hayden Cole Oliver, Boise Ryan Walker, Eagle U.S. Military Academy at West Point Montana Bilger, Boise Margaret Boggan, Boise Austin Box, Boise Pete Coats, Rupert Andrew Cochran, Cottonwood Hayden Cross, Meridian J. Dashiell Dale, Boise Anna Filce, Sagle Daniel Garz, Emmett Brielle Ibe, Boise Aden Kutsurelis, Boise Vanessa Munro, Boise Nathan Pauls, Boise Hudson Staub, Dalton Gardens Tanner Stuart, Pocatello Bridget Wasdahl, Boise James Zimmerman, Boise U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Anthony Colla, Coeur d’Alene Andrew Cochran, Cottonwood J. Dashiell Dale, Boise Anna Filce, Sagle Daniel Garz, Emmett Aden Kutsurelis, Boise Katelyn Manker, Caldwell James Zimmerman, Boise   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349231,Crapo Nominates 39 Idahoans to Nation's Military Academies,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 18, 2013 Crapo Nominates 39 Idahoans to Nation's Military Academies Sees increased interest in academy education, service Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has nominated 39 Idaho high school students for continuing education and service as a part of the nation's military academies.  The students' applications will now be considered by four of the U.S. service academies, where the final selections will be made.   ""It is one of my highest honors every year to nominate Idahoans to be involved with the excellent education and spirit of service demonstrated by our military academies,"" Crapo said.  ""Our service academies build leaders whose service benefits all Americans by protecting our nation.  I salute these courageous men and women and their families for choosing to serve and defend our freedom.""   Each year U.S. Senators and Representatives make nominations to four of the service academies.  The academies then select from the students nominated.  Crapo made nominations to the following four academies:  the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York; the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York; and the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.  Congressional nominations are not required for students attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.    To be eligible for nominations, each student submitted an application and references, and met certain scholastic requirements under a deadline.  A nomination does not guarantee acceptance.  Those wishing to apply for future nominations can find information on Crapo's website at http://crapo.senate.gov., or should contact Karen Roetter in Crapo's North Idaho Office in Coeur d'Alene at (208) 664-5490.   Crapo 2013 Academy Nominations         U.S. Air Force Academy:   Benjamin Beier, Kingston Alexandra Edwards, Moscow Kyle Flack, Moscow Brielle Ibe, Garden City Connor Mallet, Boise Brady Miner, Ammon Ryan Murphy, Boise Connor Odneal, Meridian Alan Orr, Bonners Ferry Andrew Wardle, Boise   U.S. Naval Academy   Casey Cobb, Nampa Andrew Cochran, Cottonwood Dashiell Dale, Boise Scott Givens, Post Falls Thomas Hentges, Boise Aden Kutsurelis, Boise Mitchell Rands, Sandpoint Nolan Richerson, New Meadows Hudson Staub, Dalton Gardens Ryan Walker, Eagle   U.S. Military Academy at West Point (U.S. Army)   Margaret Boggan, Boise Austin Box, Boise Pete Coats, Rupert Hayden Cross, Meridian Brielle Ibe, Garden City Vanessa Munro, Boise Hudson Staub, Dalton Gardens Tanner Stuart, Pocatello Bridget Wasdahl, Boise James Zimmerman, Boise   U.S. Merchant Marine Academy   Benjamin Beier, Kingston Andrew Cochran, Cottonwood Anthony Colla, Coeur d'Alene Nikolas Fagen, Fruitland Isaiah Livingston, Spirit Lake Katelyn Manker, Caldwell Tanner Stuart, Pocatello Madison Wilson, Nampa James Zimmerman, Boise   # # # Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349223,"Senators Crapo, Warren, Wyden Urge DOE To Study Cost Savings Of Energy Efficiency Technology",2013-12-16,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 16, 2013 Senators Crapo, Warren, Wyden Urge DOE To Study Cost Savings Of Energy Efficiency Technology Senators Press Agency to Conduct Study While Crapo-Warren Legislation Awaits Further Senate Action Washington, D.C. - United States Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, today sent a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) urging the agency to study the cost-savings of energy efficiency technologies in an effort to increase public and private use of these technologies.  Senators Warren and Crapo previously introduced an amendment calling for the DOE to conduct this study during the Senate's consideration of S. 1392, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act.  ""Growing numbers of manufacturers and building owners realize that when they invest in operational energy efficiency tools, they can do something good not only for the environment but also for the bottom line,"" wrote the senators in the letter.  ""Operational energy efficiency tools help protect the environment, save companies' and taxpayer money and create new jobs."" The Senators urged the DOE to begin this study while S.1392 awaits further action in the Senate. The senators note that a DOE study could ""significantly advance the adoption of operational energy efficiency tools, and give industry the analysis it needs to embrace these technologies and services that reduce energy costs and benefit the environment."" Full text of the lawmakers' letter is attached.   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364282,"Simpson Votes to Reduce Deficit, Protect INL and PILT",2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman supports budget agreement that avoids another government shutdown, reduces the federal deficit, and limits Presidential authority over spending share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted in favor of the budget agreement reached by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and his counterpart in the United States Senate. The bill passed the House by a vote of 332-94, with support from 169 Republicans and 163 Democrats.  Simpson said the agreement avoids another government shutdown, preserves dozens, perhaps hundreds, of jobs at Idaho National Laboratory, lays the groundwork for extending PILT payments, achieves greater savings for taxpayers than those contained in sequestration, and does all of it without raising taxes. “My Republican colleagues and I have been seeking reforms to sequestration that lessen the pain on the military, allow Congress to budget in a more orderly process, and maintain or enhance the long-term savings achieved by the Budget Control Act. The bill we passed today accomplishes all three of those goals and is a positive step in the right direction,” said Simpson, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water which funds the Idaho National Laboratory. “I am especially relieved that the agreement short circuits some of the devastating sequester-based cuts to Idaho National Laboratory – including cuts to its core nuclear energy research programs, the guard force that secures the facility against terrorism or sabotage, and ongoing cleanup activities that are so important to the protection of the environment and human health.  The agreement also provides room in the budget to continue funding for PILT – something that was simply impossible under the clean CR advocated by some who today voted no.”  Among its provisions, the agreement would do the following: Reduce the federal deficit by an additional $23 billion without raising taxes (according to CBO) Put us on a path to reduce the deficit by $85 billion over ten years, $78 billion of which is spending cuts (according to CBO) Replace sequestration’s arbitrary, across-the-board cuts with more rational deficit reduction Allow Congress to reclaim its Constitutional role in spending decisions and take spending authority away from the President Stop government checks to ineligible criminals and dead people Stop Medicaid payments that should be covered by dead-beat parents and insurance companies Simpson also expressed dismay with those who are opposing the agreement and are instead seeking the passage of a clean Continuing Resolution. “I find it very telling that the people demanding a clean CR today are the ones who opposed that same clean CR in September and forced a costly government shutdown,” said Simpson.  “The clean CR they’re advocating would provide more spending authority to President Obama and result in fewer reforms to the mandatory programs that are driving our deficit.  It would continue devastating cuts at INL and leave no room in the budget to continue PILT payments for rural counties. It would result in fewer border control agents, weaker budgets for controlling wildfires, fewer permits for logging and grazing, and a smaller, less capable military.” Despite the passage of this positive agreement, Simpson believes Congress has considerable work ahead of it in further reducing the budget and eliminating the deficit. He remains a strong proponent of a Balanced Budget Amendment and is a leading advocate in Congress for reforming the tax code and entitlement programs to achieve real progress toward smaller, more efficient federal government.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=853,LABRADOR VOTES AGAINST BUDGET PLAN,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. —Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) released the following statement today after voting against a budget plan to gut the sequester, raise taxes, and increase spending by $63 billion over the next two years:  “This is a bad deal, plain and simple.  Once again, Congress is making promises of future spending decreases in exchange for actual spending increases today.  Republicans should keep the promise they made to the American people that they would use the sequester to address the true drivers of our debt and fight for real entitlement reform.  We had a historic opportunity to find common ground in order to save Medicare and Social Security.  Once again, we kicked the can down the road while making empty promises to the American people.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349196,Crapo Requests Renewed Effort for Release of Pastor Abedini,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 12, 2013 Crapo Requests Renewed Effort for Release of Pastor Abedini Says return to U.S. should be top priority Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, had the opportunity to hear from and question top administration officials at a hearing held to explore the interim agreement that was recently made between the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) and Iran on its nuclear proliferation program.  The Banking Committee has jurisdiction over sanctions, which successfully worked in bringing Iran to the negotiating table.   Crapo expressed disappointment that Boise Pastor Saeed Abedini remains a prisoner as negotiations continue, saying that every effort should be made going forward to bring him and the other Americans unjustly held home where they belong.  Crapo asked Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and top Iran negotiator, why we have not made progress concerning the release of U.S. prisoners in Iran, including Boise Pastor Saeed Abedini. ""In the run-up to the October talks, the United States released a convicted Iranian proliferator from a California prison, but had no relief for [our] detained Americans,"" Crapo said.  ""In fact, during that time, Pastor Abedini was transferred to one of the worst prisons in Iran.  Can you tell me why we have not made progress in the context of the release of our own citizens when we are releasing Iranian prisoners who are known proliferators?"" Crapo went on to ask for assurance that the State Department will take every advantage at every stage and in every forum possible for the release of our American prisoners in Iran, to which Under Secretary Sherman replied ""I absolutely guarantee it.  You have my personal commitment to do so."" Crapo has previously spoken with former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the release of Pastor Abedini.  Each assured him that this is a top priority, and that everything possible will be done to obtain their release and return to their families and to freedom here in the United States.  Senator Crapo will follow-up with the administration in unclassified and classified briefings to continue to press for their release. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349197,Crapo Reacts to GAO Report on Dodd-Frank Regulations,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 12, 2013 Crapo Reacts to GAO Report on Dodd-Frank Regulations Says regulators must perform meaningful cost-benefit analysis Washington, D.C. - The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report determining that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in coordination with the regulatory agencies, may not be consistently determining which rules are considered ""major rules"" under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which was enacted to allow Congress to review major rules before they became effective.  U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, says this is especially troublesome because many regulations that stem from the Dodd-Frank Act disproportionately affect small and community banks, forcing small institutions to close their doors.  ""I have consistently expressed concerns that the regulators do not understand the cumulative effect of the hundreds of proposed rules pursuant to Dodd-Frank, and that there is a lack of coordination among them, both domestically and internationally,"" Crapo said.  ""The more-than 10,000 pages of regulations that have already been proposed offer confusing and often contradictory standards and regulatory proposals, making it increasingly difficult for community banks to operate and maintain business presence in many communities.  Small banks, especially those in Idaho and other rural communities, are disproportionately affected and overwhelmed with regulatory burdens.  ""Regulators must perform meaningful cost-benefit analysis so that we can understand how the rules in Dodd-Frank will interact with one another, affect the economy as a whole and impact our global competitiveness,"" he added.  ""The current approach to regulation is affecting our small banks at home, and is bound to harm our standing as the preeminent financial market in the world."" Data released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) last week shows that the number of banks has sunk to the lowest level since the Great Depression.  For the first time since 1934, the number of federally insured institutions nationwide has fallen below 7,000.  Most of this contraction has involved small community banks, whose closures largely impact small business lending and local employment. The GAO has recommended that OMB issue guidance to help standardize CRA processes.  Current process inconsistencies could lead to differing designations under CRA, and GAO's recommendation helps ensure consistency in designating major rules.  To read the full report, click here. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349200,"Crapo Leads Letter To Sebelius Requesting Premium Rates Under Obamacare",2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 12, 2013 Crapo Leads Letter To Sebelius Requesting Premium Rates Under Obamacare Senate Finance Republicans join in asking HHS to provide transparent data Washington, D.C. - Idaho Republican Senator Mike Crapo, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, wrote U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius today, seeking detailed information about current and projected health insurance premium rates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or Obamacare.  The letter comes in response to Crapo's recent questioning of Secretary Sebelius at a Finance Committee hearing, during which the secretary could not deny that health insurance premiums are on the rise.  Crapo was joined on the letter by all other Senate Finance Republicans.    In the letter, the senators wrote, ""In a 2009 analysis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 'projected'family premiums would reach $15,200 in 2016, as opposed to $13,100 without PPACA.  During recent testimony before the Senate Finance Committee members, you [Sebelius] asserted that premium rates are 16 percent lower than the CBO projected rates for 2016.  However, more recent studies have consistently shown premiums for both individuals and families are skyrocketing.  Even more concerning is that current premium data does not fully reflect the law's mandates, some of which have yet to take effect.""   In an effort to perform proper oversight and gain a full understanding of the actual rates after enactment of PPACA, Crapo and other signers are requesting the following:   Ø  The average premium rates for individuals age 27, 40 and 64 years for the following categories: o   In each of the bronze, silver, and gold plans offered on the health care exchanges. o   The rates for these exchange-based plans before tax-payer funded subsidies. o   A breakdown of these rates for the 27 states participating in the federally-facilitated exchange, the 7 partnership marketplaces, and the 17 state-based marketplaces.  o   The rates for individuals who continue to receive employer based health insurance.   ""President Obama repeatedly promised premiums would go down by $2,500 for the average family,"" Crapo said.  ""As we now know, this is simply not the case.  Theadministration's continued efforts to further sell the president's signature health care law to the public by making misleading claims and comparisons is only hurting the American people.  In order to fully understand the serious impacts this law is having on our health care system and economy, it is essential we have updated and transparent information from the administration.  Weare simply requesting that the president and HHS be forthcoming with actual premium rate data post-enactment of Obamacare.""    ""Moreover, the health care law has increased taxes, forced millions of Americans from health insurance plans and doctors they had and liked, ballooned out-of-pocket expenses, cut Medicare services and undermined the employer-based health insurance market that so many families rely upon,"" Crapo added.    Background:   Ø  On November 6 th, 2013, Crapo along with other members of the Senate Finance Committee questioned HHS Secretary Sebelius about the rollout and implementation of PPACA.    Ø  Crapo challenged the secretary to further explain her claims that premiums in the individual market are going down.  Sebelius held that the rates are lower ""based on the CBO [Congressional Budget Office] projections,"" but Crapo noted those are the projections based on selective data and are inconsistent with recent studies.  Ultimately, the secretary would not confirm on the record that rates are going down, only that they are lower than previous ""projections.""  To watch video of this exchange, click here.    Ø  Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama repeatedly promised that his health care plan would bring down premiums by as much as $2,500 for the typical family.  As president, he continued to make this claim, even after studies demonstrated premium costs were on the rise.   Ø  An August 2013 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that annual premiums for employer-based health insurance for families would increase from $13,375 in 2009 to $16,351 in 2013.  Further, a recent Manhattan Institute for Policy Research study found that individual premium rates will increase, on average, by about 41 percent from their pre-PPACA levels.    The full text of the senators' letter is below:       December 12, 2013     The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Secretary U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20201     Dear Secretary Sebelius:   We write seeking detailed information about current and projected health insurance premium rates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).   Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama repeatedly promised that his health care plan would bring down premiums by as much as $2,500 for the typical family.  As president, he continued to make this claim, even after studies demonstrated premium costs were on the rise.  In a 2009 analysis, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ""projected"" family premiums would reach $15,200 in 2016, as opposed to $13,100 without PPACA.  During recent testimony before the Senate Finance Committee members, you asserted that premium rates are 16 percent lower than the CBO projected rates for 2016.    More recent studies have consistently shown premiums for both individuals and families are skyrocketing.  Even more concerning is that current premium data does not fully reflect the law's mandates, some of which have yet to take effect.  An August 2013 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that annual premiums for employer-based health insurance for families would increase from $13,375 in 2009 to $16,351 in 2013.  Further, a recent Manhattan Institute for Policy Research study found that individual premium rates will increase, on average, by about 41 percent from their pre-PPACA levels.    For Congress to conduct proper oversight of the implementation of PPACA, it is important that Congress and the public have detailed information about the monthly costs of health insurance premiums.  Therefore, we request your assistance in obtaining the actual rates after the October 1, 2013 enactment of PPACA.   •                     Please provide the average premium rates for individuals age 27, 40 and 64 years for the following categories: ·                     In each of the bronze, silver, and gold plans offered on the health care exchanges. ·                     The rates for these exchange-based plans before tax-payer funded subsidies. ·                     A breakdown of these rates for the 27 states participating in the federally-facilitated exchange, the 7 partnership marketplaces, and the 17 state-based marketplaces.  ·                     The rates for individuals who continue to receive employer based health insurance. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.   Sincerely,   Senator Mike Crapo Senator Orrin Hatch Senator Chuck Grassley Senator John Cornyn Senator Pat Roberts Senator Johnny Isakson Senator Richard Burr Senator Mike Enzi Senator John Thune",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349176,Crapo Statement on Mel Watt Vote,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 10, 2013 Crapo Statement on Mel Watt Vote Washington, D.C. - In a speech today on the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, announced that he could not support the nomination of Representative Melvin Watt to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), noting that the position requires an individual who is politically independent and possesses technical expertise. ""…[FHFA] is an independent agency with a highly complex task impacting our entire economy, and many Senators noted the need to avoid politics and emphasize technical expertise to fill this position. . . Rather than acknowledging the unique aspects of this job, the White House chose to ignore calls to emphasize technical expertise and political independence in their search.  As a result, their nominee failed to be confirmed by this body just a few weeks ago, yet again the White House failed to accept the advice of the Senate."" In his remarks, Crapo highlighted why the position is incredibly unique, provided examples of the complex technical and political decisions the director will face, and explained why the position is best suited for an apolitical technocrat.     Below is the text of Crapo's full speech delivered on the Senate Floor today:   Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to discuss the nomination of Representative Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA. Unfortunately, I cannot support this nomination and I must urge my colleagues not to support it either. I did not come to this decision lightly and I regret that we are placed in a situation where we cannot support a well-liked member of Congress. However, by making a highly political appointment, the president has ignored the importance that the head of the FHFA be independent and viewed as non-political. This is not a cabinet position where the nominee is supposed to be an advocate for the president. Instead this is an independent agency, with a highly complex task impacting our entire economy and it is for this reason that many Senators noted the need to avoid politics and emphasize technical expertise to fill this position. Regrettably, this did not occur and we stand here today with the Majority party apparently willing to confirm a political figure to this highly technical position. Worse yet, they appear ready to do it in a highly political manner that ignores decades of Senate rules and precedents. Representative Watt has had a long, distinguished career in the House of Representatives and in legal practice.? He is well-liked by his colleagues, regardless of whether they see eye-to-eye with him on the issues, and he has a tremendously compelling personal story. My opposition to this nomination has nothing to do with Representative Watt from a personal perspective. To the contrary, there are many positions within government to which Representative Watt could have easily been confirmed. In demonstration of that point, it is worth noting that most of the President's nominees to come through the Banking Committee have been confirmed with strong bipartisan votes, often with unanimous consent. In fact, four nominees who appeared at a nomination hearing with Representative Watt were all approved by voice vote. However, this position is distinctly unique within our government, thus our evaluation of any nominee requires additional scrutiny. The Director of the FHFA is conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which have operated under Federal control since they were taken over in 2008 because they didn't have enough capital to support expected losses. Since that conservatorship began, we have since seen the bill to American taxpayers rise to nearly $200 billion. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act, or HERA, established the FHFA and the rules of the conservatorship. It specifically grants the FHFA the power to operate Fannie and Freddie ""with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors, and the officers"" so long as they remain in conservatorship. FHFA's conservatorship of Fannie and Freddie triggered these broad powers, and the Director of FHFA, now stands alone as regulator, top executive and shareholder of Fannie and Freddie and their combined five trillion dollar portfolios. Because of this immense power vested in the Director of FHFA, it is a position that requires an in-depth knowledge of and experience with numerous aspects of the housing and mortgage industries. The statute explicitly requires that, at a minimum, any nominee: ""have a demonstrated understanding of financial management or oversight, and have a demonstrated understanding of capital markets, including the mortgage securities markets and housing finance."" Additionally, to be successful, it is logical that any nominee should also have knowledge of, and experience with: investment portfolios; the operations of both public and private insurance and guarantees; and the management skills necessary to oversee the nearly 12,000 employees employed by both entities. Since this position has virtually unchecked power to control two multi-trillion dollar companies, and because the companies control so much of our mortgage-backed securities market, the FHFA Director's decisions will have a tremendous impact in our housing market, and collaterally on the global market. If we are to give anyone with this much power, we must know for certain he has the experience to know the right choices and the political independence to make those choices, even if they are unpopular. One reason this is so important is the impact on the taxpayer. Even a few basis points of losses could mean billions in the context of multi-trillion dollar companies.  And that would be on top of the nearly $200 billion that taxpayers have already shouldered. With those unique risks in mind, FHFA has taken great strides during the conservatorship to shore up the business practices of Fannie and Freddie. Underwriting standards have been tightened, portfolio holdings have been reduced, guarantee fees have increased, and risk is being gradually transferred from the taxpayers and into the private sector. With these changes, Fannie's and Freddie's revenues have increased, their risks have decreased and, for now, they have regained a certain amount of profitability. This current profitability creates its own set of challenges and questions, but one thing is certain: any return to the policies of the past, whether with social goals in mind, or merely by mistake due to a lack of technical experience, could expose the taxpayer to immense risk. In addition to the risks associated with their current operations, the Director will also have a substantial impact on the prospects of the success of these reforms. While Congress and the White House will determine how to reform and strengthen our housing finance system, we need to be able to rely upon the Director of the FHFA for advice and guidance as we proceed. For this to work effectively, the FHFA Director will need to be seen as a technical expert, who is not viewed as a political advocate for the president. Throughout his career, the Director of the FHFA must have gained the experience and the required expertise to understand how any proposed changes would or would not work, how they would impact access to mortgages while protecting taxpayers from losses, and how it would affect our housing market as a whole. The Director of the FHFA must have the market experience to understand how any proposed changes would or would not work; how they would impact access to mortgages while protecting taxpayers from losses; and how it would affect our housing market as a whole. One example: there is a lot of interest in developing markets in a manner to ensure that there is adequate private capital taking the first-loss to protect the taxpayer, if there is to be some sort of government guarantee in the future. Some proposals call for the development of various private sector risk-sharing mechanisms including: senior-subordinated deal structures, credit-linked structures, and regulated bond guarantors. Many are looking at what the FHFA has already begun working toward as a test for the viability of capital markets risk-sharing transactions. These risk transfer deals-known within Freddie as the STACR deal, and within Fannie as the NMI and C-Deals-are important examples of how private capital can partake in this market at a higher level. They are also critical examples of why the FHFA Director must have deep and sound understanding of the demands of capital market investors. In constructing and monitoring these deals, we need to know that decisions in how to balance the necessity of encouraging private capital, with the protection of the taxpayers, are being made based upon effective market analysis, absent the political preferences of one individual. Another important aspect of the transition will be development of the Common Securitization Platform. FHFA has noted that the GSEs' infrastructures are ineffective when it comes to adapting to market changes, issuing securities that attract private capital, aggregating data, or lowering barriers to market entry. As such, there must be an updating and continued maintenance of the enterprises' securitization infrastructure. This is an incredibly complex undertaking that will take years to develop, but is an essential component of most reform proposals. Because of this, it is incredibly important that the Director, on day one, has the technical expertise to establish this potential utility similar to ones used in securities markets. All of us are currently witnessing the consequences of political people leading technical platform development as we watch the continued failures of the rollout for Obamacare. We cannot afford the same mistakes in the context of our five trillion dollar mortgage market. The management of Fannie's and Freddie's current assets is another essential component of the Director's task, for many reasons, both currently and in the future. When Congress passed HERA authorizing the FHFA Director to appoint the agency conservator of the GSEs, it authorized FHFA to put the GSEs in ""a sound and solvent condition"" and to ""preserve and conserve the assets and properties"" of the GSEs.  Congress very specifically intended that the assets of Fannie and Freddie be managed in such a way to maximize payments to the Treasury in exchange for bailing out the GSEs in 2008 and to maximize their value in whatever system is designed for the future. Acting Director DeMarco has done a commendable job fulfilling this task. However, some believe that other statutory provisions trump this mandate and advocate using the GSEs in manners that they believe would achieve other policy goals.  Representative Watt noted at his confirmation that, if confirmed, he would decide whether there is sufficient capital to fund various social programs.  In order to ensure the taxpayers are made whole and to best position the secondary market for reform, we cannot afford the FHFA Director to make any decisions that do not first prioritize the preservation and conservation of taxpayer assets.  