News Releases
Crapo Co-Sponsors Bill To Prevent IRS Targeting
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has joined Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and 38 senate colleagues to introduce the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act. This bill would prevent further targeting of conservative social welfare organizations by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by reverting back to the IRS standards and definitions that were in place on January 1, 2010-a date prior to the agency's targeting. The bill also suspends for one year any IRS rulemaking relat… Continue Reading
February 10, 2014
Administration Announces Delay Of Employer Mandate, Again
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement after the Obama Administration's decision to delay the Obamacare employer mandate, again. The administration had delayed until 2015 the provision that fines employers who do not provide health insurance for full time equivalent employees. Now, under new rules for medium-size employers, certain businesses will avoid penalty until 2016. "Many Idahoans tell me that they are tir… Continue Reading
February 07, 2014
Crapoâ??s Forest Roads Regulatory Relief Legislation Becomes Law
Washington, D.C. - Federal, state, county, tribal and private forest owners, along with farmers and ranchers, will benefit from language, included in the Farm Bill, signed into law by President Barack Obama. The Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act, more commonly known as the forest roads legislation, introduced by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), would codify positions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Supreme Court that forest roads used… Continue Reading
February 06, 2014
Crapo Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Baucus Nomination
Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo supported Senator Max Baucus of Montana's nomination to be the next U.S. envoy to China. Since Crapo arrived in the Senate in 1999, the two have partnered together on issues of mutual interest and importance to the West. Crapo and Baucus served together on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Senate Finance Committee, which Baucus has chaired since 2007. "Max is a friend and has been a good partner on many resource, trade an… Continue Reading
February 06, 2014
Crapo To Host First Tele-Townhall Of 2014
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has scheduled his first statewide tele-townhall of the year for Wednesday, February 12. The hour-long call will allow Crapo to hear directly from Idahoans about the many challenging issues facing the nation. Crapo will also take time to explain the recently-passed Farm Bill and the flaws and benefits, including deficit reduction measures, associated with this important piece of legislation. The call begins at 7:00 PM Mountain Time / 6:00 PM Pacific … Continue Reading
February 04, 2014
Crapo Backs Five-Year Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo joined a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate and voted to approve the House-passed Agricultural Act of 2014 conference report, commonly known as the Farm Bill. The bill, which passed 68-32, concludes a long process that began last year when the House and Senate passed separate versions. A conference committee made up of members of the House and Senate has been working for the last several months to iron out the differences and come to a final agre… Continue Reading
January 31, 2014
Crapo: Administration Has No Excuse, Approve Keystone
Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. State Department released a final environmental analysis of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The report, like previous studies, shows that the pipeline would not cause a major expansion of production in the Canadian oil sands or contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has been a strong proponent of the project, pushing the administration to approve the pipeline for several years.? "Achieving U.S. energy independence is a … Continue Reading
January 28, 2014
Crapo: Presidentâ??s Speech Shows Country Faces Serious Challenges Ahead
Washington, D.C. - Following the State of the Union address, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee and member of the Senate Finance and Budget Committees, issued the following statement: "We must focus harder on our massive national debt. Now at a staggering $17 trillion, this level of debt is irresponsible, unacceptable, and quite frankly, dangerous. An overwhelming majority of voters want the president and Congress to spend more time addressing the nationa… Continue Reading
January 24, 2014
Crapo Office Travels to Council
Boise - To better assist Idahoans with questions and issues concerning federal agencies and policies, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo's office is continuing a rotation of remote office hours on behalf of the Senator across the southwest part of the state. Crapo's Regional Director Bryan Ricker has been meeting with constituents on behalf of the senator. This month, Ricker will be in Adams County to assist Idahoans with any questions or problems related to federal agencies or with problems regardin… Continue Reading
January 23, 2014
Crapo Welcomes Spring 2014 Interns
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo welcomes seven new interns to his Boise regional office and his Capitol office in Washington, D.C., to learn more about Congress and the federal government. Interns assist the Senator and his staff in serving the people of Idaho by conducting legislative research, providing administrative support and giving tours of the U.S. Capitol to visiting Idahoans and their families. "Having served an internship on Capitol Hill, I know what a tremendous opport… Continue Reading
January 17, 2014
Idaho Senators Co-Sponsor Concealed Carry Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are co-sponsoring legislation to expand gun rights of law-abiding citizens in states like Idaho. The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2014 will allow an individual permitted or entitled by their state of residence to carry a concealed firearm the right to maintain that concealed carry in any other state that allows or does not prohibit the practice. In addition, concealed carry permits will be treated like drivers' lic… Continue Reading
January 17, 2014
Crapo Statement On The Retirement Announcement of Senator Tom Coburn
Washington, D.C. - Following the news that Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn would retire from the U.S. Senate at the end of the year, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo released the following statement: "Tom's spirit of service and sacrifice for his constituents and taxpayers across the country is unmatched. He has devoted his career in Congress to promoting fiscal responsibility by showing the American people the waste, fraud and abuse that should be eliminated in the federal government. I have had the op… Continue Reading
January 16, 2014
Crapo And Risch Vote Against Omnibus Spending Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch today voted against H.R. 3547, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. "The U.S. federal debt is well over $17 trillion dollars, a staggering $55,000 per person," said Crapo. "The federal government has been fiscally irresponsible for far too long and unfortunately, this bill continues this practice. Once again, a massive spending bill was brought to the Senate floor at the last minute and members were prevented from improving the bill with … Continue Reading
January 16, 2014
Crapo, Risch Welcome Murkowski for INL Visit
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch today announced that the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will tour the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on Friday, March 21st. Murkowski, also a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is coming to the lab at the request of Crapo and Risch. Murkowski's visit to the Idaho National Lab site is notable, given her influential role as the Energy Committee's Ranki… Continue Reading
January 16, 2014
Crapo: Presidentâ??s Climate Action Plan Flawed
Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo participated in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing entitled, "Review of the President's Climate Action Plan." President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan last summer which, according to the administration, aims to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and strives to encourage adaptation to expected climate change. In the plan, the president lays out a series of measures to cut carbon pollution; … Continue Reading
January 15, 2014
Crapo, Bennet, Risch, Udall Lead Fight to Include PILT Funding in Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo, Michael Bennet, Jim Risch and Mark Udall are sending a bipartisan letter signed by a coalition of senators to the leadership of the Farm Bill conference committee requesting that funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program be included in the final Farm Bill conference report. PILT provides federal payments to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable federal land within their boundaries. These r… Continue Reading
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." # # #… Continue Reading
December 20, 2013
FDA Heeds Call From Crapo And Others To Revise Fresh Produce Rules
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 consu… Continue Reading
December 20, 2013
Crapo Opposed Defense Bill Due To Increased Spending
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 pol… Continue Reading
December 19, 2013
Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bipartisan Wildfire Funding Reform Legislation
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 fir… Continue Reading
