News Releases
Crapo: $16 Trillion Debt is a â??Wake Up Callâ??
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said today's announcement by the U.S. Treasury that the U.S. has passed a national gross debt figure of more than $16 trillion can be a "wake up call" for all Americans to pressure Congress, the White House and the private sector to work together on finding a bipartisan solution to the debt crisis. Crapo is a member of the Senate's original "Gang of Six" that has been working on a bipartisan solution for debt reduction that includes spending cuts and… Continue Reading
August 31, 2012
Crapo to Discuss Federal Spending, Deficit Issues; Host Town Hall Meeting
Coeur d'Alene - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will answer questions at a town hall discussion and discuss his role in bipartisan plans to reduce the federal deficit during stops in Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint this coming Thursday and Friday. Crapo will also be honoring well-known local businessman John Corcoran with his Spirit of Idaho Award. Corcoran will be honored for establishing a self-help center for area senior citizens. Crapo's schedule for September 1 st and 2 nd includes the following … Continue Reading
August 13, 2012
Crapo Statement on Loss of Clearwater Firefighter
Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo called on all Idahoans to pause this week to thank and offer a prayer for the safety of fire crews seeking to stop the advancement of several wildfires burning throughout Idaho. Crapo noted the loss of 20-year old Anne Veseth, a student from Moscow who was in her second year of fighting summer wildfires. She died when she was struck by a falling tree while fighting a fire near Orofino. "I have had the privilege of meeting with our brave fire crews near the … Continue Reading
August 08, 2012
U.S. Senate Offices to Host Remote Hours in Coeur d'Alene Region
Coeur d'Alene, ID - Field representatives from the offices of Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch will host several Traveling District Office meetings in the coming weeks in Mullan, Plummer and Harrison. Congressional field representatives will be on hand to answer questions from individuals with specific problems with federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans' Affairs and the Social Security Administration. Traveling district office hours also provide constituents an oppor… Continue Reading
August 01, 2012
Senators Honor Idaho Olympian in U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Olympian and two-time gold medalist Kristin Armstrong was honored today by Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch before the U.S. Senate. Armstrong, a native of Boise, competed in the Olympic women's time trial today and won her second gold medal in the cycling event. The Senators submitted the following Congressional Record statement celebrating Armstrong's achievement: Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, my colleague Senator Jim Risch joins me today in congratulating fello… Continue Reading
July 31, 2012
WorldatWork Commends U.S. Senate for Recognizing October as "National Work and Family Month."
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senate resolution 533 designating October 2012 as "National Work and Family Month." Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) lead the effort to pass the bipartisan resolution. Senators Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) signed on as cosponsors. "WorldatWork applauds the Senate for passing this resolution recogni… Continue Reading
July 27, 2012
Senators Question USDA Priorities for Farmers, Ranchers
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have joined their Western Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts to discourage employees from eating meat. The USDA recently distributed a "Greening Headquarters Update" newsletter to employees in which their Office of Operations encourages employees to participate in "Meatless Mondays" while dining in USDA cafeterias. The newsl… Continue Reading
July 25, 2012
Crapo Votes to Prevent Tax Increase
Washington, D.C. - Today, the United States Senate took side-by-side votes on two very different tax proposals dealing with the possibility of large tax increases this coming January related to expiring tax provisions. The Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012, introduced by Senate Republicans and supported by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, would grant certainty to every American and small business owner that their taxes will not go up at the end of the year and provide time for Congress to deliver meanin… Continue Reading
July 21, 2012
Crapo: Reductions in Taxes and Spending Are Key to Bipartsian Agreement on Deficit
July 20, 2012
U.S. Senate Offices to Host Remote Hours in Coeur d'Alene Region
Coeur d'Alene, ID - Field representatives from the offices of Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch will host several Traveling District Office meetings in the coming weeks in St. Maries, Pinehurst and Fernwood. Congressional field representatives will be on hand to answer questions from individuals with specific problems with federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans' Affairs and the Social Security Administration. Traveling district office hours also provide constituents a… Continue Reading
July 17, 2012
Fed Chairman: Focus on Need for Debt Reduction