So long as Fannie and Freddie are in conservatorship, profits accumulated by the GSEs should not be used to fund social programs. Additionally, we cannot return to any of the policies that contributed to the housing crisis--such as further pressing the GSEs' affordable housing goals. Decisions affecting social housing policies should be made through Congressional action on housing financing reform. One final, yet incredibly important element of the unique qualifications is regulatory interaction. In a new housing finance system, the already complex web of regulatory interaction between various federal banking regulators and federal and state regulators becomes further muddled. State insurance regulators and state banking supervisors must communicate effectively with federal counterparts. As this system is being built, the FHFA must coordinate effectively with prudential banking regulators and the CFPB to make sure we are not bogging down our economy with duplicative regulation. To accomplish this, the Director, needs to not only have an understanding that is built of highly technical expertise, but this person must be seen by other regulators as acting without political intent. For all of these reasons, and many more, the conservator must be an apolitical financial regulator with technical expertise who will resist political pressure from all sides of the political spectrum. Joseph Smith, the last nominee for this position, failed to win confirmation by the Senate because of concerns over whether he was independent enough.  At the time of Representative Watt's nomination, the White House was fully aware that these concerns have only been heightened since then. In the wake of repeated attempts by outside political groups and individuals to influence the decisions of the conservator, and in view of the countless complex decisions-of which I have only mentioned a few-numerous Senators repeatedly called for a ""technocrat"" rather than a political figure. However, rather than acknowledging the unique aspects of this job, the White House chose to ignore calls to emphasize technical expertise and political independence in their search. As a result, their nominee failed to be confirmed by this body just a few weeks ago, yet again the White House failed to accept the advice of the Senate. Instead, this time the White House and Democrats in the U.S. Senate, chose to break the rules of this body so that they could push through Representative Watt and other nominees with a partisan vote. I am disappointed with the White House and those in the Senate who supported this rewrite of our rules and at some point we will all likely be disappointed that these are the rules of this body moving forward.  However, I continue to be opposed to this nomination and urge my colleagues to vote ""no."" Thank you, Mr. President.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=349178,Wildfire Coalition Grows In Senate,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"December 10, 2013 Wildfire Coalition Grows In Senate Bipartisan group calls for proactive changes to stop deadly, devastating fires Washington, D.C. - The number of U.S. Senators calling for proactive changes in the way federal agencies are able to fight and prevent catastrophic wildfires is growing on Capitol Hill, becoming more bipartisan and regionally diverse.  Last summer, Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) for an event at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise to push for reforms in the way agencies like the U.S. Forest and Bureau of Land Management fight and prevent such fires.  The new effort comes as wildfires killed 92 firefighters alone this past year, according to FEMA.  Nearly two million acres burned across the country this past year, according to NIFC, which listed the costs of fire suppression at nearly $2 billion per year in 2011 and 2012. ""The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management face a dire situation due to the growth of wildfire suppression spending which has disrupted the already strained budget for forest management,"" the 17 senators wrote in a new, bipartisan letter to the Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  ""We appreciate the Committee's renewed focus on addressing the root cause of these economic and social hardships through reform of the National Forest System intended to increase the pace and scale of forest management, including timber harvest,"" the senators noted, also noting how the extension of the Secure Rural Schools program for an additional year assists county governments surrounded by federal lands exempt from property taxes. Crapo and Risch note the expansion of senators pushing for proactive management reforms to reduce the risk of fires can both protect lives and improve the economy.  In addition to Crapo and Risch, the bipartisan list of senators signing the letter includes:  Senators Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas), Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Max Baucus (D-Montana), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Mike Lee (R-Utah), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Jon Tester (D-Montana). Crapo and Senator Mike Bennet (D-Colorado) have also urged their colleagues to push FEMA to use a greater share of its mitigation funding to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the coming years. A copy of the most recent fire letter can be found here.                Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=852,"ADVISORY: Conversations with Conservatives, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11, 11 am-12 pm ET",2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"Date:Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM ET Location: Rayburn 2226 Who: National and District News Media, including Bloggers Conversations with Conservativesis a group of free market and liberty-minded members of Congress that meets monthly with traditional press and bloggers to discuss the most important issues of the day.  Chaired by Representatives Raúl Labrador (ID-01), Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), and Jim Jordan (OH-04), each meeting features different conservative members of Congress who share their ideas and field questions from the media.  While questions are not limited to particular topics, Members are expected to discuss the budget, Obamacare, and other key issues. Participating Members at the December 2013 session ofConversations with Conservativesinclude: Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01), Rep. Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Rep. Andy Harris (MD-01), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11), and Rep. Mick Mulvaney (SC-05).  Additional participants may be announced. Those who wish to view the event remotely may do so via http://www.ustream.tv/channel/conversations-with-conservatives.  Viewers may also participate in the conversation on Twitter (tweet to @conversations using #CWC113). The event will be moderated by Rob Bluey of The Heritage Foundation.  Lunch will be provided for members of the news media. For more information, contact: ·         Todd Winer (Labrador): (202) 225-6611 or todd.winer@mail.house.gov. ·         Jamie Jackson (Huelskamp): (202) 225-2715 or jamie.jackson@mail.house.gov. ·         Meghan Snyder (Jordan): (202) 225-2676 or meghan.snyder@mail.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=106c37d4-e003-4c96-81a5-29279503c1f4,"Crapo, Risch Work to Ease Burdens for Farmers",2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – The Thanksgiving meal provides a good reminder of the hard work by America’s farmers and ranchers to provide safe and affordable food.  Unfortunately, according to a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators, the increasing amount of burdensome regulations from Washington are putting unneeded stress on these producers and processors.  Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have joined in a bicameral letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting that the FDA propose and submit a second set of proposed rules for public comment before issuing final rules in compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.  Previously, the FDA extended the comment period on the proposed rules to November 15, 2013.  Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) are leading the letter co-signed by Crapo and Risch. “After hearing many reservations from our farmers and businesses, we are concerned that the rules as currently proposed, and the heavy cost of complying with them, will force some producers and processors to shutter their operations,” wrote the Members of Congress.  “Idaho’s agriculture community, like agriculture producers across the country, are speaking out against the negative effects and costs the proposed FDA rules will have on small and mid-sized farmers,” said Crapo.  “Not only will these new regulations greatly affect Idaho’s agricultural community, but consumers will see higher prices as a result of the drop in food production.  I support ensuring the safety of our food supply, but we must be reasonable in our approach and ensure that any needed remedies are tailored to properly address the problem.” “It is unfortunate that the FDA is working to find a solution to a problem that they themselves have created.  These proposed rules will create needless additional burden and costs at a time when we should do more to assist the agricultural industry in keeping our food supply safe and affordable for all Americans,"" said Risch. Crapo and Risch recently offered the Stopping Costly Regulations Against Produce (SCRAP) Act as an amendment to the Senate version of the Farm Bill.  The SCRAP Act would have defunded the FDA’s proposed fresh produce rule, which producers say lacks common sense and is completely unworkable.  Unfortunately, the amendment was not allowed a vote during consideration of the bill.  Congressman Dr. Dan Benishek (R-Michigan) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. On January 4, 2013, the FDA issued a proposed rule for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh produce.  Among its requirements, the proposed rule would require weekly testing of all agricultural water at a cost of $35 to $40 per week.  If levels of coliform bacteria exceed the FDA’s stringent standard, the farmer must cease irrigation until the water is in compliance, running a high risk of ruining a crop.  The FDA estimates that the cost of implementation will cost a producer approximately $5,000 to $30,600 per farm, depending on size, with a total industry cost of $460 million. The rule was created pursuant to the 2011 enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was driven by concerns with high profile incidents of food contamination.  To read the full text of the letter, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348131,"Crapo, Risch Work to Ease Burdens for Farmers",2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 26, 2013 Crapo, Risch Work to Ease Burdens for Farmers Senators ask FDA to submit second proposed rules for public comment; Still pushing for a vote on the SCRAP Act Washington, D.C. - The Thanksgiving meal provides a good reminder of the hard work by America's farmers and ranchers to provide safe and affordable food.  Unfortunately, according to a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators, the increasing amount of burdensome regulations from Washington are putting unneeded stress on these producers and processors.  Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have joined in a bicameral letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting that the FDA propose and submit a second set of proposed rules for public comment before issuing final rules in compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.  Previously, the FDA extended the comment period on the proposed rules to November 15, 2013.  Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) are leading the letter co-signed by Crapo and Risch. ""After hearing many reservations from our farmers and businesses, we are concerned that the rules as currently proposed, and the heavy cost of complying with them, will force some producers and processors to shutter their operations,"" wrote the Members of Congress.  ""Idaho's agriculture community, like agriculture producers across the country, are speaking out against the negative effects and costs the proposed FDA rules will have on small and mid-sized farmers,"" said Crapo.  ""Not only will these new regulations greatly affect Idaho's agricultural community, but consumers will see higher prices as a result of the drop in food production.  I support ensuring the safety of our food supply, but we must be reasonable in our approach and ensure that any needed remedies are tailored to properly address the problem."" ""It is unfortunate that the FDA is working to find a solution to a problem that they themselves have created.  These proposed rules will create needless additional burden and costs at a time when we should do more to assist the agricultural industry in keeping our food supply safe and affordable for all Americans,"" said Risch. Crapo and Risch recently offered the Stopping Costly Regulations Against Produce (SCRAP) Act as an amendment to the Senate version of the Farm Bill.  The SCRAP Act would have defunded the FDA's proposed fresh produce rule, which producers say lacks common sense and is completely unworkable.  Unfortunately, the amendment was not allowed a vote during consideration of the bill.  Congressman Dr. Dan Benishek (R-Michigan) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. On January 4, 2013, the FDA issued a proposed rule for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh produce.  Among its requirements, the proposed rule would require weekly testing of all agricultural water at a cost of $35 to $40 per week.  If levels of coliform bacteria exceed the FDA's stringent standard, the farmer must cease irrigation until the water is in compliance, running a high risk of ruining a crop.  The FDA estimates that the cost of implementation will cost a producer approximately $5,000 to $30,600 per farm, depending on size, with a total industry cost of $460 million. The rule was created pursuant to the 2011 enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was driven by concerns with high profile incidents of food contamination.  To read the full text of the letter, click here.   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362831,Simpson to FDA: Listen to Farmers on Food Safety,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"“Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released more than 1,236 pages of new regulations governing the growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fresh produce.  While it is of utmost importance to preserve the safety of the U.S. food supply, I am concerned about the scientific necessity of this rule and the economic impact that it would have on growers in Idaho. “The proposed rule, Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, was released by the FDA in January.  This rule stems from the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which I opposed, but was signed into law in January 2011.  It directed the FDA to further develop mandatory food safety and traceability requirements, which would affect farmers, packers, and processors of both domestically produced and imported products.  Specifically, the rule would apply to any produce that could be consumed raw and would affect any agricultural water that could come into contact with that produce. “The FDA estimates that this rule will cost growers between $5,000 to $30,000 per farm a year—or $460 million a year.  The FDA’s goal of protecting food safety will be undermined if growers do not have the ability to implement procedures or are forced out of business. “In an effort to prevent devastating new regulations on growers of specialty crops, Representative Greg Walden and I led a July meeting with top officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to convey concerns we have heard from Idaho and Oregon onion farmers and fruit growers about the proposed new irrigation water quality rule that could cripple farms across the country.  As a result of this meeting, an FDA delegation visited Idaho, Oregon and Washington State in August to hear from growers about their specific concerns with the rule firsthand. “I have not seen sufficient evidence that implementing the proposed rule would provide its intended benefit.  For instance, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have linked E. coli cases to leafy greens, like lettuce and spinach, there are no posted cases linked to dry bulb onions, which are grown in Idaho. A recent study by an Oregon State University scientist concluded that there is no risk of E. coli contamination from dry onion bulbs.  This illustrates why the rule needs to be commodity-specific and risk-based.  I will continue to emphasize that the FDA shouldn’t impose restrictions on agricultural water that are not viable for Idaho farmers. “The farm bill which passed the House of Representatives on July 11, with my support, included an amendment by Representative Benishek (R-MI) requiring a scientific and economic analysis of the FDA's Food Safety and Modernization Act prior to enforcement of final regulations.  Earlier this month, I joined six colleagues in a letter to the farm bill conference committee urging the conferees to include language in the final bill that would require new federal rules to be based on the best available science and include a study of possible economic impacts. “With an Administration that issues an abundance of rules and regulations for all industry, it is especially important for the FDA to utilize input from producers and industry experts to achieve effective and sensible crop-specific methods to ensure food safety.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362485,Risch and Simpson Praise Passage of Simpson’s Water Bill in Senate Committee,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"H.R. 876 would allow Forest Service to authorize existing water diversions in Idaho wilderness share: f t Today a bill authored by Congressman Mike Simpson to permit existing water diversions in Idaho wilderness areas was passed by the Senate committee with jurisdiction on the issue.  The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, of which Senator Jim Risch is a member, passed H.R. 876, the Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act, by voice vote.  “Predating the existence of the wilderness areas, private land owners had received permits to maintain and repair water diversions that existed on national forest system lands,” said Risch.  “Many of the permits have since expired leaving those who own the water diversions without options for maintaining their water systems. This legislation would protect these private property rights and give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to reissue and issue special use authorizations to the owners of these diversion facilities within the Frank Church and the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness areas.” There are a number of water diversions in both the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness areas that have existed since before the wilderness areas were established.  Simpson’s bill would allow the U.S. Forest Service to issue special use permits to owners of water systems, authority that it currently lacks. “These water diversions already existed when the area was designated as wilderness,” said Simpson.  “The owners of these facilities already hold a valid water right under Idaho’s law, and they’ve been using the diversion to provide water on their own land since before the wilderness designation.  This bill goes back and provides the appropriate authorization that the wilderness acts overlooked, giving private land owners the ability to properly maintain and repair these diversions.” Simpson added, “At some point in the future, all of these 25 existing diversions will need work done to ensure their integrity, and H.R. 876 will allow needed work to begin without delay.  I’m pleased that it has moved another step in the legislative process today, and I look forward to it being passed by the Senate and signed into law.” H.R. 876 now awaits consideration on the floor of the U.S. Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221123934/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=b8314767-eaf3-4fdd-b1b2-4315eb19c93a,Risch and Simpson Praise Passage of Simpson's Water Bill in Senate Committee,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - Today a bill authored by Congressman Mike Simpson to permit existing water diversions in Idaho wilderness areas was passed by the Senate committee with jurisdiction on the issue.  The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, of which Senator Jim Risch is a member, passed H.R. 876, the Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act, by voice vote.  “Predating the existence of the wilderness areas, private land owners had received permits to maintain and repair water diversions that existed on national forest system lands,” said Risch.  “Many of the permits have since expired leaving those who own the water diversions without options for maintaining their water systems. This legislation would protect these private property rights and give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to reissue and issue special use authorizations to the owners of these diversion facilities within the Frank Church and the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness areas.” There are a number of water diversions in both the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness areas that have existed since before the wilderness areas were established.  Simpson’s bill would allow the U.S. Forest Service to issue special use permits to owners of water systems, authority that it currently lacks. “These water diversions already existed when the area was designated as wilderness,” said Simpson.  “The owners of these facilities already hold a valid water right under Idaho’s law, and they’ve been using the diversion to provide water on their own land since before the wilderness designation.  This bill goes back and provides the appropriate authorization that the wilderness acts overlooked, giving private land owners the ability to properly maintain and repair these diversions.” Simpson added, “At some point in the future, all of these 25 existing diversions will need work done to ensure their integrity, and H.R. 876 will allow needed work to begin without delay.  I’m pleased that it has moved another step in the legislative process today, and I look forward to it being passed by the Senate and signed into law.” H.R. 876 now awaits consideration on the floor of the U.S. Senate. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221153344/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=83c498a2-0318-4365-84e9-58cd75426f4f,Risch Names WestOne Logistics as Small Business of the Month,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Risch has named WestOne Logistics as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for November in recognition of their tremendous efforts and years of success.  The company will be recognized in the Congressional Record of the United States Senate. “I am pleased to recognize WestOne Logistics as an outstanding small business.  This is a company that epitomizes the entrepreneurial spirit of Idaho,” said Risch. “A woman-owned, family business, Kendra Keim has grown this logistics and relocation service company from a handful of family members with a single truck to a thriving business growing over 200 percent in revenue in just five short years.  I congratulate Ms. Keim and everyone at WestOne Logistics on their success and wish them the very best in the future.” Started in 2005, WestOne Logistics has expanded to provide essential services to a broad range of companies in the Idaho Falls region.  This company focuses on providing a superior customer experience and specialized logistical services and has steadily grown and expanded since its founding.  This entrepreneurial drive and hard work are characteristics of the small business owners in Idaho.  Senator Risch is the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.  The committee oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to entrepreneurship and provides oversight of the Small Business Administration.  They also research, investigate and report all problems relating to American’s small businesses to the full Senate. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221153354/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=88820d06-2766-4684-8729-dd7f001e7be3,Risch Statement on Senate Democrats' Rule Change,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement regarding Senate Democrats’ changing of Senate rules for confirming executive and judicial nominees today in the United States Senate: “Our founding fathers engineered a government where it was not easy to move legislation forward.  These difficulties were designed to ensure differences were recognized and compromises would be necessary. This design makes us stronger, not weaker. Unfortunately, Senator Reid and his colleagues believe the ends justify the means and are willing to sacrifice our constitutional traditions in pursuit of expediency. “While these changes, which took place today in the United States Senate, apply only to judicial and executive nominations, I believe going forward that Senator Reid will attempt to apply this to all legislative business of the Senate.   Today’s rule changes will have far ranging implications for the United States Senate and our democracy.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348102,"An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Crapo, Bennet Introduce Amendment to Increase Resources for Wildfire Mitigation",2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 21, 2013 An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Crapo, Bennet Introduce Amendment to Increase Resources for Wildfire Mitigation Amendment Would Reduce Future Recovery Costs with Pre-Disaster Mitigation Competitive Grants Washington, D.C. - According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO),  every $1 in fire mitigation funding saves $5 in future losses.  To take advantage of these potential savings, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) have filed their  Prepare, Ready, Equip, and Prevent Areas at-Risk of Emergency (PREPARE) Wildfires Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which the Senate is currently considering. Introduced in August, the deficit-neutral PREPARE Act would create a competitive grants program to provide targeted investments  to state and local officials  for mitigation and preparedness  projects.  The pilot program would be part of FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation fund.  ""Despite this year's fire season coming to a close, Senator Bennet and I are moving forward to help mitigate and prepare for the 2014 fire season and beyond,"" Crapo said.  ""Instead of waiting until more towns are evacuated, homes threatened and our firefighters lives put at risk, the U.S. Senate has an opportunity to pass the PREPARE Act amendment to help states like Idaho reduce and prevent catastrophic fires.  Analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows that fire mitigation projects financed through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program yield some of the greatest returns in preventing future losses when compared to mitigation activities for other natural disasters.  Promoting a program that delivers positive, measurable results is a commonsense approach to reducing future threats posed by wildfires.""  ""An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  By directing more resources toward fire mitigation on the front-end, we can not only help prevent and reduce the severity of future disasters, we can also save millions of dollars in recovery costs in the long-run,"" Bennet said. ""Large devastating fires are unfortunately becoming a fact of life for Coloradans and others throughout the west, and we need to ensure that states are adequately equipped to face this threat.  This common-sense bill does that."" The PREPARE Act: Would provide $20-$30 million per year for a five-year wildfire mitigation pilot program FEMA would carry out the program in consultation with the U.S. Forest Service States and local governments would provide matching funds, leveraging federal dollars for maximum efficiency.  Recognizing the reality that wildfires don't respect jurisdictional boundaries, local officials would be able to use the mitigation dollars for priority projects on federal, state, or private land. Background on Senators Bennet and Crapo's work on wildfire issues: This year Bennet and Crapo teamed up to  secure a provision in the Senate Homeland Security appropriations directing FEMA to detail its efforts to mitigate wildfires and identify any funding obstacles for current mitigation programs. Bennet has worked tirelessly to attract critical federal resources to help combat wildfires and mitigate their effects.  Earlier this month, he  chaired a Senate subcommittee hearing on the importance of allocating mitigation resources up front to prevent the risk of destructive wildfires and reduce the cost of fighting them in the long run.  Bennet has also called for the  modernization  of our air tanker fleet to fight wildfires, led efforts to  secure Emergency Watershed Protection resources to help Colorado communities recover from last year's Waldo Canyon and High Park fires, and  authored key forest health and wildfire prevention provisions in the Senate Farm Bill. He also led efforts to bring federal assistance to Colorado following last year's High Park and Waldo Canyon fires.  Throughout his career in Congress, Crapo has worked to reduce the risk and severity of large-scale wildfires.  In the U.S. Senate in particular, Crapo helped enact legislation, including the Healthy Forest Restoration Act and the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Act, that have provided land managers with more tools to counter unhealthy conditions in our nation's forests and other lands to reduce the fire threat.  Crapo recently joined a bipartisan group of senators in urging President Obama not to reduce timber sales on Forest Service lands, as he called for in his 2014 budget.  The letter stressed the serious consequences reductions could have on communities across the nation and the need for increased timber harvests to help mitigate raging wildfires and help create jobs in our forests. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348109,Crapo Office Travels to Cascade,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 21, 2013 Crapo Office Travels to Cascade Senatorâ??s staff plans remote office hours Cascade - A representative of Idaho Senator Mike Crapo's office will visit Valley County on December 4, to continue a rotation of remote office hours on behalf of the Senator across the state.    Crapo's Regional Director Bryan Ricker has visited constituents in a number of southwest cities and counties this past year.  Early next month, Ricker will be in Cascade to assist Idahoans with any questions or problems related to federal agencies or with problems regarding federal programs.   Crapo Remote Office Hours schedule: Wednesday, December 4: Cascade      Valley County Courthouse, Commissioner's Room, 219 N. Main Street,   3:00 PM - 6:00 PM     Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362388,Simpson Supports Bill to Improve American Energy Security,2013-11-20,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Simpson Supports Bill to Improve American Energy Security House passes bill to increase domestic energy production f t # e Washington, November 20, 2013 Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported legislation to expand onshore domestic energy production by establishing an efficient and responsible process for producing energy on federal lands.  H.R. 1965, the Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act of 2013, aims to reverse recent declines in domestic oil and natural gas production on federal lands, creating jobs and moving our nation closer to energy independence.  The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 228-192. “Achieving energy independence must be one of the top priorities for Congress.  The issue directly impacts our economy and our national security; it is not in our best interest to depend on other nations for sources of energy,” said Simpson.  “Energy production on federal lands—both renewable and conventional—makes up an important part of our domestic energy portfolio.  Unfortunately, since President Obama took office in 2009, oil production on federal land has dropped 7.8%, and natural gas production has gone down 21%.  Our current policies have us pointed in the wrong direction.  Thankfully, H.R. 1965 helps to put us back on course.” H.R. 1965 would: Strengthen domestic energy security by requiring the Secretary of Interior to develop and implement a comprehensive all-of-the-above energy plan; Reform the leasing process for onshore oil and gas projects to encourage timely and responsible permitting of onshore energy projects; Create jobs and expand domestic energy production by encouraging development of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska; Modernize the bidding process for federal onshore oil and gas leases by allowing the BLM to conduct Internet-based auctions; and Enable Native American tribes to develop energy resources on their own land. H.R. 1965 is now under consideration by the U.S. Senate.   f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221124544/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=d8bd0fda-34af-4ac0-a4cb-3c5a02bda8a5,"Risch, Alexander, Rubio, McConnell Introduce Bill to Protect Health Insurance Plans of Millions of Americans",2013-11-20,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 – Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) today introduced a bill that would protect the right of employers to provide insurance to employees through self-insurance plans. Today, 100 million Americans receive health insurance through employers or labor unions that self-insure, meaning they pay employee health costs directly. Many companies that self-insure as a means of providing insurance also purchase “stop-loss insurance,” which protects them against an outsized medical claim that would cause financial damage. In an effort to force these businesses to stop self-insuring and push more Americans into the Obamacare exchanges, the Obama administration has signaled interest in ending stop-loss insurance as it exists now.  “President Obama promised the American people time and time again that if they liked their current health insurance plan they could keep it,” said Risch.  “That promise was false; the proposal greatly changes millions of middle class Americans’ plans. This legislation preserves small employers’ and individuals’ ability to make their own insurance choices, allowing them to keep their important stop loss coverage.” Alexander, the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, said: “Any effort by the Obama administration to change the rules on companies that self-insure will break the president’s promise to millions more hardworking Americans. No matter if they like their employer’s health care plans, many won’t be able to keep them.” “For millions of employees in small and mid-sized businesses, keeping the health insurance they’re happy with means keeping their self-insurance health plans.  Unfortunately, the President could end up breaking his promise to these employees by ending these self-insurance plans and forcing these employees to find new ones,” said Rubio.  “Small and mid-sized employers should have the freedom to continue offering their employees the self-insurance health plans they are happy with.  That’s all this bill does.” McConnell said: “Millions of Americans are living with the consequences of the President’s broken promises on Obamacare. In their zeal to defend their failing bureaucracy, the Obama administration must not break its promises to the millions of Americans who work at businesses that self-insure by preventing them from keeping the coverage they have and like.” The Self-Insurance Protection Act (SIPA) ensures that employers are able to continue to provide quality health benefits to their employees through self-insured group health plans. The bill is cosponsored by Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). Employers offering health insurance to their employees are increasingly choosing to self-insure, meaning they directly pay their employees’ healthcare costs. This is true for all types of employers, including corporations, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. Sixty one percent of the commercial health insurance market is self-insured—a figure that has been growing steadily over three decades. Self-insurance provides employers with the flexibility to customize their employee health benefits to best meet the specific needs of their workforce. Self-insurance also helps control costs because employers can more directly manage benefits such as wellness programs that save money and make people healthier.  Stop-loss insurance is a form of financial reinsurance that protects employers who pay health care costs directly from large claims that would cause financial hardship. The Obama administration has signaled interest in reclassifying this as health insurance, requiring it to meet all the requirements of health insurance policies under federal law, a move that could eliminate this as a tool for mitigating employers’ risk. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362236,Simpson Introduces Legislation to Provide Idaho a Third District Judge,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has introduced legislation, H.R. 3457, to add a judge to Idaho’s federal court system, which has a ballooning caseload and just two U.S. district judges. Simpson’s legislation directs the appointment of a third district judge in Idaho. “It is far past time for Idaho to get a third district judge and the bill I have introduced will provide the additional judge that our state needs,” said Simpson. “I recently met with Idaho’s federal judges and heard directly from them about the serious impact budget cuts, sequester, and the lack of an additional judge are having on the federal courts in Idaho. While I am fully cognizant of the budget crisis facing our country, I share the judges' concerns about delays in the administration of justice and the impact that has on the Constitutional role of the courts.” As Idaho’s population has grown, so has the number of court cases.  Between 2007 and 2013 the District of Idaho has experienced a 26% increase in total filings and pending caseloads have increased 30%.  Idaho has a heavier caseload than other rural states that already have three federal district judges (Alaska, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming).  The challenge of an overloaded court is further compounded by the budget shortages, further impacting the court’s ability to function properly and serve Idahoans. “For years I’ve advocated adding a new judge in Idaho because we need it as much as anywhere in the country,” said Simpson.  “Idahoans deserve access to an efficient court system, and this bill would do much to ensure their continued access to it.” Simpson and former Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick introduced similar legislation in 2010.  It has been 59 years since the number of district judges in Idaho has been increased.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348087,Crapo Joins Effort To Ensure Troop Readiness Maintained With A-10’s,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 19, 2013 Crapo Joins Effort To Ensure Troop Readiness Maintained With A-10â??s Bipartisan amendment would prevent premature divestment of A-10 Thunderbolt II that could create close air support capability gap Washington, D.C. - As the U.S. Senate begins work on the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, for Fiscal Year 2014, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has joined Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) to introduce an amendment aimed at preventing the Air Force from prematurely retiring the A-10 Thunderbolt II.  The senators amendment would prevent the Air Force from retiring any additional A-10s until the Air Force certifies that it has a sufficient number of fully operationally capable F-35As to replace the retiring A-10s and to meet combatant commander close air support requirements.  The amendment also requires the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to verify the Air Force's certification.  The Senators are concerned that a premature divestment of the A-10 Thunderbolt II by the Air Force would create a dangerous close air support capability gap that could unnecessarily endanger American service members in future conflicts. ""While the Air Force confronts difficult budget decisions, we believe the Air Force must protect programs that are central to our nation's combat readiness, as well as the safety of our service members in harm's way,"" said Crapo, Ayotte, Blunt and McCaskill in a joint statement.  ""When our ground forces call for help, our nation must be prepared to answer and to provide the best possible close air support.  A premature divestment of the A-10 before its replacement has achieved full operational capability would put our troops at increased risk, and we are not prepared to accept increased risk for our soldiers and marines because of a potential misallocation of budget cuts."" Crapo added, ""The Idaho Air National Guard at Gowen Field is the proud home to an A-10 mission.  A decision to prematurely divest the A-10's would increase risk to our national security and would have a significant impact on the future of Idaho's Air Guard.  Finding ways to achieve savings across government agencies, including defense, must remain a priority.  However, our fiscal climate should not be an excuse that agencies hide behind to avoid justifying the decision-making process, particularly when such decisions may have detrimental impacts on our readiness.  The GAO report required by this amendment would help ensure that the decision-making process is guided by our country's national security requirements and not primarily for political or short-term gains."" The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) endorsed the amendment, authored by Senators Ayotte and Blunt, on Monday saying, ""Senator Ayotte and Senator Blunt are right on target,"" said retired Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the NGAUS president.  ""For years, our ground troops have enjoyed the world's best close-air-support aircraft.  It has allowed them to accomplish their missions and return home safely.  Anything less should be unacceptable to a nation that supports its troops. We urge senators to co-sponsor and support the Ayotte-Blunt Close Air Support amendment (#2063)."" Crapo, last week joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of U.S. Senators and Members of Congress in sendinga letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, expressing similar concerns regarding the potential divestment of the A-10. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on November 7, General Raymond Odierno, the Army Chief of Staff, testified, ""The A-10 is the best close air support platform we have today…it's performed incredibly well in Iraq and Afghanistan.""  Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348091,Crapo Attends White House Meeting on Iran Sanctions,2013-11-19,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 19, 2013 Crapo Attends White House Meeting on Iran Sanctions Says U.S. must not lose leverage in negotiations Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, the top Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today attended a meeting at the White House led by President Obama to discuss steps the administration is taking concerning international negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.  Leaders from the Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over sanctions, as well as the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, met with President Obama and chief administration negotiators one day before diplomats are scheduled to begin another round of talks regarding the future of Iran's nuclear program.  During the two-hour meeting, issues and concerns from all perspectives were thoroughly discussed. ""Sanctions are clearly working and brought Iran to the negotiating table, and we must maintain our leverage moving forward,"" Crapo said.  ""I continue to be concerned with Iran's nuclear enrichment program and how it will be dismantled.  The consequences of this decision and the resultant negotiations are enormous.  The U.S. must maintain existing sanctions pressure until Iran takes concrete, verifiable steps on enrichment and any related ballistic missile programs."" Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=847,"ADVISORY: Conversations with Conservatives, TUESDAY, Nov. 19, 11:30 am-12:30 pm ET",2013-11-18,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"Date:Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Time: 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET Location: Heritage Foundation, 227 Pennsylvania Ave. SE Who: National and District News Media, including Bloggers Conversations with Conservativesis a group of free market and liberty-minded members of Congress that meets monthly with traditional press and bloggers to discuss the most important issues of the day.  Chaired by Representatives Raúl Labrador (ID-01), Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), and Jim Jordan (OH-04), each meeting features different conservative members of Congress who share their ideas and field questions from the media.  While questions are not limited to particular topics, Members are expected to discuss Obamacare, the budget, immigration, Iran, and other issues! Participating Members at the October 2013 session ofConversations with Conservativesinclude: Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01), Rep. Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Rep. Justin Amash (MI-03), and Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03).  Additional participants may be announced. Those who wish to view the event remotely may do so via http://www.ustream.tv/channel/conversations-with-conservatives.  Viewers may also participate in the conversation on Twitter (tweet to @conversations using #CWC113). The event will be moderated by Mike Gonzalez of The Heritage Foundation.  Lunch will be provided for members of the news media. For more information, contact: ·         Todd Winer (Labrador): (202) 225-6611 or todd.winer@mail.house.gov. ·         Jamie Jackson (Huelskamp): (202) 225-2715 or jamie.jackson@mail.house.gov. ·         Meghan Snyder (Jordan): (202) 225-2676 or meghan.snyder@mail.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=1d8b9632-f830-4fe5-b3f5-821900ec4cc7,Resolution Calling for Release of Pastor Abedini Passes Full Senate,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch praised the unanimous support for passage of his resolution calling on the government of Iran to immediately release Pastor Saeed Abedini and all other individuals detained on account of their religious beliefs. Pastor Saeed Abedini, a pastor and resident of Boise, was seized by the Iranian government and has been sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly spreading Christianity.  He was in Iran visiting family and working to build orphanages. “I am pleased the Senate spoke unanimously in calling for the release of Pastor Abedini and detailing the inhumane treatment he has received,” said Risch. “The government of Iran continues to violate Pastor Abedini’s human rights through his imprisonment and abuse. Pastor Abedini’s only crime is to peacefully exercise his faith and work to help meet the needs of the poor and most vulnerable in Iran.  It is past time for Iran to release Pastor Saeed Abedini.” Abedini is one of three Americans being held in Iran.  Abedini was placed under house arrest in June 2012, put in Evin prison in September and was sentenced to eight years in January 2013, and recently moved to a much more dangerous prison and denied family visitation.  His appeal to the Tehran appeals court was denied in August 2013. His wife, Naghmeh, and children live in the Boise area. The full text of S Res. 284 can be read online. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348069,Crapo Co-Sponsors Bill to Protect Private Water Rights,2013-11-15,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 15, 2013 Crapo Co-Sponsors Bill to Protect Private Water Rights Legislation would prohibit federal agencies from requiring the transfer of privately held water rights as a condition for land use permits Washington, D.C. -The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has recently enacted policies requiring multiple use permit holders to turn over their privately-owned water rights to the federal government as a condition of their permit renewal.  Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, along with other western colleagues, are sponsoring a measure led by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) to prevent federal agencies from requiring the transfer of privately-held water rightsto the federal government. ""Recently, federal agencies have begun to violate and undermine state water laws throughout western states, including Idaho,"" said Crapo.  ""This power-grab by the administration to hold public land-use permits hostage is threatening our local communities and could very well set a precedent that could spread to other land-industry sectors, such as agriculture.  The private water rights of our western states must be upheld before long-standing businesses are put in serious jeopardy."" The Water Rights Protection Act specifically prohibits the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from requiring the transfer of privately-held water rights to the federal government as a condition of a special use permit, lease or other land use arrangement.  Representative Scott Tipton (R-Colorado) introduced the Water Rights Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives on September 26, 2013. In addition to Senators Crapo and Barrasso, Senators Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nevada) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) are co-sponsors of the Water Rights Protection Act. Background: In 2011, the USFS attempted to implement a water clause for ski area permit holders that required ski areas to turn over privately-held water rights without compensation in order to receive a renewed USFS land permit.  On December 19, 2012, a federal district court in Colorado struck down the USFS's water clause. Now, the USFS is trying once again to implement this controversial policy through a revised water clause.  If the USFS is allowed to move forward with this policy, it will open the door for other federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management to implement a similar policy for grazing permits and other multiple use activity that requires a federal land use permit and involves the use of water. The Water Rights Protection Act protectsprivately held water rights, prohibits federal takings, and upholds state water law: ·        Prohibiting agencies from implementing a permit condition that requires the transfer of privately held water rights to the federal government in order to receive or renew a permit for the use of land; ·        Prohibiting the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from requiring water users to acquire rights for the United States rather than for the water user themselves; ·        Upholding longstanding federal deference to state water law. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361549,Simpson Supports Bill to Reduce Frivolous Lawsuits,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined House colleagues in supporting the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act, which would  limit unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits in U.S. federal courts.  “We need to do better in this country protecting individuals and small businesses who have had been sued unfairly.  Often, even if a case is found to be frivolous, victims of baseless lawsuits are forced to pay thousands of dollars and spend significant amounts of time away from their families and their jobs,” said Simpson.  “Unfortunately, this is frequently the result of overzealous lawyers who have the incentive to sue and collect lucrative attorney’s fees.” H.R. 2655 would ensure penalties for abusers of the law and provide protections for victims of frivolous lawsuits.  It imposes mandatory sanctions on lawyers who file baseless suits and ensures the victim is compensated in full, including the attorney’s fees and other costs incurred.  It also would get rid of the current “free pass” rule that allows lawyers to file frivolous suits and simply withdraw them after 21 days even after the victims have spent time and money defending themselves. “This bill takes us in the right direction,” added Simpson.  “I have long said we need to enact common sense tort reform to reduce both the direct and the indirect costs on the American people associated with junk lawsuits.” The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act is opposed by the trail lawyer association, but is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, manufacturing organizations, and small businesses who are often victims of frivolous claims. H.R. 2655 passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 228-195 and now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348064,Crapo Brings Idaho Health Care Stories to the Senate Floor,2013-11-14,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 14, 2013 Crapo Brings Idaho Health Care Stories to the Senate Floor Speech calls attention to 100,000 Idahoans losing health insurance coverage as a result of Obamacare Washington, D.C.-Idaho Senator Mike Crapo spoke on the Senate floor today to share the experiences of Idahoans who are among over three million Americans now losing their health care coverage and facing much higher premiums due to the new standards included in Affordable Care Act.  Crapo shared the story of Jennifer, from Salmon, whose current health care coverage costs her family $375 per month, but now Jennifer has learned that her current plan is no longer available under the health care law.  The next available plan to her family will cost $900 per month with a $10,000 deductible.  Crapo also spoke of Kelly from Boise, another hardworking mother, who is considering taking the penalty fine for being uninsured under the new law as it will be a more feasible option for her family at this time. ""To date, millions of Americans, including over 100,000 in Idaho, have received cancelation notices announcing their current health insurance plans are being discontinued despite the oft-repeated promise that Obamacare would protect existing plans,"" said Crapo.  ""We learned yesterday that the number of people who have had their health insurance dropped far exceeds the 106,000 the administration suggests have newly enrolled through the exchanges.  The newest White House policy reversal further undermines the credibility of the unpopular law.  ""Americans are angry that the government is forcing them out of the coverage they like and works for them.  The president's announcement gives only some Americans an additional year of relief from the failures of Obamacare, but it leaves the law on the books and doesn't address the tax hikes, the vastly escalating insurance rates or other problems.  The American people want a permanent solution for these drops in coverage, not a temporary fix that exacerbates public confusion about Obamacare."" Click here to view the video on YouTube.   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361167,Simpson Secures Energy and Water Chairmanship,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman assumes Chairmanship of Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction over Idaho National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has been appointed as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.  The Subcommittee funds all functions of the U.S. Department of Energy, including the Idaho National Laboratory’s research and cleanup operations. “Given the importance of this Subcommittee to Idaho and its daily impact on my constituents, I am honored and pleased to have the opportunity to be its new Chairman,” said Simpson. “The Idaho delegation has a strong history of involvement in federal issues related to energy development and water infrastructure, and in particular nuclear energy. This new assignment gives me the opportunity to expand our involvement in these issues and make sure the concerns of our state and region are heard and addressed.” “There are very few who know more about the nation’s energy and water needs than Mike Simpson. His leadership, experience, drive, and professional focus make him an excellent fit to chair this subcommittee. I know that he is committed to making the most out of every precious taxpayer dollar, to ensuring that our nation continues to strive toward energy independence, and to fostering an environment that allows our businesses to create jobs and grow the economy,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers said. “I am looking forward to working with him in his new role.” The Subcommittee’s primary jurisdiction includes the following federal agencies: Department of Energy, including Idaho National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration National Nuclear Security Administration U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bureau of Reclamation Nuclear Regulatory Commission Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Other areas of jurisdiction include the Central Utah Project, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Southern Crescent Regional Commission, and the Tennessee Valley Authority “Whether it’s the cleanup of sites like INL, the maintenance of our nation’s nuclear weapons, or the many vital water projects across the Western United States, the Energy and Water Subcommittee’s work touches almost every community in Idaho and across the country,” said Simpson. “I have served on the Subcommittee for a number of years and have worked hard to learn about the issues before it and the federal programs under its jurisdiction. I am looking forward to getting to work immediately.” Simpson will remain a member of the Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment as well as the Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education. “I am pleased to be continuing as a member of the Interior Subcommittee and intent on staying engaged on the issues I have championed as Chairman,” said Simpson. “Addressing hazardous fuels on federal forest and grazing lands, improving the way we fund wildfire fighting, reducing the size and authority of the EPA, protecting state sovereignty over water, and maintaining our trust responsibilities to Native Americans will remain top priorities of mine in the coming weeks, months, and years.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361318,Simpson Urges Nationwide Delisting of the Gray Wolf,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Simpson authored language to delist wolf in Idaho, now joins colleagues in supporting nationwide delisting rule share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined a number of his Western colleagues in supporting the rule recently proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list.  Simpson authored legislation in 2011 to delist wolves in Idaho, where the population has seen a robust recover since reintroduction in the mid-1990’s.  He sent a letter to Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe commending the proposed rule to delist wolves nationwide and urging the Service to act quickly to move forward on it. “The statutory purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to recover species to the point where they are no longer considered ‘endangered’ or ‘threatened,’” the letter reads.  “The gray wolf is currently found in 46 countries around the world and has been placed in the classification of “least concern” globally for risk of extinction by the International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Wolf Specialist Group. This is a clear indication that this species is not endangered or threatened with extinction. “The full delisting of the gray wolf is long overdue.  Since wolves were first provided protections under the ESA, uncontrolled and unmanaged growth of wolf populations has resulted in devastating impacts on hunting and ranching and tragic damages to historically strong and healthy herds of moose, elk, big horn sheep and mule deer.” The letter continues, “We believe that state governments are fully qualified to responsibly manage wolf populations and are better able to meet the needs of local communities and wildlife populations.  Delisting the gray wolf under ESA would allow state wildlife officials to more effectively manage wolf populations, just as Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan have proven is possible.” Simpson serves on the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the budget for the Fish and Wildlife Service.  He joined 74 other members of the House and Senate in sending the letter to Director Ashe.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221124224/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=ac72ef69-5da2-4e59-95cc-8eb4eef59f5b,Risch Applauds State Department for Finally Designating Boko Haram as Foreign Terrorist Organization,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch today applauded the State Department for finally designating Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Risch has urged the State Department to do so for over two years. The Nigerian Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram is officially known as “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad.” It is committed to the imposition of Sharia Law throughout northern Nigeria and rejects Western-style life. Boko Haram militants have carried out violent operations against government targets, Christian churches, and targets they consider to be Western. On August 26, 2011, Boko Haram detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), which they had crashed into the U.N. headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria. They also conducted coordinated attacks on Christmas Day in 2011, Easter 2012, and frequent attacks against police and military facilities.  “For over two years I have been asking the Department of State to designate Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” said Risch.  “That is why I authored the Boko Haram Terrorist Designation Act of 2013 in January.  This legislation made the case for why Boko Haram is a terrorist organization and should be designated as such.  I am glad that the Department of State has finally come around on this important national security issue.”     Legal Ramifications of Designation It is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide material support or resources to an FTO; Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances, removable from the United States; Any U.S. financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which a designated FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  Other Effects of Designation According to the Department of State, listing a terrorist organization as an FTO supports “our efforts to curb terrorism financing.” Though not a formal part of the legal framework for FTO designation, adding a group to the list can encourage other nations to do the same. The Bureau of Counterterrorism suggests an FTO designation:  Stigmatizes and isolates designated terrorist organizations internationally Deters donations or contributions to and economic transactions with named organizations Heightens public awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations Signals to other governments our concern about named organizations ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348046,CBO Director Confirms Tax Reform Would Have Positive Effect On The Economy,2013-11-13,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 13, 2013 CBO Director Confirms Tax Reform Would Have Positive Effect On The Economy Crapo participates in second public meeting of the Budget Conference Committee; asks about stimulus spending and tax reform Washington, D.C. - Under questioning this morning from Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, the head of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said reforming the nation's tax code could reduce the federal debt and improve the nation's economy.  The questions to CBO Director Doug Elmendorf came during the second meeting of a joint House-Senate Budget Conference Committee which is charged with producing a report to Congress on spending reforms by December 13, 2013.  Crapo, a member of the conference committee and the Senate Budget Committee, supported tax and spending reforms during his work with the Senate's ""Gang of Six"" and with the president's Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. ""Director Elmendorf confirmed in his opening testimony that we are on an unsustainable path with our growing debt,"" Crapo noted.  ""While the economy has not completely felt the full effects of the borrowed Obama stimulus money from 2009, which I opposed, the director confirmed a stimulus-caused economic drag is coming and will compound the problem of our mounting debt.  Along with building onthe spending cuts that have already been achieved, a top priority right now must be to enact pro-growth tax reform that flattens the base and lowers the rates.  Director Elmendorf confirmed to the committee that this type of reform would have a positive stimulating impact.  This committee has a lot of work remaining and only a short time to accomplish it, but I remain optimistic that some type of deal can be reached."" (Click here  to view the full Q & A) Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=361069,Tort Reform Will Reduce Heath Care Costs,2013-11-12,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"“We need real reform of our healthcare system, and Obamacare doesn’t do it. As Congress continues to look for ways to delay, defund, alter, and repeal provisions of this misguided law, we must not stop exploring ways to improve both the quality and cost-effectiveness of our health care system."" - Congressman Simpson share: f t “The cost of healthcare is increasing at a rapid rate.  Over ten years, health care spending is predicted to total $5 trillion in this country.  To put it in context, total spending government-wide this year is approximately $3.5 trillion, with health costs making up about half of that. Meanwhile, we consistently run up trillion dollar deficits every year—leading to a $17 trillion debt. We have no plan to address it.  This is unsustainable. “We need real reform of our healthcare system, and Obamacare doesn’t do it.  As Congress continues to look for ways to delay, defund, alter, and repeal provisions of this misguided law, we must not stop exploring ways to improve both the quality and cost-effectiveness of our health care system. “Medical malpractice (tort) reform is an idea that most Americans support that would bring down health care costs for taxpayers and improve access to care.  Our current system increases costs both directly, in the form of higher malpractice insurance premiums, and indirectly, in the form of defensive medicine—when medical services are prescribed primarily to avoid liability rather than for the benefit of the patient.  Placing reasonable limits on health care litigation would help reign in these costs without sacrificing quality of care.  “The connection between litigation and costs passed on to patients is undeniable.  One state survey revealed that 83% of participating doctors admitted to practicing defensive medicine.  Significant numbers of tests, procedures, and hospital admissions were being performed just to avoid lawsuits.  “Other reports show a growing number of physicians are spending larger amounts of their career in court than ever.  Nearly 61% of physicians age 55 and over have been sued; depending on the area of practice, some are even higher.  For example, more than 50% of ob-gyns have already been sued before they reach the age of 40, with that number rising to 90% of general surgeons age 55 and over. “These are significant statistics, but the problem becomes even more unmistakable when you consider that a majority of these lawsuits are frivolous.  In 2009, 64% of claims were dropped or dismissed, but the cost of defending those suits still averaged $26,000 per claim.  For those that went to trial, defense costs averaged over $140,000 per claim for defendant victories, and over $170,000 for plaintiff victories.  “Republicans did attempt to include tort reform in Obamacare. The Congressional Budget Office then estimated that implementing tort reform would reduce total health care spending by about $11 billion and would reduce federal budget deficits by as much as $54 billion.  However, the trial lawyers fought vigorously and spent millions of dollars advertizing and lobbying against any attempt to restrict the lucrative attorney contingency fees that their members have enjoyed as a result of current policies. “Many states, including Idaho, have wisely taken the lead on this issue and enacted tort reforms of their own. Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed H.B. 92 into law on March 26, 2003, which included a $250,000 cap on non-economic damages.  Importantly, this cap does not apply to claims arising out of willful or reckless misconduct or felonious actions.  “The federal government should follow Idaho’s lead and enact common sense tort reform that protects patients with legitimate claims, but limits those who pursue junk lawsuits which drive up costs. I have long supported legislation that would place caps on non-economic damages and limit attorney fees. The fight for true health care reform is far from over, and I will continue to advocate for policies that increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care and keep our economy on a sustainable, healthy path for the future.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=33bf9543-9a51-4675-af6b-611869881c89,"Crapo, Risch and 21 Other Northwestern Lawmakers: The Bonneville Power Administration Must Remain Independent",2013-11-12,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – The Idaho Congressional Delegation, including Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Representatives Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador, along with every lawmaker representing Oregon and Washington, urged the U.S. Energy Department (DOE) to maintain an independent Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) that puts Northwest power users first, in a bipartisan letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz sent today. “Bonneville Power plays a critical role in supplying power to the Northwestern part of the country,” said Crapo.  “I commend the Department of Energy for their work in cleaning up the unethical and inappropriate activities that were occurring at the BPA, but in the interest of Idaho, and the rest of the region, DOE must not become a permanent fixture of the BPA.” “The Energy Department did the right thing in uncovering BPA’s hiring practices that were in violation of federal law,” said Risch.  “However, DOE should be restrained in their involvement and recognize the need for BPA to maintain regional autonomy.” Led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., the 23 members emphasized the importance of correcting discrimination against hiring veterans that occurred at BPA. But that discrimination cannot become an excuse for DOE to take control over Northwest energy policy, they said. “BPA decisions must be made in the Northwest for the benefit of the Northwest. While DOE deserves credit for uncovering BPA’s violation of veterans’ preference and other federal hiring rules, on many BPA matters DOE simply has neither the expertise nor the resources to effectively manage the day-to-day operations,” the members wrote. The delegation asked Moniz to publically state that the recent decision by DOE to impose new oversight of Bonneville’s legal and hiring decisions will not become a Trojan horse to dictate policy decisions from Washington, D.C. “We respectfully request that you and Deputy Secretary Poneman clarify that it is not your intent to extend DOE headquarters day- to-day oversight of BPA beyond that necessary to remedy the acknowledged failures of the BPA personnel system,” they wrote. The members formally asked the Energy Department to provide monthly reports to the Northwest Congressional delegation about its oversight of BPA, as long as the increased DOE oversight is in place. They also asked DOE to provide an end date for the oversight process. The members asked Moniz to explain how it will address veteran hiring discrimination cases, as well as how long it will take to resolve the illegal hiring practices. The Bonneville Power Administration is a crucial engine of the Northwest economy. It controls 65 percent of the region’s power generating capacity in the region (an average of 10.7 gigawatts), and half of the baseload power. It controls about 15,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, which is nearly 80 percent of the regional total. It generates clean, renewable power, in the Northwest, for the Northwest, creating a strategic advantage for the region. A copy of the letter is attached. The full list of signatories is below: U.S. Senate: Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. U.S. House: Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Washington, Rep. Denny Heck, D-Washington, Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler, R-Washington, Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Washington, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Washington, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Washington, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Washington, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221124242/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=994d42c7-3f2a-4e85-8a97-41bbc2be2c96,Risch Statement on Deal with Iran,2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement amid reports of an emerging nuclear deal between the Obama administration and Iran. ""I am deeply troubled that Secretary Kerry would rush to Geneva to enter into a deal with the Iranians, which by all accounts is temporary, incomplete, and a bad deal,"" said Risch.  ""The idea of a temporary deal is a broken record we have listened to before. “Ten years ago, Rouhani, who is now president, used negotiations to buy time for Iran to develop its nuclear weapons program.  Since then, the United States and its allies have imposed crippling sanctions on Iran that Iran desperately wants lifted. “In the absence of a permanent deal, where they fully disclose and verifiably cease weapons related activities, any ""deal"" will fall disastrously short, give Iran what it desires, guarantee the West will have to live with a nuclear Iran, and abandon our closest ally - Israel.  The Obama administration is about to make another colossal blunder in the Middle East.""    ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221125108/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=d01f7154-ba51-4039-9860-05d4ed3724e5,Idaho Senators Call on FCC to Support Investment in Rural Telecom,2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined their colleagues Senators Jon Tester (D-Montana) and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) in a large, bipartisan coalition calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to do more to ensure that rural America is not disadvantaged or left behind as the commission reforms and modernizes important programs. In 2011, the FCC developed and proposed a significant modernization of the Universal Service Fund (USF), which was originally created as a mechanism to support the deployment and operation of traditional telephone service to rural, remote and other high-cost areas of the country, where such deployment may not otherwise be economically feasible.  With this updating of the USF program, the focus has shifted from supporting traditional telephone service to high-cost areas, to supporting the deployment of broadband services to these areas.  However, the recent proposed reforms left the amount of support that telecom companies receive too unpredictable, discouraging some carriers from making needed investments in rural parts of the country.  “Many hard-to-reach rural communities are struggling due to the lack of sufficient broadband services, and Idaho is no exception to this,” noted Crapo.  The deficiencies in broadband service in rural parts of the country are not only hurting our ability to compete in a global economy, but also are impacting quality of life.  Congress and the FCC must do everything they can to incentivize, not stifle, investment in emerging technologies in rural America.”  “Rural America and rural Idaho experienced a setback in broadband deployment with the recent proposed reforms,” said Risch.  “I urge the FCC to take the necessary steps to bring affordable and sufficient broadband access to our rural areas.” Crapo and Risch, along with twenty-four other Senators, want new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to improve predictability of the USF so telecom carriers can more confidently invest in affordable broadband throughout rural America. “We remain concerned the reform order is limiting the ability of small carriers to provide rural consumers with the broadband service they need to compete in today’s global economy,” the Senators wrote.  “We urge the Commission to take immediate steps to re-establish predictability, sufficiency and transparency in the USF program so that these small businesses can resume critical investments in rural broadband.” The bipartisan letter was cosigned by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Max Baucus (D-Montana), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Michael Enzi (R-Wyoming), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), and Mark Udall (D-Colorado). The letter to the FCC is available online HERE.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348024,Idaho Senators Call on FCC To Support Investment in Rural Telecom,2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 08, 2013 Idaho Senators Call on FCC To Support Investment in Rural Telecom Joins quarter of the Senate in letter to push for greater certainty for business, customers Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined their colleagues Senators Jon Tester (D-Montana) and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) in a large, bipartisan coalition calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to do more to ensure that rural America is not disadvantaged or left behind as the commission reforms and modernizes important programs. In 2011, the FCC developed and proposed a significant modernization of the Universal Service Fund (USF), which was originally created as a mechanism to support the deployment and operation of traditional telephone service to rural, remote and other high-cost areas of the country, where such deployment may not otherwise be economically feasible.  With this updating of the USF program, the focus has shifted from supporting traditional telephone service to high-cost areas, to supporting the deployment of broadband services to these areas.  However, the recent proposed reforms left the amount of support that telecom companies receive too unpredictable, discouraging some carriers from making needed investments in rural parts of the country.  ""Many hard-to-reach rural communities are struggling due to the lack of sufficient broadband services, and Idaho is no exception to this,"" noted Crapo.  The deficiencies in broadband service in rural parts of the country are not only hurting our ability to compete in a global economy, but also are impacting quality of life.  Congress and the FCC must do everything they can to incentivize, not stifle, investment in emerging technologies in rural America.""  ""Rural America and rural Idaho experienced a setback in broadband deployment with the recent proposed reforms,"" said Risch.  ""I urge the FCC to take the necessary steps to bring affordable and sufficient broadband access to our rural areas."" Crapo and Risch, along with twenty-four other Senators, want new FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to improve predictability of the USF so telecom carriers can more confidently invest in affordable broadband throughout rural America. ""We remain concerned the reform order is limiting the ability of small carriers to provide rural consumers with the broadband service they need to compete in today's global economy,"" the Senators wrote.  ""We urge the Commission to take immediate steps to re-establish predictability, sufficiency and transparency in the USF program so that these small businesses can resume critical investments in rural broadband."" The bipartisan letter was cosigned by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Max Baucus (D-Montana), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Michael Enzi (R-Wyoming), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), and Mark Udall (D-Colorado). The letter to the FCC is available online  HERE .   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348029,"Crapo, Risch and 21 Other Northwestern Lawmakers: The Bonneville Power Administration Must Remain Independent",2013-11-08,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 08, 2013 Crapo, Risch and 21 Other Northwestern Lawmakers: The Bonneville Power Administration Must Remain Independent Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Warns the Energy Department that Decisions Affecting Northwest Energy Supplies Must be Made in the Northwest Washington, D.C. - The Idaho Congressional Delegation, including Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Representatives Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador, along with every lawmaker representing Oregon and Washington, urged the U.S. Energy Department (DOE) to maintain an independent Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) that puts Northwest power users first, in a bipartisan letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz sent today. ""Bonneville Power plays a critical role in supplying power to the Northwestern part of the country,"" said Crapo.  ""I commend the Department of Energy for their work in cleaning up the unethical and inappropriate activities that were occurring at the BPA, but in the interest of Idaho, and the rest of the region, DOE must not become a permanent fixture of the BPA."" ""The Energy Department did the right thing in uncovering BPA's hiring practices that were in violation of federal law,"" said Risch.  ""However, DOE should be restrained in their involvement and recognize the need for BPA to maintain regional autonomy."" Led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., the 23 members emphasized the importance of correcting discrimination against hiring veterans that occurred at BPA. But that discrimination cannot become an excuse for DOE to take control over Northwest energy policy, they said. ""BPA decisions must be made in the Northwest for the benefit of the Northwest. While DOE deserves credit for uncovering BPA's violation of veterans' preference and other federal hiring rules, on many BPA matters DOE simply has neither the expertise nor the resources to effectively manage the day-to-day operations,"" the members wrote. The delegation asked Moniz to publically state that the recent decision by DOE to impose new oversight of Bonneville's legal and hiring decisions will not become a Trojan horse to dictate policy decisions from Washington, D.C. ""We respectfully request that you and Deputy Secretary Poneman clarify that it is not your intent to extend DOE headquarters day- to-day oversight of BPA beyond that necessary to remedy the acknowledged failures of the BPA personnel system,"" they wrote. The members formally asked the Energy Department to provide monthly reports to the Northwest Congressional delegation about its oversight of BPA, as long as the increased DOE oversight is in place. They also asked DOE to provide an end date for the oversight process. The members asked Moniz to explain how it will address veteran hiring discrimination cases, as well as how long it will take to resolve the illegal hiring practices. The Bonneville Power Administration is a crucial engine of the Northwest economy. It controls 65 percent of the region's power generating capacity in the region (an average of 10.7 gigawatts), and half of the baseload power. It controls about 15,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, which is nearly 80 percent of the regional total. It generates clean, renewable power, in the Northwest, for the Northwest, creating a strategic advantage for the region. A copy of the letter is attached. The full list of signatories is below: U.S. Senate: Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. U.S. House: Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Washington, Rep. Denny Heck, D-Washington, Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler, R-Washington, Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Washington, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Washington, Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Washington, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Washington, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348007,Crapo’s Spirit of Freedom Award To Be Presented On Veterans Day,2013-11-07,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 07, 2013 Crapoâ??s Spirit of Freedom Award To Be Presented On Veterans Day Veterans and volunteers to be honored at four ceremonies Washington, D.C. - The Spirit of Freedom Award, in its twelfth year, will be presented to sixteen Idahoans, eleven veterans and five volunteers, at four ceremonies throughout the state on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11.  Idaho Senator Mike Crapo created the award to acknowledge the contributions, patriotism, service and sacrifice of Idaho's veterans and service-oriented volunteer leaders.  Since its inception, Crapo has worked with Idaho's veteran's service organizations to present the awards during Veterans Day ceremonies each year.  All ceremonies are open to the public. Four ceremonies are planned this year: Boise: Monday, November 11, Idaho State Veterans Home, 320 Collins Road, 11:00 AM Twin Falls: Monday, November 11, Twin Falls City Park Bandshell, 11:00 AM Pocatello: Monday, November 11, Idaho State Veterans Home, 1957 Alvin Ricken Drive, 2:30 PM Lewiston: Monday, November 11, Idaho State Veterans Home, 821 21 st Avenue, 2:00 PM Here is the list of the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award s recipients: Veterans: Brian Alspach, Boise:  Brian Alspach is being honored for his service to our nation and the significant contribution he has made to the lives of the veterans he serves.  The Boise VA Medical Center nominated Brian for this award.  Brian, whose father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, joined the U.S. Navy in 1987 and served for nearly four years.  He was stationed at Assault Craft Unit 1 at Coronado, CA, Amphibious Base, and then went on to serve as a Reservist for three years.  His unselfish contribution to helping others has been recognized through many letters of appreciation, and his other honors include the Navy Good Conduct Award, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal. Brian's career since his military service includes working for Alspach Construction and the Boise VA Medical Center.  He has dedicated the last 15 years to working for the Disabled American Veterans, where he serves as the National Service Officer and supervisor.  He and his wife, Cynthia, have three children.  Their son Sean is also serving our country in the U.S. Marines.  Brian's kindness and dedication have been an enormous benefit to the many veterans and families he assists.  He values their friendship noting, ""It is hard not to become friends with the ones we help as the majority of them have a good heart and a longing to help others in need.""  Brian embodies this spirit of giving.  We are blessed to have him as a member of our community, and it is an honor to present him with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.     Elton Ankney , Lewiston:  Elton Ankney, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, is being honored for his extraordinary service to our nation.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Lewiston nominated Elton for this award.  Elton reached the rank of Technical Sergeant while serving as a flight engineer and gunner on B-24 Hs.  He was stationed in Italy during the war and endured the downing of two of the airplanes on which he served.  After the second airplane was downed, he was a prisoner of war for eight months until being liberated on May of 1945 after being held at Stalag Luft IV, a German prisoner-of-war camp located in what is now Poland, and approximately 84 days of forced marching throughout Germany. After the war, Elton recovered from a knee wound sustained during his last airplane downing and was sworn in as a U.S. citizen.  He then went on to apprentice as a sheet metal worker, and he spent his career working at Lenore Grain & Seed elevator in Lenore, Idaho, and its successor Lewiston Grain Growers until his retirement in 1986.  Elton and his wife, Callie, a retired teacher, have 4 children, 13 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.  Elton's endurance and resilient service through immense trials are an inspiration, and presenting Elton Ankney with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award is an honor.                Vernon Byington, Pocatello:  Vernon Byington's dedicated service to our nation during World War II has earned Spirit of Freedom Award recognition.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Pocatello nominated Vernon for this award.  Vernon was born in Preston into a farm family with six sisters and three brothers.  He joined the U.S. Army in October 1942 and served for nearly 3 years in Africa, Italy, Austria, France, England and Germany.  He earned 2 Silver Stars.  He also earned a Purple Heart and endured 10 months as a prisoner of war in Germany.  Following his military service, Vernon had a career as a carpet layer and worked in a creamery, making Swiss Cheese.  Vernon Byington's committed service to our nation and ongoing strength through remarkable challenges are an inspiration.  I am honored to present him with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award. Daniel Michael Geib, Boise:  Sergeant Geib is being recognized two years in a row for his unwavering service to our nation and its veterans.  The Idaho State Veterans Cemetery nominated Daniel for this award.  Sergeant Geib served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War in the 377th Security Police Squadron, Accident Investigation in Law Enforcement.  Dan's unit received the Outstanding Unit Citation Award from President George W. Bush.  Following his military service, Dan had a 27-year career with Kimberly Clark Association as a National Sales Representative for Idaho.  Dan has been characterized as an ideal volunteer who is a pleasure to work with, a great story teller, helpful, friendly, a good listener and someone who makes people feel at ease and is sensitive to the needs of others.  He has spent considerable time volunteering with the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, where he is greatly respected and appreciated by staff and the many families he assists.  He also works as an usher at the Taco Bell Arena at Boise State University, remains active with his Air Force squadron and is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 63.  Dan and his wife of 47 years, Kathleen, have been blessed with three children, thirteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  The Air Force is a family tradition.  His son is currently stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in his 14 th year of service.  Dan's steadfast service is exemplary, and it is a pleasure to recognize his dedication with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.       Steve Gilbert, Twin Falls:  Steve Gilbert is being honored for his significant service to our nation.  The Marine Corps League nominated Steve for this award.  Steve joined the U.S. Marines in 1967 and served for nearly six years in both active and reserve service.  During military service, he served a year in the Vietnam War and earned a number of honors, including a the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation and a Combat Action Ribbon.    Following his military service, he went on to a career in law enforcement, and has worked as a Deputy Sheriff, Police Officer, a Court Security Officer with the U.S. Marshals Service, and he has worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  His other service includes his service as Senior Vice Commandant for the Marine Corps League and Junior Vice Commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  Steve has served our nation with distinction and continues to contribute to the well-being of the community and fellow veterans.  Presenting Steve Gilbert with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award is a great privilege.     Boyd Henderson, Pocatello:  Boyd Henderson is being honored for his outstanding service to our nation.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Pocatello nominated Boyd for this award.  Boyd, who was born in Idaho, served in the U.S. Army under General George S. Patton during World War II.  He earned the rank of Major and served in North Africa, Kasserine Pass, Tunisia, Monte Cassion, Anzio Beachhead and Brenner Pass.  He was part of the first company to arrive at the Dachau concentration camp.  He was also held as a prisoner of war for five days in Russia.  Boyd earned a Bronze Star for pulling a fallen comrade from a mine field, and he earned a Purple Heart for his injury from a Russian mortar shell explosion. Boyd went on to serve in the Army Reserves for 37 years.  He worked in his family's lumber yard and as a home builder.  With brothers and a brother-in-law who also served in the military, Boyd is part of family with a deep commitment to service.  Boyd has a 69-year marriage, and he raised nine children.  Boyd Henderson's extraordinary service is commendable, and I am grateful for the opportunity to present him with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.  Arthur J. Jackson , Boise:  Arthur J. Jackson is being honored for the service he has provided to his fellow veterans.  The Marine Corps League nominated Arthur for this award.  Arthur joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943, served in World War II and received numerous honors for his service to our nation.  He was awarded the Medal of Honor and received his first Purple Heart for his heroic actions when wounded on Peleliu.  In the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor, which President Harry S. Truman presented to Arthur, Arthur's ""gallant initiative and heroic conduct in the face of extreme peril"" were noted.  Arthur succeeded in wiping out a total of twelve pillboxes and ""maintained control of the platoon's left flank movement throughout his valiant one-man assault.""   This was one of multiple times Arthur risked his life to help others.  He also received a Letter of Commendation for carrying a wounded Marine to safety while facing enemy soldiers in the Cape Gloucester campaign.  Arthur later joined the U.S. Army Reserves and served in the Korean War.  His other military commendations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, another Purple Heart for wounds received in the Battle of Okinawa, a Presidential Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal, China Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.  In addition to his military career, Arthur worked for the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs before retiring in 1973.  Arthur Jackson has served our nation and his fellow veterans with distinction.  Presenting him with a 2013 Spirit of Freedom award is an honor.  Henry R. Parker, Eagle:  Henry Parker is being honored for his extensive, outstanding service to our nation and fellow veterans.  The Military Order of the Purple Heart nominated Henry for this award.  He has served our nation and continues his commitment to others through his service with the Military Order of the Purple Heart.  Henry served in the U.S. Army from September of 1967 to February of 1973.  During this time, he earned a number of honors and recognitions for his exemplary service.  These recognitions include, a Bronze Star Medal, a Vietnam Service Medal with a Silver Service Star, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, a Purple Heart, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal.  These are a just a few of the many commendations Henry earned throughout his military service. After his military service, Henry continued to assist his fellow veterans.  He worked at the Boise VA Medical Center as a Social Worker.  He has also worked as adjunct faculty at Boise State University and as owner of a private practice with Brief Therapy, Inc.  Henry not only served our nation with remarkable distinction, but he also has continued to support fellow veterans.  It is a privilege to present Henry Parker with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.  Daniel Scarborough , Pocatello:  Daniel Scarborough is being honored for his extensive service to our nation.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Pocatello nominated Daniel for this award.  He served in the U.S. Marines for 26 years and earned the rank of First Sergeant.  During his military service, he served in the South Pacific for 31 months during World War II, and his brother also served during the war.  Daniel went on to serve two tours in the Korean War, and he also served for 9 months in the Vietnam War.  Throughout his military career, Daniel earned commendations for his service.  These honors include two Purple Hearts.  He earned one in World War II at the Battle of Okinawa and one in Vietnam.  After his military service, Daniel went on to work as a correctional officer at the San Quentin Men's prison.  He worked as a prison guard while Charles Manson and Robert Kennedy's murderer were incarcerated.  He was also there when Johnny Cash recorded his album there.  Daniel Scarborough's great service to our nation is commendable.  It is an honor to present him with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.   Chester Kenneth ""Kenny"" Smith, Boise:  Kenny Smith is being honored two years in a row for his enduring spirit of service and the assistance he provides to many.  The Idaho State Veterans Cemetery nominated Kenny for this award.  Kenny joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served as a Fireman First Class during World War II, and he continues to serve his fellow veterans and community.  Kenny is viewed as the very definition of volunteer by those who have had the privilege of getting to know and work with Kenny.  Every day, Kenny visits his wife's grave, at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, before beginning his volunteer duties at the cemetery.  Kenny's extensive knowledge of the cemetery is helpful to visitors, and he is always available when assistance is needed.  After his military service, he returned to Idaho and worked for Mountain Bell Telephone Company for 36 years.  He was married to his wife, Doris, for 55 years.  They have two children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  Kenny's dedication to serving others, dependability and helpfulness has earned the regard of those he works with and the families he assists.  He is always available when assistance is needed, anticipates potential problems and makes adjustments to avoid them.  Kenny's continued dedication to serving our nation and the community is admirable, and it is an honor to present him with a 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award. Robert B. Taylor, Idaho Falls:  The Vietnam Veterans of America nominated Robert for this award.  Robert B. Taylor was born in Boise in 1936.  He spent his youth and teenage years with his grandparents, first in Idaho City and then on a ranch in Glenns Ferry, where he graduated from high school in 1954.  He immediately joined the U.S. Marines and served in both Osaka and Okinawa, Japan.  Following his time in Japan, Robert served as a training reservist in Austin, Texas, as a Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor.  Robert proudly served on a presidential detail during one of President, Lyndon B. Johnson's visits to his ranch in Johnson City, Texas.  Robert went on to serve with the 2 nd Battalion, 7 th Marines in Vietnam, participating in Operation Starlight, the first offensive operation of the Vietnam War.  Robert continued his honorable service to our country with two full tours in Vietnam, including one when he was wounded.  During his time in our nation's service, Robert earned a Good Conduct Medal, the Vietnam Meritorious Unit Gallantry Cross, the Presidential Unit Citation and his Combat Action Ribbon and the Purple Heart.  In a recommendation letter for the Meritorious Mast for outstanding performance of duty while on tour in Vietnam, his Commanding Officer noted that despite not always having the proper equipment to carry out his assigned duties, Robert used his ""initiative, skill and ingenuity to accomplish any task assigned,"" and he recognized Robert's ""constant endeavor for self-improvement, devotion to duty, cheerful outlook and 'can-do' attitude."" Robert was honorably discharged after 16 years of service and became a truck driver and heavy equipment operator in the Idaho Falls region.  He was happily married and lovingly devoted to, in his words, his ""soul mate for 38 years,"" LaDonna.  Robert served our country with distinction, integrity and honor.  I am proud to posthumously honor Robert Taylor's service with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom award.  This is Robert's second Spirit of Freedom Award.  His legacy of dedication to our nation and immense service endures.     Volunteers: Jackie ""Jack"" C. Crane, Meridian:  Jack Crane utilizes his experience and understanding as a Vietnam Veteran to assist his fellow veterans.  The Boise VA Medical Center nominated Jack for this award.  Jack, who has volunteered for three years through the Boise VA Medical Center and Recreation Program, enjoys interacting with veterans, especially those who do not have family who can visit them.  He states, ""Being a disabled veteran helps me understand what they are going through.""  Jack was born into a farm family with three siblings in Bethany Missouri.  After graduating from high school in Aurora, Colorado and earning an Associate of Science Degree from Mesa Junior College, Jack volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army.  He received training as a lab technician and served at the 27 th Surgical Hospital in Chu Lai Vietnam in June of 1970.  Following his return to the U.S., Jack earned a degree in Management Science from Central Washington University and a Master of Science degree in Spirituality from Loyola University and spent most of his career as a water and wastewater plant operator.  He then went on to start the St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store in Idaho Falls and became a hospice volunteer.  Jack and his wife of 41 years, Mary, have two daughters, Heather and Heidi.  Jack's service to our nation and committed service to veterans have earned the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.  Paul DeLong, Pocatello:  Paul DeLong, who was a Marine Corps Reservist for six years, is being honored for his dedication to assisting veterans.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Pocatello nominated Paul for this award.  Paul has provided outstanding service in the Canteen of the Idaho State Veterans Home in Pocatello for more than five years.  He arrives early every Wednesday morning to open the Canteen, anticipates the needs of residents and staff, reconciles the cash register, takes inventory, trains other volunteers and more.  Paul is recognized as serving with a friendliness and warmth that helps others welcome the day with positive expectations.  His daily visits with his uncle, Charles Lewis,  while his uncle was a resident inspired Paul to volunteer.  Paul's service is a reflection of his appreciation for the care Charles received when he was a resident.  Paul, who was born in Bremerton, Washington and grew up in Denver, went to school at the University of Colorado and Boise State University.  Most of his career was spent working in health care and human resources.  Paul and his wife, Joanie, have three daughters and seven grandchildren.  Joanie and Jesus are his closest friends, and his hobbies include house and yard maintenance, helping others, reading, race walking and exercising.  Paul's dedication to assisting others and his encouraging spirit is a great blessing to the many he reaches.  Presenting Paul DeLong with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award is a great honor.            Terry ""Scotty"" W. Gentry , Lenore:  Scotty Gentry was inspired to volunteer serving veterans to honor and pay tribute to those men and women who gave of themselves in serving this country to protect our freedoms that we all can enjoy.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Lewiston nominated Scotty for this award.  He has volunteered at the Idaho State Veterans Home--Lewiston for nearly three years and reads, visits, teaches Bible study and carries out other duties.  He considers the opportunity to give his time and effort helping veterans to be a blessing and the reward is returned many times over through smiles, a twinkle in their eyes and the many spoken ""thank yous"".  Scotty's service provides lasting positive effects, and it is recognized as a heartfelt blessing.  This is seen through the acknowledgements, the shared prayer time, the gratitude and the many nods of understanding during the weekly bible studies he facilitates.  Scotty Gentry's dedication to serving veterans is greatly appreciated, and he is being presented with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award for his outstanding service to veterans.          Kermit Morrison , Pocatello:  Veteran Kermit Morrison dedicates considerable time through many organizations to serving fellow veterans.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Pocatello nominated Kermit for this award.  He enjoys the opportunity to help others and assists fellow veterans because he has the health and ability to do so.  Kermit is the Chairman of the Idaho Veterans Assistance League-East, and he is always available when needed to assist with various tasks to ensure that the Idaho State Veterans Home-Pocatello is given extra activities and opportunities.  Kermit joined the U.S. Army after graduating from Buhl High School, and he served in the Vietnam War.  He served for three years in Army Aviation as a Crew Chief on fixed-wing aircraft, and he served in the Army National Guard for eight years.  After his military service, he obtained a degree in Aircraft Mechanics from Idaho State University and wrestled for the university.  He also received his Airframe and Engine Mechanic's License.  Kermit worked for Rowland's Quality Check Dairy and Meadowgold for 32 years before he retired, and he has been a sports official for 30 years.  Kermit and his wife of 47 years, Nelda, have six children.  Kermit Morrison utilizes his experience as a veteran to connect with and assist his fellow veterans.  His commitment and focus on service are commendable, and I welcome the opportunity to present Kermit with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award.    Patricia Truden , Boise:  Patricia Truden was inspired to assist veterans because she feels blessed to live in the United States of America and feels that without veterans we would not be as great.  The Idaho State Veterans Home-Boise nominated Patricia for this award.  Further, she observed, ""They deserve all the care we can give them.  I just wanted to love them up.""  Patricia has devoted considerable time over the past two years to volunteering at the Idaho State Veterans Home--Boise.  She has helped with various activities, both in and out of the home.  This includes serving in the Canteen, assisting veterans with writing letters, and helping with car shows, motorcycle shows, the Idaho Veterans Olympics, shopping trips, movies, musical programs and more.  While all activities are meaningful to Patricia, the Veterans Olympics stands out as one of the best activities, and she acknowledges that ""veterans deserve more than we can ever give them.""  She considers it a pleasure to be around veterans, hear their stories and be able to hug them.  She said, ""I am so impressed with the veterans' dignity and self-determination under adverse conditions.""  Patricia, your giving spirit and thoughtful service are immense assets to the community, and presenting her with the 2013 Spirit of Freedom Award is an honor.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348015,Crapo Co-Sponsors Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act,2013-11-07,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 07, 2013 Crapo Co-Sponsors Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act Tribes in Idaho should not have their social programs taxed by the federal government Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee is co-sponsoring the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act recently introduced by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota).  ""Indian tribes across the nation contribute a rich cultural heritage to society, and the Kootenai, the Coeur d'Alene, the Nez Perce, the Shoshone-Bannock and the Shoshone-Paiute peoples in Idaho are benefiting our communities,"" said Crapo. ""The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has consistently exempted Indian country from federal taxation of tribal social benefit programs that serve to promote the general welfare of the tribe.  These programs might include education scholarships, funds to attend and participate in cultural events, housing assistance and bereavement stipends, among other things.  However, in recent years, the IRS has increasingly attempted to tax these tribal services unfairly.  This legislation would codify the tribal exclusion in the Internal Revenue Code to protect tribal members from such taxation.  I am proud to co-sponsor this bill as it honors the federal Indian trust responsibility, promotes tribal self-determination and carries no additional cost.""  S. 1507, theTribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, would specifically do the following: clarify that payments, programs or services provided by tribal governments for the general welfare of their people are excluded from federal income tax; clarify that benefits that are items of cultural significance, reimbursement of costs, or cash honoria provided by tribal governments for cultural purposes or participation in cultural events shall not represent compensation for services and shall be excluded from federal income tax; establish a Tribal Advisory Committee within the U.S. Department of Treasury for implementation of this amendment; and suspend all audits pertaining to tribal government-provided benefits and services until this amendment is enacted and implemented. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=348003,HHS Secretary Hedges About Premium Hikes Despite Evidence To Contrary,2013-11-06,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 06, 2013 HHS Secretary Hedges About Premium Hikes Despite Evidence To Contrary At Finance hearing, Crapo says it is time for a â??timeoutâ?? on Obamacare Washington, D.C. -Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, today used a Committee hearing to catalogue the failed administration pledges about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as ""Obamacare.""  Crapo called for a ""timeout"" on the implementation of the law during his questioning of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  ""We need to look past the technical problems with the Obamacare website,"" Crapo said.  ""The president said 'If you like your plan, you can keep it,' but this is simply not true.  Unfortunately, over 100,000 Idahoans are finding this out the hard way.  Millions of Americans are discovering they cannot keep their current doctors, despite what the president said.  Claims were repeatedly made that the average family's premiums would be cut by $2,500.  As many of my colleagues and I anticipated, we are not seeing premiums go down as a result of Obamacare, but are in fact seeing premiums skyrocket.  Further, the president said the middle class would not see their taxes increase, but millions of individuals are seeing their taxes go up because the health care law. ""These combined factors justify the need for a timeout.  The law is not working as it was promised, proving this is more than a website problem.  We need to find out why premiums are going up, not down, and why millions are experiencing cancelations of their health care coverage instead of being protected.""  (Click here to view full Q & A video on YouTube) Crapo challenged the secretary to further explain her claims that premiums in the individual market are going down.  Sebelius held that the rates are lower ""based on the CBO [Congressional Budget Office] projections,"" but Crapo noted those are the projections based on selective data and are inconsistent with recent studies.  Ultimately, the secretary would not confirm on the record that rates are going down, only that they are lower than previous ""projections."" (Click here to view the video of this exchange on YouTube)   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=846,LABRADOR REACTS TO LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH PASTOR SAEED & IRAN,2013-11-05,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"IDAHO FALLS, ID – Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) released the following statement today after it was confirmed that Idaho pastor Saeed Abedini, a political prisoner in Iran, was moved to Rajai Shahr Prison – an extremely dangerous prison where he faces life-threatening conditions and treatment: “I urge President Obama to use all necessary and appropriate steps to demand Pastor Saeed Abedini's immediate release.  President Obama has already played a positive role in the effort to free Pastor Saeed, and I am hopeful that he will renew his engagement at this crucial time.  I will continue to work with Pastor Saeed’s family for his release, and I will continue to pray for his safe return to the United States.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221153424/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=52fc4b11-6992-4b63-90b8-46a47ab05b0d,Risch Recognizes Fall Interns,2013-11-05,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch selected six college students from around the state of Idaho to serve as fall interns in his Senate offices. 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 nation’s early history took place,” said Risch. “This group of interns is qualified, serve Idaho well and show great promise.” The interns are: Washington, D.C. Amanda Niehenke is a senior at the University of Idaho and native of Moscow. Amanda is studying Political Science, International Studies and Spanish. She is the daughter of Dennis and Jill Niehenke. Amanda has worked previously as an administrative assistant at Siemens Industries and as a resident assistant at the U of I. She loves the outdoors and is the eldest of her parents’ five daughters. Gabriel Osterhout, a native of Boise, is a sophomore at The College of Idaho studying Political Economy and Asian Studies with a pre-law focus. He is the son of Darin and Barb Osterhout. He has worked previously on Governor Otter’s 2010 campaign and he served as a page for the Idaho House of Representatives. Gabe’s favorite president is Abraham Lincoln and his dream is to become the governor of Idaho someday. Nathan Neeley is a junior at Brigham Young University-Idaho and a native of Idaho Falls, majoring in Political Science with a focus on American Government. He is the son of Carolyn Sue and Michael Earl Neeley. Nathan has worked previously as a wildland firefighter for the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho Falls and is also a certified nursing assistant. He enjoys the outdoors and is learning to play the mandolin. Jarom Robertson, a native of Rexburg, is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Political Science with a Foreign Affairs emphasis. He is the son of Blaine and Lori Robertson. Jarom has worked previously as graduation advisor and a potato harvester. Idaho Falls Lance Empey is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho and a native of Idaho Falls. Lance is pursuing a degree in Political Science with a Foreign Affairs Emphasis. He is married to Jennifer Empey. The couple has a 2-year-old son.  After graduating from BYU-Idaho in 2014, Lance plans to pursue a master’s degree in Political Science at Utah State.  He is the son on Craig and Sherri Empey.  Benjamin Rhodes is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Communications, Business and Political Science. He is married to Jordyn Rhodes and they have a 5-month-old son named Carter. Ben is currently working with the city of Rexburg and is planning on attending law school in the fall of 2014. His two favorite things are music and his wife’s homemade chicken enchiladas. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=347004,"With EU Trade Talks Next Week, Crapo, Cantwell Seek to Expand Access for American Apples and Pears",2013-11-05,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 05, 2013 With EU Trade Talks Next Week, Crapo, Cantwell Seek to Expand Access for American Apples and Pears Apple and pear exports to Europe dropped 73% over past 5 years; bipartisan effort seeks to expand market accessThe second round of ongoing talks between the United States and European Union on new trade deal is set to begin November 11 in Belgium WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the Obama Administration prepares for trade talks set to begin next week with European authorities, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) are leading a bipartisan letter urging the administration to prioritize reducing trade barriers pear and apple growers face in European markets.   U.S. and European trade officials completed the first round of talks in July on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to boost trading between U.S. and European markets. The next round of talks is set to begin on November 11 in Brussels, Belgium and the third round is scheduled for December 16-20 in Washington, D.C.   Senators Crapo and Cantwell led a letterlast week with seven of their colleagues to Ambassador Michael Froman, the United States Trade Representative, calling for talks on the TTIP to work to improve the terms of access for U.S. apple and pear exports to Europe. In the letter, the senators note that different standards on regulations in Europe have unfairly disadvantaged U.S. agriculture produce like apples and pears.      ""The erosion of the European market for U.S. apple and pear exports is largely the result of different regulatory standards and requirements for pesticides and food additives,""the senators wrote in the letter to Ambassador Froman. ""Under the European Union's (EU) precautionary principle, rules and procedures often diverge from the science-based, cost-benefit analysis approach of the United States, limiting our nation's agricultural exports to Europe. The TTIP efforts must address the existing market access issues and make establishing a level playing field for our agricultural exports a top priority.""    Crapo and Cantwell were joined on the letter by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan, Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Charles Schumer (D-New York), Robert Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) and Patrick Toomey (R-Pennsylvania).    ""All markets are vital to apples and all of the commodities grown in Idaho and it is important to keep these markets viable,""said Candi Fitch, Executive Director of the Idaho-Oregon Fruit and Vegetable Association. ""This market will benefit our producers and handlers and we appreciate Senator Crapo's efforts to improve trade.  Idaho produces about 75,000,000 pounds of apples valued at about $24,000,000.""    Fitch said that many thousands of workers are also engaged in the growing and peak harvesting of Idaho fruit.   ""The TTIP negotiations present a great opportunity to remove barriers to trade in the European Union that impact the sale of Washington state's apples and pears,""said Mark Powers, Vice President of the Northwest Horticultural Council. ""We thank Senator Cantwell for her leadership in seeking improved access to the market in Europe.""   The senators noted trade data shows that apple exports to the European Union dropped 73% from the crop in 2006 to 2012. They also noted that pear exports to the same region have dropped 73% from 2009 to 2012, in total the drop adds up to $33 million per-year in lost export revenues.    Washington state's apple industry was the number one commodity in the state in 2011 and was valued at more than $1.8 billion. The state produces over 60 percent of the total apple crop in the U.S. Washington state's fresh pear industry supports 7,267 full-and part-time jobs and 2,834 are directly tied to fresh pear exports.     Full text of the letter follows.     Dear Ambassador Froman:   We write today regarding the importance of specific agricultural interests in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).  As the negotiations proceed, it is imperative that our agricultural interests are given a top priority in the negotiations, particularly as they relate to the treatment of apple and pear exports.    Trade data over the past few years indicate that exports of United States' apples and pears to the European Union are in steep decline.  The volume of apple exports dropped 73% from the 2006 crop to the 2012 crop, while pear export volume declined 73% from the 2009 crop to the 2012 crop.  Together, the decline in apple and pear export volume equates to a $33 million per-year loss in export revenue.    The erosion of the European market for U.S. apple and pear exports is largely the result of different regulatory standards and requirements for pesticides and food additives.  Under the European Union's (EU) precautionary principle, rules and procedures often diverge from the science-based, cost-benefit analysis approach of the United States, limiting our nation's agricultural exports to Europe.   As we engage with the EU in these talks, it is important that the sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and non-tariff barriers to U.S. agricultural exports be addressed. The EU will continue to push for additional access to the U.S. market under the TTIP agreement.  However, any improved terms of access made available to the U.S. market should be met with reciprocal access for U.S. apple and pear growers.   The TTIP efforts must address the existing market access issues and make establishing a level playing field for our agricultural exports a top priority.  We urge you to work with your European counterparts and regulatory authorities to make resolving these technical barriers to trade a priority in the TTIP negotiations.  Any SPS regulatory barriers to trade must be based on scientifically-sound information and must not disregard the science-based regulatory decisions made by the United States.   Thank you for your attention to this issue of concern.  We look forward to working with you on ensuring that U.S. apple and pear exports are given fair treatment.   Sincerely,   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346979,Crapo Co-Sponsors Anti-Shutdown Bill,2013-11-01,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 01, 2013 Crapo Co-Sponsors Anti-Shutdown Bill Bipartisan legislation replaces shutdowns with shrinking of government Washington, D.C.  - Future federal government shutdowns over funding disagreements will result in smaller government, not shutdowns of government, under legislation co-sponsored by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo.  Crapo, a member of the joint House-Senate budget negotiating committee established by the agreement last month to re-open the government, calls the bill a ""common-sense compromise"" to avoid the loss of pay and benefits to those who work for, and rely on, federal government operations, as well as the damage done to the economy.  The End Government Shutdowns Act has been introduced by Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Montana) and co-sponsored by more than 20 Senators, including Crapo and Idaho Senator Jim Risch.   ""We may not have the time in the joint budget conference committee to approve a so-called grand bargain over tax reform, entitlement reform, fiscal reform and the budget enforcement reform that all of us know needs to be done,"" Crapo said.  ""But, this is an excellent opportunity to set up some processes to ensure that Congress will not break its budget and will help us deal with future lapses in spending and a potential government shutdown-in the way that Senator Portman's bill and others have proposed,"" Crapo said during the initial meeting of the joint budget committee.   Under the End Government Shutdowns legislation, any lack of agreement over setting a new budget and passing appropriation bills at the end of the fiscal year on October 1 would not result in a shutdown, but instead keep the government operating through an automatic continuing resolution.  That spending resolution would shrink spending levels for all of government by one-percent if there is no subsequent agreement in 120 days and continue to lower spending by one-percent every 90 days without congressional agreement on new appropriations.   ""This legislation can help us reduce the stress put on our economy during these political battles,"" Crapo added.  ""I hope it can help spur meaningful reform in the time we have to work together on these latest budget negotiations as we continue to work toward a larger agreement to lower our $17 trillion federal debt."" Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346984,"Crapo, Risch Call for Immediate Release of Pastor Saeed Abedini",2013-11-01,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"November 01, 2013 Crapo, Risch Call for Immediate Release of Pastor Saeed Abedini Say Iran should release all individuals detained on account of their religious beliefs Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch were joined by their Senate colleagues Rand Paul (R-KY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) in authoring a resolution calling on the government of Iran to immediately release Pastor Saeed Abedini and all other individuals detained on account of their religious beliefs. Pastor Saeed Abedini, a pastor and resident of Boise, was seized by the Iranian government and has been sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly spreading Christianity.  He was in Iran visiting family and working to build orphanages. ""I am, once again, calling for the release of Pastor Abedini,"" said Risch. ""The government of Iran has repeatedly violated human rights by imprisoning and abusing Pastor Abedini whose only crime is peacefully exercising his faith.  It is past the time for the government of Iran to release Pastor Saeed Abedini."" ""Idahoans have demonstrated their passion for his release based on his strong contribution to extolling human rights and dignities,"" Crapo said.  ""We agree with concerns for his safety and call for his immediate freedom from captivity.""   Abedini is one of three Americans being held in Iran.  Abedini was placed under house arrest in June, 2012, put in prison in September and sentenced to Evin prison for eight years in January, 2013.  His appeal to the Tehran appeals court was denied in August, 2013.   His wife, Naghmeh, and children live in the Boise area.   The full resolution can be read online.   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=359944,Simpson Joined Colleagues in Sending Letter to White House Opposing Arms Trade Treaty,2013-10-31,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson recently joined 180 Members of Congress by sending a letter to President Obama opposing the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The Obama administration recently signed the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) concerning the trade of conventional weapons. While the treaty is intended to rein in unregulated weapons around the world, Simpson is concerned that such a treaty may put Second Amendment rights at risk.  “I oppose any effort by the administration to implement or enforce this treaty though executive action.  For this reason, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama opposing the treaty and declaring that I will not support any implementing legislation or funding for this treaty,” said Simpson. Simpson previously signed a similar letter to President Obama and Secretary Kerry on May 30, 2013, urging them to reject the treaty.  He is also a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 23, a bipartisan concurrent resolution expressing opposition to the treaty. “The Second Amendment should not be compromised or threatened by any international treaty and I will strongly oppose any treaty that would impact civilian ownership of firearms, expose the records of America’s gun owners to foreign governments, challenge the authority of Congress to regulate firearms within the United States, or call for an international gun registry,” said Simpson. Any international treaty requires a two-thirds approval in the Senate before it is considered in effect in the United States.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346974,"Crapo, Risch: If You Like Your Current Health Plan, You Should Be Able To Keep It",2013-10-31,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 31, 2013 Crapo, Risch: If You Like Your Current Health Plan, You Should Be Able To Keep It Obamacare forcing drops in coverage despite promises from the White House it would not happen Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are co-sponsoring a measureknown as the ""If You Like Your Health Plan, You Can Keep It Act.""  During the debate over Obamacare, the president and others in the administration repeatedly claimed, ""if you like your health insurance, you will be able to keep it.""   Reports now indicate that keeping an existing plan may not be possible for millions of Americans comfortable with their policies, due to cancellation notices from health insurance providers under the new health care law.  Obamacare regulations effectively nullify the grandfathering protection for existing plans widely touted by the administration during the congressional debates.  Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) is the bill's primary sponsor. ""Millions of Americans were misled by the administration in that if they liked their current health care coverage, they would be able to keep it,"" said Crapo.  For many Americans, that is not the case.  Obamacare regulations require that certain plans provide a different coverage package even if an individual does not need or want it.  Idahoans are now learning that the flawed health care law will force them to change their plans and, in many cases, pay higher premiums.  While this law was sold on the premise of providing health care coverage for the uninsured, it is seemingly creating new uninsured Americans who will be forced to enter the troubled federal health care exchanges."" ""President Obama promised the American people time and time again that if they liked their current health insurance plan they could keep it,"" said Risch. ""That promise was false. Millions of Americans have since received cancelation notices and millions more will.  The American people should have the freedom to keep the insurance plan they have chosen and which was promised they could keep."" The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act permits policies in effect as of March 23, 2010, to be grandfathered into the current system, even if the plan does not meet the law's minimum coverage requirements. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has narrowly drawn the interpretation such that if any part of a policy was significantly changed since that March date, the policy would not be protected.  Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346977,"Senators Seek Pea, Lentil, Bean Focus in New Farm Bill",2013-10-31,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 31, 2013 Senators Seek Pea, Lentil, Bean Focus in New Farm Bill Bipartisan group pushing Pulse Health Initiative effort for school lunches Washington, D.C. - Students and farmers could benefit from a new federal initiative supported by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington). The Senators are leading a letter to members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee promoting a five-year pilot program that promotes the use of pulse crops-dry beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas-in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrition program.  Northwest states are a prime producer of pulse crops.  The Pulse Health Initiative and Pulse School Pilot Program were endorsed by a Senate vote earlier this year as part of the Senate Farm Bill.  The new effort by Crapo and Cantwell seeks to ensure the pulse crop programs are included in any farm bill legislation approved by a conference committee of the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. ""Currently, seventeen percent of adolescents aged 12-19 are obese which puts them at increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,"" the Senators said.  ""Pulse crops have the potential to reduce obesity and diabetes, and improve heart health because they are high in dietary fiber and low in fat.  More research is needed into how to incorporate pulse crops into a healthy diet, how to grow them more efficiently and how they benefit human health."" If the program is approved, the USDA would report the results to Congress following the five-year pilot program.  The Farm Bill Conference Committee began meeting this week. Consumption of some pulse crops has increased rapidly across the nation. Retail sales of hummus - just $5 million in 1997 - are projected to increase to $250 million in 2013. During that same period of time in Washington state, a massive and rapid expansion of chickpea farming occurred. By 2012, there were nearly 80,000 acres of chickpeas in the state - up from less than 10,000 acres in 2000. Pulse crop production in Washington state supports thousands of jobs - including those in transportation, port facilities, equipment manufacturers, crop advisors, insurance, supplies, and other services. Washington state is the top chickpea producer in the nation and third in the nation for pea and lentil production and stands to greatly benefit from increased demand for pulse crops. Washington has over 1,000 farm families producing pulse crops and 22 processors employing over 300 people in Eastern Washington. The value of pulse crop shipments handled via the Columbia-Snake River System reached nearly $50 million in 2011 - up from just over $30 million in 2001. The Palouse Region, which encompasses parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, is one of the primary growing locations for pulse crops in the United States.  In recent years, Idaho has been the fourth largest pulse crop producer by acreage, and accounts for approximately 11 percent of total U.S. output.  Idaho pulse crops, including  dry edible peas, lentils and Austrian winter peas brought a production value of about $20 million last year, according to statistics provided by the Idaho Department of Agriculture and the USDA.  .  Crapo and Cantwell are joined on the letter by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota). The Pulse School Pilot is based on an amendment offered by Sen. Cantwell in the 2012 Farm Bill, and endorsed by the American Heart Association. The text of the letter is below- Dear Chairs and Ranking Members: We write today to request that you retain the Pulse School Pilot Program (Section 4206) and the Pulse Health Initiative (Section 7208) of, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 (S.954) during negotiations on a farm bill conference report.  The Pulse School Pilot Program would authorize a five year pilot program to provide healthy and cost effective pulse crop products to schools.  Pulse crops including dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas and lentils offer the potential to help schools stretch their food budgets by providing them with low-cost, pulse crops that are high in fiber and potassium.  At the end of the five-year pilot program the United States Department of Agriculture would report to Congress on the effectiveness of the program.  This provision was added to the Senate farm bill in 2012 by a floor amendment.  The Pulse School Pilot provision was retained in the Senate farm bill that passed the Senate 66-27 on June 10, 2013. The Pulse Health Initiative would support expanded research into the health and nutritional benefits of pulse crops, including their ability to reduce obesity and chronic disease.  Currently, seventeen percent of adolescents aged 12-19 are obese which puts them at increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Pulse crops have the potential to reduce obesity and diabetes, and improve heart health because they are high in dietary fiber and low in fat.  More research is needed into how to incorporate pulse crops into a healthy diet, how to grow them more efficiently and how they benefit human health. Again, we want to express our strong support for retaining the Pulse School Pilot and Pulse Health Initiative in the final farm bill conference report.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=359836,Obamacare is NOT Ready and Should be Delayed,2013-10-30,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Simpson cosponsors bill to delay implementation of national healthcare plan share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson is a cosponsor of H.R. 3359, known as the “Delay Until Fully Functional Act,” offered by Rep. Trey Radel in the House and Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate. The bill would delay the individual health insurance mandate in Obamacare until six months after the Government Accountability Office confirms that the exchange website is functioning properly. “We all know that the healthcare.gov rollout has been an abject failure, and with little information coming out of the administration, it appears the website may be inoperable for some time,” said Simpson. “That being said, let’s not focus on celebrating its failure. Instead, let’s work to ensure that as few Americans are impacted by this debacle as possible.” Despite having three years and hundreds of millions of dollars to build the site, it still is not working a month after it was supposed to come online. This comes on top of recent confirmation that millions of Americans are being booted off their health insurance plans despite repeated statements from the White House that this would not happen. “The Obamacare website’s flaws illustrate the inherent problems with government run healthcare,” said Simpson. “Obviously, Americans should not be forced to sign up for a program that is simply not ready. This bill guarantees all Americans will have enough time to find out what their new options and costs are before they have to make a decision about their insurance. I believe the entire law should be repealed, but until that time comes, I will look for ways to fix its biggest problems and protect as many Americans as possible.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=845,LABRADOR & SCOTT INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO REFORM CRIMINAL SENTENCING LAWS,2013-10-30,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) and Rep. Robert C. ""Bobby"" Scott (D-VA), members of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced a landmark bipartisan bill today to bring common sense and flexibility to federal criminal sentencing laws.  Their bill – the Smarter Sentencing Act – would allow courts to make individualized assessments in nonviolent drug cases, ensuring that limited resources are focused on the most serious offenders, while maintaining public safety.  “We must be strict, but also smart, when it comes to federal criminal sentencing,” said Rep. Labrador.  “The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach Congress put on the books has tied the hands of judges without improving public safety.  Nearly half of the inmates filling our federal prisons are incarcerated for drug offenses.  Many of them do not need overly harsh penalties.  And yet judges are forced to impose these penalties, even if they don’t want to. “The bill Rep. Scott and I are introducing today will empower judges to determine, on an individual level, when the harshest sentences should apply.  This approach will improve justice, reduce the burden on taxpayers, and actually improve safety by enabling the justice system to focus on the most violent offenders.  I am proud of the large number of groups – representing the whole ideological spectrum – who are supporting our bill, and I will work with my colleagues in a bipartisan way to get it passed.”  During the past 30 years, the number of inmates in federal custody has grown by 500 percent, with nearly half of them serving sentences for drug offenses. Spending on federal incarceration has grown by more than 1100 percent.  Today, it costs about $29,000 per year to house just one federal inmate.  The Smarter Sentencing Act could save up to $1 billion in incarceration costs.  ""I am honored to join Congressman Labrador as a cosponsor of the Smarter Sentencing Act,"" said Rep. Scott.  ""Granting federal judges more discretion in sentencing for nonviolent drug offenses is the right thing to do.  Studies of mandatory minimums conclude that they fail to reduce crime, they waste the taxpayers’ money, and they often require the imposition of sentences that violate common sense.  “This bipartisan bill targets particularly egregious mandatory minimums and returns discretion to federal judges in an incremental manner.  This legislation is an important step in updating sentencing policies that are not working, that are costing taxpayers too much, and that do nothing to make our families and communities safer."" The Smarter Sentencing Act would do the following: §  Increase individualized review for certain drug sentences o   It would lower certain drug mandatory sentences, allowing judges to determine, based on individual circumstances, when the harshest penalties should apply (while not repealing any mandatory minimum sentences or lowering the maximum sentences for these offenses). §  Promote sentencing consistent with the bipartisan Fair Sentencing Act o   It would allow certain inmates sentenced under the pre-Fair Sentencing Act sentencing regime to petition for sentence reductions consistent with the Fair Sentencing Act and current law, while not automatically reducing a single sentence. §  Expand the existing federal “safety valve” o   The legislative “safety valve” has been effective in allowing federal judges to appropriately sentence certain non-violent drug offenders below existing mandatory minimums. Today’s bill would modestly broaden criteria for eligibility. In introducing today’s bill, Reps. Labrador and Scott are joined by Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY), Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), and Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA). The Smarter Sentencing Act isHouse companion legislation to S. 1401, introduced by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Smarter Sentencing Act is endorsed by Heritage Action; Justice Fellowship of Prison Fellowship Ministries; ACLU; American Correctional Association; American Bar Association; NAACP; Constitution Project; and other organizations across the ideological spectrum.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346970,Crapo: Budget Conference Committee Must Result in Strong Budget Enforcement Process,2013-10-30,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 30, 2013 Crapo: Budget Conference Committee Must Result in Strong Budget Enforcement Process Conference has potential to lay foundation for real fiscal reform Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the Budget Committee and a conferee to the Senate-House Budget Conference Committee, delivered an opening statement at the first public meeting of the committee charged with reconciling differences between the two chambers' budgets. Acknowledging the short time frame for the committee to reach a large-scale agreement, Crapo focused on the need to lay the foundation for processes that would result in strong fiscal reforms moving forward.   ""…one of the first objectives we should have in this conference is to protect and assure the reality of the fiscal reforms that we already have in place.  Not just focusing on the numbers in the budget and spending, but focusing on implementing some of those processes…Budget enforcement processes that will help us assure that Congress sticks to the agreements that it does make on the budget.  We don't have time to put together a large deal that would involve tax reform, entitlement reform, fiscal reform and the budget enforcement reform that all of us know needs to be done.   But, we can set up some processes to help us assure that the tax reform does move forward promptly. ""Processes that assure that Congress will not break its budget, as it has almost a perfect record of doing so.  Processes that will help us deal with future lapses in spending and potential government shutdown.  Processes to help us deal with the debt ceiling, and hopefully help us reduce the stress we put on our economy in the political battles that we have here [in Congress].   I believe that we have a remarkable opportunity to focus on fixing some of the rules, some of the processes by which we function in this Congress, in a way that will help us increase our ability to protect the savings that we now have, and to achieve further and greater savings as we move forward,"" Crapo concluded. (Click here to view the video on YouTube) Below is the text of Crapo's full opening statement: Thank you very much Mr. Chairman and Chairman Murray. I've listened very carefully to the comments that have been made today and I am heartened by the fact that everyone recognizes that we need to come together to find the consensus and common ground between us as we move forward. Senator Wyden mentioned that we should turn the current crisis into consensus and we have that opportunity.  I think it's important that we recognize some of the facts that we have to deal with as we achieve that.  I have recently started to hear talk, not among us here, but I have started to hear talk recently that we don't really have a debt crisis anymore.  Talk that Congress has been responsible in the past few years, saying that we've  passed $2.5 trillion of the $4 trillion that we needed to achieve and that we are well on our way now to climbing out of the problem that we face.  The reality is that we do still have a debt crisis. The $2.5 trillion that is talked about is essentially made up of about $500-$600 billion of tax increases, and a Budget Control Act that was passed in the face of the last fiscal crisis of 2011 that requires Congress to stick to that budget for ten years.   Anyone who has watched Congress and the budget process knows that the record Congress has in sticking to its budget is deplorable.  One of the things I think we ought to focus on is making sure that this $2.5 trillion that we all talk about is maintained.  We have actually, and I think remarkably, stayed to that budget for the last couple of years-to the Budget Control Act.  As a result of that, at least with regard to discretionary spending, we are now starting to bend the curve down.  As I understand it, if we stay on this course, we are actually going to be spending less in real dollars-not inflation adjusted dollars-but less in real dollars in this fiscal year than we have in just a few years past.  A remarkable achievement, but one that must be maintained. I think as we talk about how to move forward, one of the first objectives we should have here in this conference is to protect and assure the reality of the fiscal reforms that we already have in place.  What am I talking about?  I am talking about focusing not just on some of the numbers in the budget and spending, but focusing on implementing some processes.  I think one of the best things this committee could do is to establish some processes to help us move forward to assure and protect the existing achievements that have been made.  Budget enforcement processes that will help us assure that Congress sticks to the agreements that it does make on the budget.  And then, set forward some processes to help us move into the larger objectives --what has been called ""grand bargains.""   I know that we don't have the time in this committee to put together  the kind of large deal that would involve tax reform, entitlement reform, fiscal reform and the budget enforcement reform that all of us know needs to be done.  But, we can set up some processes to help us assure that the tax reform, that we all talk about and are working on, does move forward and moves forward promptly.  Processes that assure that Congress will not break its budget, as it has almost a perfect record of doing so.  Processes that will help us deal with future lapses in spending and potential government shutdown-in the way that Sen. Portman's (R-Ohio) bill and others have proposed.  Processes to help us get a functioning and smoother way to deal with these crisis points that we seem to lurch between.  Processes to help us deal with the debt ceiling and hopefully help us reduce the stress we put on our economy in the political battles that we have here.  I believe that we have a remarkable opportunity to focus on fixing some of the rules, some of the processes by which we function in this Congress, in a way that will help us increase our ability to protect the savings that we now have, and to achieve further and greater savings as we move forward.  I would just encourage everyone, as we work on all the others parts of the budget, and all the other parts of the fiscal reforms that are necessary, that we focus on laying the foundation for much greater and more effective results as we move forward beyond the activities of this committee. Thank you.   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346961,Crapo Supports Resolution Disapproving of Federal Debt,2013-10-29,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 29, 2013 Crapo Supports Resolution Disapproving of Federal Debt Says offering blank check on spending sends wrong message about reducing deficits Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today rejected S.J. Res. 26, a resolution to disapprove of the president's exercise of authority to suspend the debt limit and increase the debt ceiling.  Idaho Senator Mike Crapo supported this resolution of disapproval, urging the President to allow for an open conversation to enact necessary spending reforms before the deadline to raise the nation's borrowing limit is approached yet again. ""Our national debt is now at a record $17 trillion and climbing higher by the day,"" said Crapo.  ""Earlier this month, the president said he would sit down to discuss much-needed reforms of our fiscal policy, only after requiring members of Congress to grant increased debt authority.  The time that Congress and the president will have to address the debt limit once again is rapidly approaching.  For that reason, the president must sit down with members of Congress to put together the kinds of fiscal reforms that should accompany a decision to allow the country to increase its borrowing limit.  ""Negotiations surrounding the debt limit provide an opportunity to enact reforms to make our nation stronger and financially solvent for the future.  The debt ceiling can be a successful tool for putting us on an improved, more responsible fiscal path, as was the case with entitlement and tax reform in the 1980s and spending cuts put in place through the Budget Control Act of 2011.  It is unfortunate that we are in this position.  It took both parties to get us here, and it will take a significant amount of cooperation from Republicans, Democrats and the White House to get us out."" Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=356250,Critical Water Resources Legislation Passes House,2013-10-24,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Simpson Cosponsored Amendment on Aquatic Invasive Species Included in final bill share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted last night for H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013.  H.R. 3080 authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its mission to develop, maintain, and support the Nation’s vital port and waterways infrastructure needs, and support effective and targeted flood protection and environmental restoration needs.  “Navigation improvement is particularly important in Idaho, where the Snake River feeds the lower Columbia River international gateway and annually moves about six million tons of grain, paper products, petroleum products, and general container cargo produced by Idahoans,” Simpson said. Historically, Congress has passed legislation every two years to provide clear direction on such projects to the Administration and the Corps, but no bill has been signed into law since 2007.  Highlights of H.R. 3080 include requirements to streamline environmental reviews to accelerate project delivery, deauthorization of $12 billion of old, inactive projects to pay for new activities, and the establishment of a new, transparent process for the submission of future projects for review that will prioritize water resources development activities with strong Congressional oversight.  Congressman Simpson also cosponsored an amendment that would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an assessment on the impacts of aquatic invasive species on federal assets and current federal spending on aquatic invasive species prevention.  The amendment was included in the bill.  “Aquatic invasive species, like the quagga mussel, can have devastating effects on our water infrastructure, and both prevention and mitigation of that damage is very costly,” Simpson said.  “When we respond to this damage, we must make sure we are being as effective as we can be with taxpayer dollars. This report will identify where our current resources are dedicated so that agencies can coordinate more efficiently with each other and the States to ensure there is no duplication of activities.” H.R. 3080 passed by a vote of 417-3, and will now move to the Senate for further review and action.    ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=356202,Simpson Protects Water Rights against Federal Overreach,2013-10-23,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bill to prevent agencies from taking private water rights as condition of land use permit share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has cosponsored legislation to ensure that the federal government can’t hold private water rights hostage as a condition for a land use permit.  H.R. 3189, the Water Rights Protection Act, prohibits agencies from requiring the transfer of privately held water rights to the federal government in order to obtain a permit to use federal land.  Simpson, who oversees the budget of the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service as chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, included a similar provision in the House Interior Appropriations bill for FY14. “In the West, we know water is the key to our economy, and threatening water rights is tantamount to an attack on our way of life,” said Simpson.  “It is ridiculous that the Forest Service, or any other agency, would try and force someone to hand over privately held water rights—which are regulated by the state and not the federal government—in order to obtain a land use permit.” States have jurisdiction over water rights.  Unfortunately, in a number of cases, the U.S. Forest Service has attempted to circumvent state water law by requiring those applying for a Forest Service permit to turn over privately held water rights to the federal government.  H.R. 3189 would prohibit federal water takings and protect both privately held water rights and state water laws. “If there was ever an argument for the supremacy of state water law, this is it,” said Simpson.  “When we’re dealing with an issue that is so central to our economy and way of life, it is crucial that state and local officials—those who are familiar with the people and local issues—are the ones to make decisions about how water is used.  No federal agency should be able to hijack water rights as a condition for issuing a permit.  This legislation makes it clear that the government cannot conduct business in this manner.” H.R. 3189 is currently under consideration by the House Agriculture Committee.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=355995,The Shut Down Strategy and Obamacare – Idahoans Deserve the Truth,2013-10-21,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"“You may be hearing more and more from people in Idaho and some in Washington D.C. who would like you to believe that I support Obamacare.  They are attempting to reinvent my longstanding position opposed to the law, and are painting my vote to end the government shutdown as implicit support for a law I have consistently opposed.  They should be held accountable for those comments. “This is a sad distraction. You deserve honesty from your elected officials. “The simple fact is the only disagreement between Republicans over the last few weeks has been over strategy, not policy. Every Republican is united in opposition to government run health care.  I ultimately opposed the strategy of shutting down the government and threatening the U.S. credit to continue a fight without a possible resolution. “For these people now labeling me inconsistent, it wasn’t about winning, it was about the fight. “It isn’t about putting up a fight, because in the end we lost this fight. It is about winning. I want to win. I want Obamacare repealed, forever. The truth is the only way to get rid of Obamacare is to win elections.  And shutting down the government and alienating voters will not help repeal Obamacare.  Not surprisingly, Republican support in almost every national poll has shown a significant decline in recent weeks. “Idahoans expect their elected officials to do more than throw political bombs and tear down their opponents. They want to hear realistic solutions to the problems facing the country. The health care crisis is real, and more than that, health care is not just an economic issue, it is a personal issue. It impacts all of our lives.  Unfortunately, we have seen a shift in this country away from patient centered care, toward government controlled care that limits our options. “I’ve laid out my vision for a health care system many times. It starts with full repeal of Obamacare.  Idahoans won’t be fooled by attempts to paint me as supportive of something I have voted to repeal or reform 42 times. Once Obamacare is gone we will spur competition by allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines and pooling of plans by small businesses, reform medical malpractice laws – also known as tort reform, protect those with pre-existing conditions, and expand Health Savings Accounts.  “The simple fact is Obamacare will remain as long as President Obama is in office or Harry Reid holds the Senate.  Now is not the time to play politics with health care. Now is not the time to eat our own, now is the time to come together to lay out a vision for more accessible, affordable, and personalized health care. Let’s get to work.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=844,DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY APPLICATIONS,2013-10-18,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – With the government shutdown now concluded, Members of Idaho’s Congressional Delegation are reminding Idahoans that the deadline for submitting applications for U.S. Academy Nominations is just over a month away. High school seniors and parents interested in attending an academy should submit completed application packetsby November 30, 2013.   The unfortunate shutdown forced the cancellation of an Academy Nomination Open House in Boise, but the application deadline remains in place.  Application information is available at the Delegation members’ websites or by calling the state offices. As authorized by law, U.S. Senators and Congressmen have the honor each year of nominating deserving young women and men to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; the U.S. Military Academy, New York; the U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland; and the Merchant Marine Academy, New York.  Acceptance into these academies provides students with a tuition-free, four-year undergraduate education, valued at approximately $400,000.  Graduates have jobs after graduation, as they are commissioned as officers and spend a minimum of five years on duty.  Additionally, their education and training make them competitive for graduate programs and future jobs. The application deadline is November 30, 2013.  In addition to the short application, an essay, three letters of recommendation, ACT/SAT scores, a transcript and class rank at the end of the applicant’s junior year of high school, and a completed principal/guidance counselor form are required.  Applicants are also encouraged to apply to all offices involved in academy nominations, including both of your U.S. Senators, your U.S. Representative and the Vice President.  Offices require that the application and complete packet must be in by November 30th of the applicant’s senior year of high school.  High school graduates who are seventeen years old, but not yet twenty-three, can apply by July 1 of the year they would enter an academy.   More information can be obtained by contacting Idaho Delegation staff: Karen Roetter, (Senator Mike Crapo), (208) 664-5490 Tim Petersen Fulton, (Senator Jim Risch), (208) 342-7985 Linda Culver, (Congressman Mike Simpson), (208) 734-7219 Lisa Anderson, (Congressman Raùl Labrador), (208) 888-3188 You may access each delegation member’s website through the following links:  http://www.crapo.senate.gov/; http://www.risch.senate.gov/; http://www.simpson.house.gov/; and http://www.labrador.house.gov/. A nomination does not guarantee acceptance into an academy.  It is the first step in the process.  Applicants will be notified in mid-December if they receive a nomination, but the individual academies make the decisions about actual acceptances.  Those completing a nomination application must also open a file with the academies.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346898,Deadline Approaching for U.S. Military Academy Applications,2013-10-18,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 18, 2013 Deadline Approaching for U.S. Military Academy Applications November 30 is the deadline for applications to arrive in Congressional Offices Washington, D.C. - With the government shutdown now concluded, Members of Idaho's Congressional Delegation are reminding Idahoans that the deadline for submitting applications for U.S. Academy Nominations is just over a month away. High school seniors and parents interested in attending an academy should submit completed application packetsby November 30, 2013.   The unfortunate shutdown forced the cancellation of an Academy Nomination Open House in Boise, but the application deadline remains in place.  Application information is available at the Delegation members' websites or by calling the state offices. As authorized by law, U.S. Senators and Congressmen have the honor each year of nominating deserving young women and men to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; the U.S. Military Academy, New York; the U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland; and the Merchant Marine Academy, New York.  Acceptance into these academies provides students with a tuition-free, four-year undergraduate education, valued at approximately $400,000.  Graduates have jobs after graduation, as they are commissioned as officers and spend a minimum of five years on duty.  Additionally, their education and training make them competitive for graduate programs and future jobs. The application deadline is November 30, 2013.  In addition to the short application, an essay, three letters of recommendation, ACT/SAT scores, a transcript and class rank at the end of the applicant's junior year of high school, and a completed principal/guidance counselor form are required.  Applicants are also encouraged to apply to all offices involved in academy nominations, including both of your U.S. Senators, your U.S. Representative and the Vice President.  Offices require that the application and complete packet must be in by November 30 th of the applicant's senior year of high school.  High school graduates who are seventeen years old, but not yet twenty-three, can apply by July 1 of the year they would enter an academy.   More information can be obtained by contacting Idaho Delegation staff: Karen Roetter, (Senator Mike Crapo), (208) 664-5490 Tim Petersen Fulton, (Senator Jim Risch), (208) 342-7985 Linda Culver, (Congressman Mike Simpson), (208) 734-7219 Lisa Anderson, (Congressman Raùl Labrador), (208) 888-3188 You may access each delegation member's website through the following links:  https://www.crapo.senate.gov/; http://www.risch.senate.gov/; http://www.simpson.house.gov/; and http://www.labrador.house.gov/. A nomination does not guarantee acceptance into an academy.  It is the first step in the process.  Applicants will be notified in mid-December if they receive a nomination, but the individual academies make the decisions about actual acceptances.  Those completing a nomination application must also open a file with the academies.  Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346899,Crapo Extends Internship Application Deadline And Invites Idaho Students to Apply,2013-10-18,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 18, 2013 Crapo Extends Internship Application Deadline And Invites Idaho Students to Apply Washington, D.C. - Due to the government shutdown during the first few weeks of October,Idaho Senator Mike Crapo announced today that he will extend the application deadline for the internship program in spring of 2014.  Students now have until November 15, 2013,to submit an application to be considered for a position within one of the Senator's seven offices. Each semester, Senator Crapo welcomes students to his office to serve internships in both Washington, D.C., and in his regional offices throughout Idaho.  The internship experience provides students a unique opportunity to learn about Congress and the legislative process first-hand.  Interns assist the Senator and his staff with legislative research, constituent servicesand communications operations, as well asattending congressional hearings and providing tours of the U.S. Capitol to visiting Idahoans.  To learn more about internships offered through Crapo's office and access application materials, please visit the intern section of the 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.  Applications can be addressed to the attention of Madeline Kroll, Internship Coordinator, and emailed to Madeline_kroll@crapo.senate.gov.  Further questions can be directed to the intern coordinator in the Washington, D.C., office, 202-224-6142. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=355826,Simpson Secures Wildfire Funding,2013-10-17,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson ensured that critical wildfire suppression funding was included in must-pass legislation to avert a potential debt default and end the federal government shutdown.  H.R. 2775 included vital funding—$600 million for the Forest Service and $36 million for the Department of the Interior—to restore wildfire suppression accounts that were emptied during the devastating 2013 fire season.  Simpson oversees the budget for these agencies in his role as Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. The funding in H.R. 2775 helps to address what is referred to as “fire borrowing.”  When budgeted fire suppression funding is depleted, agencies are forced to take money from other non-fire accounts in order to continue fighting fires.  “Funding to restore budgets that have been drained through fire borrowing is a critical piece of this legislation,” said Simpson.  “Not only does this bill reopen all operations at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise and ensure that land managers can contain catastrophic fires that would otherwise put lives and property in peril, but it means that they can do the restoration work and hazardous fuels removal needed to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires next year.” Simpson has been working to get this critical funding on the ground for months; his Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for FY14, which was stalled in committee this summer, included a similar provision. H.R. 2775 was passed by both Houses of Congress yesterday and signed into law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221190413/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=d511bd4a-8b3f-46db-9d71-616554acadc2,"Crapo, Risch Oppose Debt Ceiling and Government Funding Deal",2013-10-17,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted against legislation to delay the nation’s borrowing limit until February 7, 2014, and temporarily fund government operations until January 15, 2013.  Included in the agreement is a requirement for both chambers of Congress to go to conference on a budget with a reporting deadline of December 13, 2013, as well as new safeguards to ensure people who receive federal subsidies to purchase health insurance under Obamacare are eligible to receive them. ""Americans are justifiably angry with Congress for its failure to come together to provide real solutions to our growing debt crisis,” Crapo said.  “While this measure does some good by preventing a default on the debt, ending the government shutdown, preserving the spending restraints put in place by the Budget Control Act and requiring both houses of Congress to move forward with the long-overdue budget process, it does almost nothing to address our long-term mandatory spending and debt problems or correct the still-unfolding problems with the president’s health care law.  Congress established debt ceilings to provide the opportunity to debate the government’s spending habits.  Unfortunately, continuing resolutions perpetuate the problem of keeping almost half the spending for the government on autopilot.  We cannot continue this unrestrained spending.  It is time to make the hard decisions regarding our dire fiscal situation, and I am going to keep the pressure on to get it done."" ""The United States faces serious long-term debt and spending challenges that we must confront now,” Risch said.  “Sadly this deal kicks the can down the road for three months and I could not support it.  The federal government continues to borrow too much, spend too much, and intrude into the lives of Americans too much.  I hope the President and my Democrat colleagues will offer serious proposals to find a solution instead of turning this situation into another crisis in January."" The measure passed the Senate with a vote of 81 – 18 and now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.  Due to a lapse in funding, the government has been in partial shutdown since October 1, 2013.  While its projections are not exactly the same, both the U.S. Treasury Department and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) project that the ability to use extraordinary measures to prevent the country from breaching the debt ceiling will run out within the coming weeks.  In January 2009, the total federal debt stood at $10.6 trillion. This week, it hit $16.7 trillion — an increase of 57 percent.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346896,Crapo Appointed To Budget Conference Committee,2013-10-17,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 17, 2013 Crapo Appointed To Budget Conference Committee Presents opportunity for both sides to come together to create more sustainable path Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, has been named as one of the twenty-one senators of the U.S. Senate who will serve on a conference committee to reconcile the differences between the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives-passed budgets.  This bipartisan group, from both the Senate and House, will work to find compromise between the differing budgets with a deadline to report back to Congress by December 13, 2013.  The Senate and House agreed to go to conference on the budgets as part of a larger deal to reopen the government and extend the nation's borrowing limit.  This measure passed both chambers on October 16 and was signed by the president shortly thereafter. ""This new conference committee presents an enormous opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to find common ground on a more sustainable budget path for our country,"" said Crapo.  ""For far too long, Washington has come to rely on short-term spending measures that do not allow for meaningful and significant reform of our spending habits.  Further, if Congress continues neglecting to adhere to the budget it adopts, the deficit reduction claimed in the out years will never be achieved.  For the first time in over fifty years, the Budget Control Act has helped cut spending for two consecutive years and with a debt approaching $17 trillion dollars, a figure that is unsustainable and hurting economic growth, there is no reason these spending reductions should not remain in place. ""While I could not support the budget that was passed by the Senate earlier this year, I believe there are ideas and policies in both versions that we can mutually agree on and start the process of putting us on a sustainable fiscal path.  This will not be an easy task with an almost $90 billion dollar difference between the two budgets, but I look forward to working with Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) to achieve this goal,"" Crapo concluded. The other senators appointed to the conference committee include: Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, Committee Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Bill Nelson (D-Florida), Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), Bernie Sander (I-Vermont) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Mark Warner (D-Virginia), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) and Angus King (I-Maine). Crapo previously served as a member of the President's Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, helped develop the ""Bowles-Simpson"" budget blueprint and was a member of the Senate's bipartisan ""Gang of Six"" that has held ongoing budget and tax reform meetings. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=355709,"Simpson Puts Idaho Businesses, Jobs First",2013-10-16,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"“There has to be a way to address our nation’s fiscal problems without making them worse in the process,” says Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson share: f t Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted to re-open the federal government, avoid default on our nation’s debt, and preserve the historic spending cuts Republicans have won in Congress over the last three years. While acknowledging his vote in favor of the bill might be unpopular with some of his constituents, Simpson said the potential economic consequences of continued stalemate outweighed any political consideration. “The easiest, most politically expedient thing for me to do would have been to vote NO and protect my political right flank,” said Simpson. “Doing so, however, would have been the wrong thing to do for my constituents and our economy. My vote today was about the thousands of people facing layoffs at INL, the multitude of businesses across Idaho that have told me their livelihoods are at stake, and the millions of folks across the country who can’t afford the devastating impacts of default on their investments and retirements. There has to be a way to address our nation’s fiscal problems without making them worse in the process. That is the result I will continue working toward during the time we’ve afforded ourselves with today’s agreement.” Simpson also suggested that he doesn’t expect the ongoing controversy over the implementation of Obamacare to subside with this agreement. “The fight over Obamacare may now move to another venue, but the fight is far from over,” said Simpson. “While I strongly believe we should continue working to delay the entire law for one year, I also tend to believe that Obamacare may collapse of its own weight. I don’t think it will work. I don’t believe it will contain costs. I don’t believe it will improve access. And I certainly don’t believe that it can survive the scrutiny it is sure to receive once it is fully implemented and its impacts are fully realized. At that point, Republicans may have a much stronger hand.” Simpson made clear in his reaction to the vote that while the compromise bill was far from ideal, the consequences of a continued stalemate were costing Idahoans their jobs and putting an unnecessary strain on our economy.  He also stressed that Congress must now turn its focus to a more long-term solution to our nation’s budget crisis. “This bill, while far from perfect, preserves the progress Republicans have made in reducing spending and moving toward a balanced budget. This bill, while far from perfect, ensures thousands of people in eastern Idaho won’t lose their jobs at INL. This bill, while far from perfect, ends the uncertainty for Idaho businesses that have been impacted by the shutdown and are terrified of default. This bill, while far from perfect, gives Congress the time to approach our budget challenges in an honest, collaborative, comprehensive, and enduring way over the next few months. I am deeply hopeful that we will now look toward a grand bargain, or ‘big’ solution that includes spending cuts, tax reform, and entitlement reform. The American people understand that doing so will require tough decisions, difficult sacrifices, and political courage. I am ready to face those tough decisions and I hope a majority of my colleagues in the House and Senate are ready to do so as well,” said Simpson.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=843,"LABRADOR VOTES AGAINST OBAMACARE, ADDING MORE DEBT",2013-10-16,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) released the following statement tonight after voting against a Senate insider deal to fund ObamaCare through January 15, while adding hundreds of billions to the national debt before the next debt ceiling, which was postponed until February 7:  “Like nearly all of my colleagues, I promised my constituents in 2010 and 2012 that I would fight ObamaCare - not just cast symbolic, meaningless votes – but work hard to roll it back whenever and wherever possible.  I also promised that I would oppose raising the debt ceiling without meaningful cuts to government spending. “During the past month, Republicans in Congress have been united on the issue of ‘fairness’ for the American people on health care.  We also stood strong on the debt ceiling, insisting we would not raise it without reducing the debt.  Unfortunately, what Congress is passing today gets us out of the immediate political mess engulfing Washington DC without making any substantial changes for the American people.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=346885,"Crapo, Risch Oppose Debt Ceiling and Government Funding Deal",2013-10-16,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 16, 2013 Crapo, Risch Oppose Debt Ceiling and Government Funding Deal Deal does nothing to reform the true drivers of U.S. debt that now stands at almost $17 trillion Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted against legislation to delay the nation's borrowing limit until February 7, 2014, and temporarily fund government operations until January 15, 2013.  Included in the agreement is a requirement for both chambers of Congress to go to conference on a budget with a reporting deadline of December 13, 2013, as well as new safeguards to ensure people who receive federal subsidies to purchase health insurance under Obamacare are eligible to receive them. ""Americans are justifiably angry with Congress for its failure to come together to provide real solutions to our growing debt crisis,"" Crapo said.  ""While this measure does some good by preventing a default on the debt, ending the government shutdown, preserving the spending restraints put in place by the Budget Control Act and requiring both houses of Congress to move forward with the long-overdue budget process, it does almost nothing to address our long-term mandatory spending and debt problems or correct the still-unfolding problems with the president's health care law.  Congress established debt ceilings to provide the opportunity to debate the government's spending habits.  Unfortunately, continuing resolutions perpetuate the problem of keeping government spending on autopilot.  We cannot continue this unrestrained spending.  It is time to make the hard decisions regarding our dire fiscal situation, and I am going to keep the pressure on to get it done."" ""The United States faces serious long-term debt and spending challenges that we must confront now,"" Risch said.  ""Sadly this deal kicks the can down the road for three months and I could not support it.  The federal government continues to borrow too much, spend too much, and intrude into the lives of Americans too much.  I hope the President and my Democrat colleagues will offer serious proposals to find a solution instead of turning this situation into another crisis in January."" The measure passed the Senate with a vote of 81 - 18 and now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.  Due to a lapse in funding, the government has been in partial shutdown since October 1, 2013.  While its projections are not exactly the same, both the U.S. Treasury Department and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) project that the ability to use extraordinary measures to prevent the country from breaching the debt ceiling will run out within the coming weeks.  In January 2009, the total federal debt stood at $10.6 trillion. This week, it hit $16.7 trillion - an increase of 57 percent.  Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=842,"ADVISORY: Conversations with Conservatives, WEDNESDAY, October 16, 11:30 am-12:30 pm ET",2013-10-15,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"Date:Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Time: 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET Location: Rayburn 2226 Who: National and District News Media, including Bloggers Conversations with Conservatives is a group of free market and liberty-minded members of Congress that meets monthly with traditional press and bloggers to discuss the most important issues of the day.  Chaired by Representatives Raúl Labrador (ID-01), Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), and Jim Jordan (OH-04), each meeting features different conservative members of Congress who share their ideas and field questions from the media.  While questions are not limited to particular topics, Members are expected to discuss the government shutdown, the debt ceiling, ObamaCare, as well as other issues! Participating Members at the October 2013 session ofConversations with Conservativesinclude: Rep. Raúl Labrador (ID-01), Rep. Tim Huelskamp (KS-01), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Rep. Justin Amash (MI-03), Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-04), Rep. Mick Mulvaney (SC-05), and Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05).  Additional participants may be announced. Those who wish to view the event remotely may do so via http://www.ustream.tv/channel/conversations-with-conservatives.  Viewers may also participate in the conversation on Twitter (tweet to @conversations using #CWC113). The event will be moderated by Rob Bluey of The Heritage Foundation.  Lunch will be provided for members of the news media. For more information, contact: ·         Todd Winer (Labrador): (202) 225-6611 or todd.winer@mail.house.gov. ·         Jamie Jackson (Huelskamp): (202) 225-2715 or jamie.jackson@mail.house.gov. ·         Meghan Snyder (Jordan): (202) 225-2676 or meghan.snyder@mail.house.gov.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345867,Crapo: Approaching Debt Limit Shows Need To Enact Further Fiscal Reforms,2013-10-10,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 10, 2013 Crapo: Approaching Debt Limit Shows Need To Enact Further Fiscal Reforms Federal debt has risen $6 trillion in four years ""Secretary Lew said, 'We've made progress on our overall debt crisis in the past few years, and I think that we can continue to work on those kinds of steps if you will simply pass this clean debt ceiling' and do so in a way that involves no negotiations from the president in any way.  I reminded him that a major part of the progress we have made in the last couple of years was made when we met the debt ceiling two years ago.  It was the Budget Control Act that put into statute over $2 trillion of reductions in our spending path, and that was attached to the debt ceiling bill in 2011. It was literally a debt ceiling negotiation that generated the only significant spending controls that this congress and this country have seen for years and years.  And yet the president refuses to take another step now that wehave met the debt ceiling again and negotiate for furtherreforms."" (Click hereto view the video on YouTube) Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, following a Senate Finance Committee and Senate Banking hearings that received testimony on the debt limit and the damages a default would have on the financial markets, spoke on the Senate floor about the need to deal with the country's long-term debt crisis.  In January 2009, the total federal debt stood at $10.6 trillion. This week, it hit $16.7 trillion - an increase of 57 percent.   Crapo said the debt ceiling presents a prime opportunity to enact significant fiscal reforms-including entitlement and tax reforms-just as was done in 2011.  Crapo also addressed the government shutdown that is impacting numerous Idahoans. ""We're not asking to shut down the government for the purposes of simply making a point.  We are trying to get to negotiations.  We want to see the government reopened.  We are not seeking to have the debt ceiling expire.  We want to have negotiations to be able to put together the kinds of fiscal reforms that should always accompany extensions of the debt ceiling."" While its projections are not exactly the same, both the Treasury Department and the Congressional Budget Office project that the ability to use extraordinary measures to prevent the country from breaching the debt ceiling will run out within weeks. A transcript of Crapo's remarks can be found below. ""Mr. Crapo: Thank you, Madam President. I rise today to discuss the multiple issues that have now presented themselves to us here in the Senate and to the United States Congress and, frankly, the American people.  I've been in several hearings this morning.   The first was with Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, where the Finance Committee discussed with him the pending expiration of our debt ceiling and what his understanding is ofhow that will impact the country.   He raised a lot of serious concerns, very legitimate serious concerns that others are raising.   We then followed that up with a hearing in the Banking Committee where we had representatives from a number of the various industries in the United States also discussing what is going to happen in the United States if the country does not increase the debt ceiling.   And there are serious consequences that will happen if we don't do this.  But what I tried to do inboth of those hearings -- and I'll refer to my conversation with Secretary Lew -- was to focus us back on the broader, bigger threat. Secretary Lew basically said that we have a manufactured crisis here in the United States because of our unwillingness at this point to face the debt ceiling and simply extend the debt ceiling without any kinds of conditions or negotiations.  I reminded him that the crisis we face- the big crisis we face-is the debt crisis.  And it's very real. And I guess in a sense it has been manufactured over the last 20 or 30 years by Congresses and presidents who have refused to control spending and have put us into tremendous debt. Our debt ceiling that we are negotiating about right now, or I think wishing we could negotiate about now is $16.7 trillion.  It's grown by trillions of dollars over the last five or six years and what the president has asked us to do is toonce again increase the debt ceiling by another $1 trillion or more with no reforms, no fiscal changes in our policies to deal with the mounting spending crisis that we face. The president's position is you give me this trillion dollars or more of new debt authority and I will then talk to you about reforming our fiscal policy. The problem is that we've been trying to negotiate over fiscal policy and trying to get reforms put into place for years, and we have not been able to get there. When I asked Secretary Lew about this, he basically said we've made progress on our overall debt crisis in the past few years, and I think that we can continue to work on those kinds of steps if you will simply pass this clean debt ceiling and do so in a way that involves no negotiations from the president in any way. I reminded him that a major part of the progress that we have made in the last couple of years was made when we met the debt ceiling two years ago ago, in 2011.  It was the Budget Control Act that put into statute over $2 trillion of reductions in our spending path, and that was attached to the debt ceiling as we moved forward.  And it was literally a debt ceiling negotiation that generated the only significant spending controls that this Congress and that this country has seen for years and years.  And yet the president refuses to take another step now that we have met the debt ceiling again and negotiate for further reforms. By the way, there is another reason that we have made some progress in the past few years, and that is that we have implemented massive new taxes on the American people.  The Obamacare legislation itself contains nearly a trillion dollars of new taxes, and they are now, although they were delayed for a few years, beginning to fully hit the Americanpeople.  Last January, the president was able to win argument and succeed in getting the top income tax brackets raised.  An impact on our tax code that I think was harmful rather than helpful and clearly was damaging to the creation of jobs and to businesses across the United States, but nevertheless another $500 billion to $600 billion of tax revenue was put into the mix there. So what have we done? We've made a plan to control discretionary spending over the next ten years and reduce it by about $2 trillion.  If we stick to that, we'll get $2 trillion worth of spending reductions.  We have raised taxes by at least $1.6 trillion over the next ten years, all of which I believe has been harmful to our economy but has generated revenue to try to help reduce the debt cycle. But we have not addressed the two critical parts of reform that we must address in this country if we are ever to get controlof our spending excesses and stop the out-of-control spiral toward insolvency that we see, and that is reforming our entitlement system and reforming our broken tax code. What have we seen there? Virtually minimal, if any at all, reforms of entitlements. They seem to be off the table, yet they are the part of our spending problem that is the biggest and the most out of control. And on tax reform, we've seen no reform of the tax code. We have a taxcode that is the most unfair, the most complicated, the most expensive to comply with and the most anticompetitive code we probably could have created if we did it on purpose.   Yet we have no reforms of the code and instead what we have done is add to the code another $1.6 trillion of new taxes on the American people.  What we are asking is whether we can move forwardin trying to deal with our fiscal problems in this country by negotiating over entitlement reform and tax reform. I frankly believe that we ought to be at the negotiating table talking about that, but what we have been told is no, as soon as you will raise the debt ceiling by the amount that we are hearing somewhere in the neighborhood of a trillion dollars, as soon as you will raise the debt ceiling, then we can talk further about other negotiations.  Then we can get engaged on trying to deal with our debt crisis. I pointed out, as I said, to Secretary Lew that the last major progress we made on spending reform happened in negotiations relating to our debt ceiling.  Why can't we negotiate now and make significant fiscal reform in addition to dealing with our debt ceiling? It's that debt crisis that is the biggest problem. I was on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, the president's own commission that he put together some years back, two or three years now, and wespent a full year studying the impacts on our economy of America's fiscal excesses and what we needed to do, and the Simpson-Bowles commission came up with a plan. It was a proposal. We concluded that we needed to -- and this was two or three years back, but we needed to reduce our spending path, our debts path in the United States by at least $4 trillion.  We concluded that we had to deal with that by reforming ourentitlement system, and we had to deal with it by controlling discretionary spending, and we agreed to having some of that tax revenue that the president was demanding, and we also agreed that in the -- in the overall mix that we would have about a 3-1 ratio of spending cuts to revenue.  The president did not accept that recommendation and many of us tried for months and months and months afterward to get that recommendation to the floor for avote, but it has not made it to the floor for a vote. My point is, negotiations have been under way for years and years and significant plans have been developed that would help us move forward. We know what to do. We need to have the will to do it, and so far the only reforms that we have been able to get in the last few years as a result of the debt crisis that we face have come when we have met these pressure points dealing withour debt ceiling. We're not asking to shut down the government for the purposes of simply making a point.  We are trying to get to negotiations. We want to see the government reopened. We are not seeking to have the debt ceiling expire.  We want to have negotiations to be able to put together the kinds of fiscal reforms that should always accompany extensions of the debt ceiling.  I believe the reason that Congress put statutory debt ceilings in place in the first place was because they wanted togive America a gut check every so often about the spending problems that we have.  We have put almost half of the entire spending system of the government on autopilot, and we don't even have the opportunities to vote on it here in congress. Madam President, ultimately we have to deal with the debt ceiling and ultimately we have to deal with the funding to keep our government operational. Let's not just move forward andaccomplish those objectives, leaving in place the unrestrained fiscal crisis that we are dealing with in this country. Let's use this opportunity to put together the kinds of fiscal reforms that should accompany decisions to allow our country to increase its debt. And with that, Madam President, I yield my time.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=17f6a567-80e5-4668-adae-763fb551e6f2,Risch Meets With President of the Basque Government,2013-10-09,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim Risch met with the President of the Basque government, Inigo Urkullu, on October 9 in Washington, D.C.  In their meeting, Senator Risch and President Urkullu discussed Boise’s robust Basque community and their rich contribution to Idaho’s culture and identity.  Both men remembered one of Idaho’s dear friends and great public servants, Pete Cenarrusa, a son of Basque immigrants who passed away last month.  “I was pleased to welcome President Urkullu to Washington, D.C., and converse about his country, his government, and the Basque peoples’ strong ties to the United States.  With their unique cuisine, language and cultural traditions, the Basque people have enriched the state of Idaho over the decades, and I was honored to host the leader of the Basques in my office”, said Risch.    After more meetings with members of Congress and State Department officials in Washington, President Urkullu will travel to New York to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the New York Basque Club.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345861,Crapo on Yellen Nomination for Fed Chair,2013-10-09,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 09, 2013 Crapo on Yellen Nomination for Fed Chair Washington, D.C. - Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement regarding the expected nomination of Janet L. Yellen to serve as the next Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.   ""As is always the case, Ms. Yellen's nomination to serve as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve Board will be carefully reviewed and considered by the Banking Committee.  The next Fed Chair faces a unique set of challenges, including winding down unconventional monetary policy, implementing a long list of unfinished rules under Dodd-Frank without over-regulating the community banking sector, and effectively communicating future policies to the markets and the public. I continue to strongly disagree with the Fed's use of quantitative easing, and am eager to learn Ms. Yellen's vision for the direction of the Federal Reserve as we go through the nomination process. He added, ""Ben Bernanke has served as Fed Chairman through unprecedented economic conditions, and I greatly appreciate his many years of dedicated service.""   Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=352482,Simpson joins Colleagues to Pay National Guard Service Members,2013-10-04,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today signed a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel asking that he use his authority to designate National Guard employees exempt status during the government shutdown to ensure they are paid.  Congress recently passed H.R. 3210, which ensured that members of the armed forces continue to receive their paychecks.  National Guard troops have not been included as exempt employees, but could be designated as so under the authority of H.R. 3210.  The letter states in part, “Our National Guard is a critical component of ensuring that our Nation stands prepared to rapidly confront disaster at home and abroad.  That is why we ask that you deem those activated under Title 32 – Active Guard & Reserve, dual status military technicians, and Active Duty Operational Support – as excepted employees.“ The House of Representatives yesterday passed H.R. 3230, the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act which made appropriations in effect for the pay and allowance of members of reserve components of the Armed Forces. This bill passed 265-160 with Congressman Simpson’s support.  It now moves to the Senate for consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345857,Idaho Delegation Postpones Service Academy Day,2013-10-04,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"October 04, 2013 Idaho Delegation Postpones Service Academy Day Washington, D.C. -  The Idaho Congressional Delegation postponed the 2013 Service Academy Day that was previously scheduled for Sat., Oct. 5 at Gowen Field, Boise, ID.  Notice will be given once this event is rescheduled. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/blog/?postid=352165,Shutdown Update,2013-10-02,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Shutdown Update Posted by on October 2, 2013 | comments “Let me be clear, I am going to continue to support the position of our Republican Caucus in the ongoing shutdown dispute,” said Congressman Mike Simpson. “Having said that, similar to Senator Rand Paul, I could support a very short-term clean CR, perhaps one or two weeks, while we continue to negotiate on a longer-term bill that addresses priorities we believe are important.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=352206,Simpson’s Bill to Reopen National Parks Passes House,2013-10-02,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act would immediately reopen parks, museums while budget impasse is resolved share: f t  Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson authored language passed by the House of Representatives today to keep the National Parks opened while Congress works to pass an overall budget.  The measure, which failed under a required two-thirds vote last night after Democrats opposed it, would provide immediate funding at current sequestered levels for National Park Service operations and for the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum.  Today the House passed H.J.Res. 70, the Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act, by a vote of 252-173. To watch Congressman Simpson's floor speech visit his YouTube page. “With each passing day, we hear of more and more impacts resulting from Congress’s inability to pass a budget,” said Simpson.  “While we work to break through this budget impasse, let’s at least take steps to reduce the impact on those who have planned to visit our national parks and museums.  This is a common sense measure that should receive bipartisan support, and I’m disappointed that my Democratic colleagues have chosen instead to keep these national treasures closed to the public.” Simpson, who chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, oversees the budget for the National Park Service, the Smithsonian, national museums and the U.S. Holocaust Museum.  Simpson reiterated the need to find an overall solution to the current budget stalemate.  “Failing to fund day-to-day government operations is an abdication of Congress’s constitutional responsibility, and I urge the Senate to begin negotiating with the House to get our government back up and running.” H.J.Res. 70 now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=351979,Government Shutdown – What it Means to You,2013-10-01,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"As of October 1st the Federal Government is shut down until a continuing resolution or other funding bill can be approved by both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and then signed by President Obama. While these negotiations continue, Congressman Simpson provided the following information about how personal offices will be staffed and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about how the shutdown impacts the lives of Americans. Congressman Simpson has deemed three staff essential in Idaho and three in Washington DC. Constituents are encouraged to contact him through his official website. Simpson is maintaining limited services in his Washington, DC, and Boise offices and has closed his offices in Twin Falls, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls. Frequently Asked Questions about the Government Shutdown: During a federal government shutdown, it is up to the executive branch to determine which essential activities will continue, therefore the information below should be considered as guidance but may be subject to change. Many departments and agencies have provided guidance on operations during a shut down on their websites, if you have additional questions, visit those sites. Q – Will I continue to receive my mail? A – Yes. The U.S. Postal service functions as an independent organization. Q – Will I continue to get my Social Security benefits? A – Yes. Social Security is considered a “mandatory” program and is not dependent on appropriations to continue dispensing benefits. However, the Social Security Administration is impacted, but it is believed they would be sufficiently staffed to ensure payments are continued to be made. Q – Will the IRS continue to collect taxes? A – Yes. All payments can still be processed.  However, it is possible that refunds could be delayed and all audit activities by the IRS will be suspended. Q – Can I go to a national park? A – No. The National Park Service has closed entrances and told all visitors to leave.  Anyone already in the parks will have to leave within two days. Q – Will museums in Washington, D.C. be closed? A – Yes. The Smithsonian, Archives, National Zoo, Holocaust Museum and monuments are closed to the public. Q – Will food safety inspections occur? A – Safety related inspections will continue, but some investigations into violations could be impacted. Q – Will a shutdown stop the implementation of Obamacare? A – No. The state-run exchanges will open as scheduled. Similar to Social Security and Medicare, most of the funding for the exchanges is mandatory funding not impacted by appropriations. Q – Will I still receive unemployment benefits or food stamps? A – Yes. The Employment and Training Administration has said it will provide essential functions, including dispensing unemployment benefits.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said SNAP (food stamps) is funded for another year. Q – Can I receive WIC benefits? A – No money is available to pay for the administrative costs of WIC at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.   However, states do administer the program, so funding may be available. Q – Will the federal school lunch program stay in effect? A – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said that most schools will be able to provide meals through October. Q – Will airports stay open? A – The Transportation Security Administration has said passengers should see little change at security.  There are furloughs at TSA but essential employees will continue to work. Q – Will federal prisons, border patrol, emergency medical facilities, law enforcement and disaster response continue functioning? A – Yes. Any employee who is considered to be essential to protecting life and property will remain in place. Q – Will troops be paid? A – Yes. Congress passed legislation Monday to ensure members of the armed forces get paid on time as normal.  Furloughed civilian workers won’t be paid unless Congress passes legislation restoring lost income when the shutdown ends. Q – Will veterans continue receiving compensation for service related wounds or injuries? A – Yes, but the VA has said it only has enough money to compensate veterans for the rest of October.  The VA has also said burial benefits, headstones and death notices will remain available.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=352067,Democrats Reject Simpson’s Bill to Re-Open Parks and Museums,2013-10-01,2013,2013-10,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"The Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act would have restarted operations of national parks, Smithsonian museums, and others in spite of shutdown share: f t  Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson authored legislation taken up by the House of Representatives this evening to immediately reopen our National Parks and museums in Washington, DC.  Unfortunately, House Democrats opposed the bill and it failed under suspension of the rules.  National Park Service operations were suspended today because of the government shutdown, and the Smithsonian Institute museums, the National Gallery of Art, and the United States Holocaust Museum have been closed.  H.J.Res 70, the Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act, would have provided immediate funding at current sequestered levels to ensure that Americans can still visit these important sites. “One of the first things we heard when the government shut down was the gates to our nation’s crown jewels, our national parks, slamming shut.  The American people should still have access to their parks even if Congress is struggling to find a long-term solution for our budgetary woes,"" said Simpson.  ""In addition, I’ve heard from a number of Idahoans who have planned for months to travel to our nation’s capital this week, only to find that many of the things they came to see—including the Smithsonian, the Holocaust Museum, and many historical sites in the region—are closed.  The Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act would have made sure that they didn’t spend all that money coming across the country to Washington, DC, only to sit in a hotel room because nothing is open.” “This was a stopgap measure, not a long-term solution,” Simpson added.  “Congress has a constitutional responsibility to keep the government functioning and pass a budget as quickly as possible. I am disappointed the Democrats rejected this common sense measure, and even more disappointed that the Senate continues to refuse to negotiate with the House on ending the shutdown.” Simpson’s resolution failed by a vote of 252-176, not having received the necessary two-thirds votes for passage under the rules.  Simpson chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees the budget for the National Park Service, the Smithsonian, and related agencies. Simpson’s floor speech can be viewed here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/blog/?postid=351761,Simpson: Cenarrusa Will Be Sorely Missed,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson issued the following statement today regarding the passing of former Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa. “Pete Cenarrusa displayed a relentless commitment to working on behalf of Idahoans and we have a better state because of his leadership. Personally, I’m extremely thankful for the guidance I received from Pete over the years. Kathy and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Freda, their family and friends as we all mourn his passing. He will be sorely missed.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=351882,"House Passes Bill to Keep Government Open, Block Obamacare Subsidies for Congress",2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson this evening voted in favor of legislation that would extend government funding at post-sequestration levels through December 15th, delay the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate for one-year, and require Members of Congress, congressional staff, and political appointees (including White House staff) to enroll in the Obamacare exchanges without an employer subsidy for coverage. Congressman Simpson is a cosponsor of two bills that eliminate the employer subsidy for Members of Congress and their staff and has long opposed exempting Congress from the Affordable Care Act’s provisions. “While Congress works to avoid a government shutdown and protect vital services for the American people, it must also work to ensure those of us living inside the beltway aren’t exempted from the onerous impacts of Obamacare,” said Simpson.  “This bill keeps the government funded through December 15th and ensures Members of Congress, their staff, and political appointees aren’t exempted from Obamacare or provided subsidies unavailable to their constituents. That is the right thing to do and with healthcare exchanges opening tomorrow, this is the right time to do it.” The House approved several revisions to the Senate’s continuing resolution this evening.  They include the one-year delay in the individual mandate, the provision ensuring Congress and the White House do not receive an employer subsidy, the extension of the CR expiration date to December 15, a technical change to the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, and a provision related to the issuance of Special Immigrant Visas. “The American people rightly desire a delay in Obamacare, but they are demanding a repeal of President Obama’s special rules that protect taxpayer subsidies for elected officials,” said Simpson. “This bill responds to the demands of the American people, funds the government for the next 75 days, and gives Congress time to finish its important work on the annual funding bills.” Simpson is also a cosponsor of two pieces of legislation blocking subsidies for federal officials.  H.R. 3076, the James Madison Congressional Accountability Act, would block a taxpayer subsidy for the President, Vice-President, executive branch, and Congress in purchasing health plans.  H.R. 3067, the NO Obamacare Subsidies for Members of Congress Act, would prohibit a taxpayer subsidy for the purchase of health plans by Members of Congress.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=025b478e-8ffe-458f-ae03-3916a6d7c3d8,Risch Recognizes Whiteman Lumber as Small Business of the Month,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. - In recognition of their tremendous efforts and years of success, U.S. Senator Jim Risch has named Whiteman Lumber as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for September.  The company will be recognized in the Congressional Record of the United States Senate. “I am pleased to recognize Whiteman Lumber as an outstanding small business.  This small business exemplifies the perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit of Idaho,” said Risch. “An indispensable member of the Silver Valley community, Whiteman Lumber has been fixture in the region for more than 80 years and is now the oldest continuously operating sawmill in Idaho.  I congratulate everyone at Whiteman Lumber on their success and wish them the very best in the future.” Opened in 1928, Whiteman Lumber has seen the evolution of the lumber industry in Idaho and continues to meet the needs of local mines, mills and other clients through market and economic fluctuations.  This small family business is a perfect example of resiliency, seeing their share of struggle through recession and even a devastating fire, but they never gave up.  They continually moved forward to expand to new markets and provide clients with superior, custom lumber products. Senator Risch is the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.  The committee oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to entrepreneurship and provides oversight of the Small Business Administration.  They also research, investigate and report all problems relating to American’s small businesses to the full Senate. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2cd6be4e-3c32-439a-b11b-ff5884e80773,"Crapo, Risch Join in Mourning Loss of Cenarrus",2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,www.risch.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch released the following statement after learning of the passing of long-time Idaho Secretary of State, Pete Cenarrusa:                                                                               “The state of Idaho lost a dear friend yesterday with the passing of Pete Cenarrusa.  Pete had a unique capacity to lead people and institutions with good will, great humor and wise counsel.  Pete was a personal friend and advisor to both of us and we will forever remember the example he set for all public servants.  Pete’s long and dedicated service to the people of Idaho will last forever.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Freda, their family and all of Pete’s friends.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=837,"LABRADOR ON MEET THE PRESS: ""THE PRESIDENT AND THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT""",2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) was a panelist on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.   He discussed House Republican efforts to keep the government open, delay ObamaCare, and repeal the medical device tax.  The other panelists were Chris Matthews, Dee Dee Myers, and former Ambassador Jon Huntsman.  To watch the panel discussion, click here. Some highlights: On ObamaCare: “All we're asking for in the House of Representatives is a one-year delay. Just like the unions are asking for a one-year delay, like he has given to Big Businesses. I don't think that's an unreasonable thing for us to be asking for.” On the C.R. battle: “The Democrats spent the entire decade of the Bush administration trying to repeal the Bush Tax Cuts. It's not like Republicans and Democrats don't fight about their policies. That's what politics is all about.” On a possible government shutdown: “The president and the Democrats want to shut down the government.  If you look last night at Twitter, there wasn't a single Republican on Twitter who was saying, ‘Let's shut down the government.’ But every single Democrat was saying, ‘The Republicans want to shut down the government.’ The politics are coming from the other side, On the negative tone of politics (to Chris Matthews):  “Your boss, Tip O'Neil, shut down the government twelve different times. And you didn't call him a terrorist.” A full transcript can be found here.  ####",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=838,LABRADOR REACTS TO PASSING OF PETE CENARRUSA,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) released the following statement today after the passing of former Idaho Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa: ""I was saddened to hear of the passing of Pete Cenarrusa – one of the true gentlemen of Idaho politics.  When I served in the state legislature and after being elected to Congress, I always enjoyed talking with him and learning from him.  The longest- serving state official in Idaho history, Pete loved our state, and Idaho is better off because of his service.  He led a full and happy life, and he will be missed.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=839,LABRADOR REACTS TO LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH IRAN & PASTOR ABEDINI,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) released the following statement today after it was revealed that President Obama advocated for the release of American pastor Saeed Abedini as part of his historic phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. “I commend President Obama for advocating for the release of Pastor Abedini in his first conversation with Iran’s President,” said Rep. Labrador.  “However, I am concerned that the Iranian government is more interested in words than actions.  If the Iranian government is sincerely committed to action, a good first step would be to immediately release Pastor Abedini.  All negotiations with Iran should end until that basic humanitarian action has been taken.”  Pastor Abedini, a resident of Boise, Idaho, is serving an eight-year sentence in Iran for “threatening the national security” of that country.  In reality, he was in Iran to work on a new orphanage.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=841,"LABRADOR VOTES TO KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN, DELAY INDIVIDUAL MANDATE FOR ONE YEAR",2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) voted for a Continuing Resolution (C.R.) tonight that would keep the government open past midnight, while delaying the individual mandate for one year.  The C.R. now moves to the Senate, which must pass it in order to avoid a government shutdown.   “For the second time in three nights, the House voted to keep the government open,” said Rep. Labrador.  “The Senate, on the other hand, refuses to negotiate, even if it means a government shutdown.   The House is listening to the American people by advocating for a one-year delay of the individual mandate.  The Senate, meanwhile, is trying to instigate a shutdown with the hope that Republicans will get the blame.  In fact, it will be Senate that gets blamed for refusing to fix the individual mandate.  The President has already delayed the employer mandate for big business.  There’s no reason we can’t delay it for the American people too.  “The House is ready to work with the Senate, but we need the Senate to come to the table.  The Senate has put us on the brink of a shutdown, which is irresponsible and unacceptable.  The American people deserve better.” The C.R. includes an amendment requiring that all Members of Congress, all congressional staff (including committee and leadership staff), the President, Vice President, and all political appointees within the administration to purchase their health insurance on the ObamaCare exchange.  No subsidy would be provided beyond what is required by law for all Americans.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345841,"Crapo, Risch Join In Mourning Loss Of Cenarrusa",2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"September 30, 2013 Crapo, Risch Join In Mourning Loss Of Cenarrusa Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch released the following statement after learning of the passing of long-time Idaho Secretary of State, Pete Cenarrusa: ""The state of Idaho lost a dear friend yesterday with the passing of Pete Cenarrusa.  Pete had a unique capacity to lead people and institutions with good will, great humor and wise counsel.  Pete was a personal friend and advisor to both of us and we will forever remember the example he set for all public servants.  Pete's long and dedicated service to the people of Idaho will last forever.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Freda, their family and all of Pete's friends.""  Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345843,Crapo Votes To Delay Obamacare One Year,2013-09-30,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"September 30, 2013 Crapo Votes To Delay Obamacare One Year The health care law continues to prove itself unworkable; Idahoans deserve exemption Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted to protect a provision in the government funding continuing resolution (CR) that would fully delay Obamacare for one year.  Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a CR with an amendment delaying Obamacare for one year and repealing the medical device tax, which a majority of Senators and Representatives have previously voted to remove.  Crapo commended the House for including the delay and called on the Majority Leader to follow the House's lead on this important issue. ""Idahoans and Americans across the country are confused and concerned about the implementation of Obamcare,"" Crapo said.  ""My colleagues in the House have listened to the American people and passed a much-needed one-year delay.  The administration continues to pick and choose who is exempt from the law, offering an exemption for businesses while excluding individuals and families.  Idahoans are already seeing decreases in full-time employment, drops in coverage and increases in premiums.  Until there is clear guidance on how the law will be implemented, delaying it for individuals, as well as businesses, is the reasonable solution. This CR would have avoided the impending threat of a government shutdown while providing reassurance to Idahoans and all Americans regarding the implementation of Obamacare."" Crapo added, ""Repeal of the medical device tax has overwhelming bipartisan support.  Placing a tax on life-saving devices, thus preventing access for Americans who need them most, is irresponsible.   Additionally, the tax places a great burden on new innovation and development of potential lifesaving technologies."" Last Friday, the U.S. Senate passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through November 15.  Early Sunday morning, the House amended that CR with a one-year delay and a repeal of the Medical Device tax in Obamacare.  Today, the majority leader moved to strike the amendments passed by the House, and was successful with a simple majority vote of 54-46.  The bill now goes back to the House.    Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://labrador.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=840,"LABRADOR VOTES TO KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN, DELAY OBAMACARE FOR ONE YEAR",2013-09-29,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Raúl Labrador,L000573,labrador.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) voted for a Continuing Resolution (C.R.) today that would keep the government open past September 30, while delaying ObamaCare for one year and repealing the medical device tax.  The C.R. now moves to the Senate, which must pass it in order to avoid a government shutdown. In addition, Rep. Labrador voted for a separate bill to pay U.S. troops in the event of a shutdown. “Tonight, the House showed its willingness to compromise - passing a C.R. to keep the government open, while also enacting a common-sense one-year delay of ObamaCare,” said Rep. Labrador.  “The American people already oppose ObamaCare, and for good reason: It’s responsible for higher premiums, higher taxes, and fewer jobs.  There’s no reason we can’t delay ObamaCare for one year to prevent this ‘train wreck’ from coming.  If the Senate refuses to pass our C.R., they will be putting their political needs ahead of the needs of hard-working Americans.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=351681,"House Passes Bill to Keep Government Open, Delays Obamacare",2013-09-28,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted in favor of legislation that would extend government funding at post-sequestration levels through December 15th and delay the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, for one year.  “Congress must do everything we can to avoid a government shutdown,” Simpson said.   “This bill meets our obligation to keep the government functioning, and to be responsive to our constituents, who have made it very clear that they do not want to see Obamacare go into effect on October 1st.  I hope the Senate acts quickly—as the House has done—in order to meet those obligations as well.” The House approved two amendments to the CR that it received from the Senate today. The first adds a permanent repeal of the onerous 2.3% excise tax on medical devices like pacemakers, CT scan machines, and defibrillators and passed the House by a vote of 248-174. The second amendment adds a one-year delay of Obamacare, this passed the House by a vote of 231-192.   “The one year delay in Obamacare just makes sense,” said Simpson. “President Obama’s own administration has recommended delaying large portions of it already; acknowledging that full implementation now will be damaging to our economy.”   The House also passed, and Congressman Simpson supported, H.R. 3210, the Pay Our Military Act, which will ensure that members of the Armed Forces continue to receive their pay until enactment of a Continuing Resolution or regular appropriations bill providing for such payments is passed.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/blog/?postid=351574,Simpson Praises H.R. 354 passing House and Senate,2013-09-27,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Simpson Praises H.R. 354 passing House and Senate Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson praised the passage of H. Res. 354, by the House and Senate this week; legislation that will address the impending closure of the Federal Helium Reserve in early October by allowing it to continue supplying helium while also reforming our nation’s helium policy.  ""Thousands of high-tech manufacturing jobs in the United States depend on a reliable supply of helium,” Simpson said.  “Micron Technology, which is based in my district, is a large semiconductor manufacturer and a global leader in computer memory technology, and they depend on helium for their manufacturing processes.  If the Reserve stopped making helium available for sale to private entities like Micron, a significant delay might not just slow the production of computer chips, but the computers, life-saving medical devices, and weapons systems that they power.” The Federal Helium Reserve was created in 1926 to ensure a steady helium supply for the nation’s defense needs.  However, federal demand did not live up to expectations, and by the 1990’s, the Reserve had accrued a $1.3 billion debt.  In 1996, Congress passed reforms to require the sale of the Federal Helium Reserve by 2015.  The Reserve is expected to pay off the debt earlier than expected, by October 2013, without having sold off all of the helium. As a result, the Reserve, by law, will close and no longer have the authority to sell the remaining 11 billion cubic feet of helium.  This will create an immediate worldwide helium shortage and cut the domestic supply in half.  “This bill gets the government out of the helium business and moves toward a market based approach,” Simpson said.  “It also reduces the federal deficit by $90 million over 10 years.”  H. Res. 354 will next be presented to President Obama for his signature.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140221124614/http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=8e880330-d4e7-438b-a8c6-2b27590a21e7,Risch and Crapo Vote Against Obamacare - Again,2013-09-27,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Jim Risch,R000584,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. – Today, Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo voted against cloture on the House-passed Continuing Resolution (CR), saying they disagree with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nevada) intended procedural motion to strike provisions defunding Obamacare from the bill.  Risch and Crapo signed a letter led by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) vowing to stop Obamacare from being funded.  “Every day we see more and more problems associated with Obamacare and its implementation and it is increasingly clear this law is wrong for America,” Risch said.  “Today I have voted once again, as I have since the beginning and each step of the way, to defund this abomination before it inflicts even greater pain on Idahoans.” “Before the enactment of Obamacare, I was deeply concerned about the damage this legislation would inflict upon family incomes, jobs, and health care prices,” Crapo said.  “Since passage, I have been committed to delaying, defunding and repealing this damaging law.  The U.S. House of Representatives has done its job of passing a government funding bill that keeps the government open and gives Idaho families much-needed relief by defunding Obamacare, but I cannot support the legislative maneuvers by the Majority Leader that ensure funding for Obamacare continues.  The health care law has shown itself increasingly unworkable and unpopular with the public by raising costs, reducing health care choices for consumers and damaging the economy.” Following Cloture being invoked, the Senate voted on the amendment to remove the Obamacare defunding language.  Risch and Crapo, along with all of their Republican colleagues voted against this amendment.  Crapo added, “Idahoans, and people all across the United States, are communicating loudly and clearly that they do not support Obamacare.  Five votes are all that were needed today to maintain the defunding language that the House sent to the Senate.  While our efforts were not successful today, I will continue fighting to replace this law with workable, patient-centered, affordable health care legislation.” Monday, the majority leader of the Senate filed Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the House-passed CR.  Wednesday, the Senate voted to cut off debate on the Motion to Proceed with a vote of 100-0.  Wednesday evening, upon the Senate immediately agreeing to proceed to the resolution, the majority leader filed cloture on the underlying bill, blocking colleagues from filing amendments.  Today, the Senate voted on cloture on the CR, which was agreed to with a vote of 79-19.  Immediately following cloture being invoked, the Senate voted on the Majority Leader’s amendment to remove the Obamacare defunding provision, which was agreed to 54-44. ### ......................................................................",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345823,Crapo And Risch Vote Against Obamacare—Again,2013-09-27,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"September 27, 2013 Crapo And Risch Vote Against Obamacareâ??Again Senators support Obamacare defunding; Reject majority leaderâ??s efforts to strip defunding from bill Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted against cloture on the House-passed Continuing Resolution (CR), saying they disagree with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nevada) intended procedural motion to strike provisions defunding Obamacare from the bill.  Crapo and Risch signed a letter led by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) vowing to stop Obamacare from being funded.  ""Before the enactment of Obamacare, I was deeply concerned about the damage this legislation would inflict upon family incomes, jobs, and health care prices,"" Crapo said.  ""Since passage, I have been committed to delaying, defunding and repealing this damaging law.  The U.S. House of Representatives has done its job of passing a government funding bill that keeps the government open and gives Idaho families much-needed relief by defunding Obamacare, but I cannot support the legislative maneuvers by the Majority Leader that ensure funding for Obamacare continues.  The health care law has shown itself increasingly unworkable and unpopular with the public by raising costs, reducing health care choices for consumers and damaging the economy."" ""Every day we see more and more problems associated with Obamacare and its implementation and it is increasingly clear this law is wrong for America,"" Risch said.  ""Today I have voted once again, as I have since the beginning and each step of the way, to defund this abomination before it inflicts even greater pain on Idahoans."" Following Cloture being invoked, the Senate voted on the amendment to remove the Obamacare defunding language.  Crapo and Risch, along with all of their Republican colleagues voted against this amendment.  Crapo added, ""Idahoans, and people all across the United States, are communicating loudly and clearly that they do not support Obamacare.  Five votes are all that were needed today to maintain the defunding language that the House sent to the Senate.  While our efforts were not successful today, I will continue fighting to replace this law with workable, patient-centered, affordable health care legislation."" Monday, the majority leader of the Senate filed Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the House-passed CR.  Wednesday, the Senate voted to cut off debate on the Motion to Proceed with a vote of 100-0.  Wednesday evening, upon the Senate immediately agreeing to proceed to the resolution, the majority leader filed cloture on the underlying bill, blocking colleagues from filing amendments.  Today, the Senate voted on cloture on the CR, which was agreed to with a vote of 79-19.  Immediately following cloture being invoked, the Senate voted on the Majority Leader's amendment to remove the Obamacare defunding provision, which was agreed to 54-44. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345824,Crapo Votes Against U.S. Senate Continuing Resolution,2013-09-27,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"September 27, 2013 Crapo Votes Against U.S. Senate Continuing Resolution Senate plan stripped Obamacare defunding Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, voted against final passage of the Senate Continuing Resolution (CR).  The vote was 54-44.  Following the vote, Crapo released the following statement. ""The CR passed by the Senate today is the wrong approach to our fiscal situation, which continues to deteriorate,"" Crapo said.  ""Passage of this CR allows federal funding to continue at levels that drive us ever deeper into debt.  Making this CR particularly worse, is that the funding for Obamacare was restored by an amendment that was agreed to on a straight party line vote.  The budget process is not finished with this CR; and the House is unlikely to agree to the Senate version. I will follow the House process closely and evaluate any amended version they send back to the Senate."" The House-passed CR was taken up in the Senate on Monday, September 23.  Following several procedural and amendment votes, the Senate voted on final passage of the amended House version.  The resolution now returns to the House for consideration where the House could pass the Senate CR or amend it further and return it to the Senate. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=345828,Crapo on FHA Taxpayer-Funded Bailout,2013-09-27,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Michael Crapo,C000880,www.crapo.senate.gov,,,legacy,"September 27, 2013 Crapo on FHA Taxpayer-Funded Bailout Washington, D.C. - Responding to a notice from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today indicating that it will require a nearly $2 billion taxpayer-funded bailout this year, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following statement: ""Today, the FHA informed me that it will require significant taxpayer assistance. Unfortunately, the announcement comes as no surprise and is unacceptable. This failure reinforces the need for Congress to pass FHA and broader housing finance reform.  Taxpayers have already been forced to provide hundreds of billions of dollars to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  FHA requiring nearly $2 billion for this year suggests that predictions of billions more in taxpayer liability could come to pass if we do not act on serious reform now."" In July, the Senate Banking Committee passed the FHA Solvency Act of 2013 (S.1376) with broad bipartisan support.  The bill would give the FHA tools to improve its financial condition, including strengthened underwriting standards, enhanced lender accountability measures, and reforms to the FHA's reverse mortgage program. Print Email Tweet Next Article",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=350626,Simpson Stresses Importance of A-10,2013-09-26,2013,2013-09,Republican,House,ID,Mike Simpson,S001148,simpson.house.gov,,,legacy,"Simpson Stresses Importance of A-10 f t # e Washington, September 26, 2013 Washington, D.C. – Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has signed a letter to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force expressing concern about recent reports that the Air Force is considering divesting itself of the A-10 Thunderbolt II.  The A-10 is currently operated at Gowen Field. The letter states, in part: The A-10 has provided the Air Force with decades of exemplary service with a new retrofit of the aiframe’s wing and electronics package, the A-10 can continue its close air support mission for decades to come. National security and the protection of our service members in combat areas must be paramount as we consider the needs of the Department of Defense. To deprive itself of such a combat-proven workhorse such as the A-10 would be a mistake and adversely impact the ability of the Air Force to support the warfighter on the ground. Congressman Simpson added, “We all understand that forces are being drawn down in Afghanistan, and I applaud attempts to find efficiencies within the force structure, but it is important to remain fully capable, including maintaining the ability to provide close-air combat support for troops on the ground.” The letter also requested that the Air Force provide the proposed funding decisions for the A-10 and its proposed future guidance.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z