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says reducing federal debts and deficits are important factors in improving the nation's economic recovery and the creation of new jobs. Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, of which Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is a member, Bernanke warned Congress that it is important to develop a long-term plan to reduce U.S. government debt levels while avoiding massive tax increases or spending cuts. "Chairman Bernanke told us that signi… Continue Reading
July 11, 2012
Crapo to Discuss Taxes in iTownhall Meeting
Washington, D.C. - In his last-scheduled iTownhall meeting before the August state work period, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will host a teleforum focusing on new and higher taxes that all Idahoans are facing at the end of the year. The iTownhall meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 18, at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time/6:00 p.m. Pacific. From the Obamacare health law, with its recently upheld tax increases projected to fall largely on middle-income families, to new tax proposals, the threat of i… Continue Reading
July 03, 2012
Idaho Delegation to Host Office Hours in Hailey and Fairfield on Wednesday, July 11
Hailey, ID - Field representatives from the offices of Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Congressman Mike Simpson will host Traveling District Office meetings on July 11 at Hailey City Hall from 9:00 to 11:00 AM, followed by office hours at Blaine County Senior Connection from 11:30 to 1:00 PM, and Fairfield City Hall from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Congressional field representatives will be on hand to answer questions from individuals with specific problems with federal agencies such as the Interna… Continue Reading
July 02, 2012
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Dam Safety Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) recently introduced the Dam Safety Act of 2012 . The bill will extend funding authorization for the National Dam Safety Program, which provides grants to improve state dam safety programs through training, technical assistance, inspection, and research. "The importance of properly maintaining aging dams across the country cannot be overstated,"… Continue Reading
June 28, 2012
Supreme Court Confirms Health Mandate is a Tax Increase
Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold President Obama's Health Care Law, ruling that the individual mandate provision is legal as a tax on the American people. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo issued the following statement: "Today's decision is very disappointing, and it is not the ruling that the American people wanted. Americans overwhelmingly want solutions that deliver what they need-access to high-quality, affordable health care. This law did not fix the rising cost … Continue Reading
June 21, 2012
Crapo: Farm Bill Still Busts the Budget
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted against the final version of the 2012 Farm Bill today, calling it inadequate in terms of reducing the federal debt and deficits that must be brought under control. "It is a positive step to bring market-oriented reforms in this bill; unfortunately those reforms do not extend to the bottom-line spending that must be reduced," Crapo said. The cost of the bill is estimated to be $100 billion annually. "We have to reduce spending and budg… Continue Reading
June 20, 2012
Crapo Staff Plans Bilingual Office Hours in Caldwell and Middleton
Caldwell - To better assist Idahoans with questions and issues concerning federal agencies and policies, staff from Idaho Senator Mike Crapo's office will travel to Caldwell and Middleton this month. Brian Raybon, Special Assistant to Senator Crapo, who is also fluent in Spanish, will be available at both the Middleton and Caldwell locations to assist Idahoans with any questions or problems related to federal agencies or with problems regarding federal programs. Crapo Remote Office H… Continue Reading
June 19, 2012
Senators Concerned with Proposed Caribou Designation
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch have expressed concern to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Daniel Ashe about the size of the proposed critical habitat for caribou in north Idaho. Last November, the FWS proposed designating 375,562 acres of critical habitat for the Southern Selkirk Mountains population of woodland caribou. The proposed habitat, covering nearly 600 square miles, includes land in Boundary and Bonner c… Continue Reading
June 14, 2012
Crapo Welcomes Interns to State Offices
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo welcomes students to his office each semester to serve internships in his regional offices in Idaho and in Washington, D.C. All of the interns assist with constituent contacts, legislative responsibilities, office administrative tasks and other duties. This summer, Crapo has six interns serving in four regional offices. Idaho State Office, Boise Renata Poe is a senior at Boise State University studying English Literature, and plans to go into… Continue Reading
June 13, 2012
Senate Votes to Save Sugar Program
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today closely defeated an amendment that would have cut the sugar program in the new farm bill. As co-chairman of the Senate Sweetener Caucus, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of the sugar provisions to both sugar producers and consumers of sugar products. Idaho sugar producers bring in more than $1 billion in revenue annually to the state through the program that receives no taxpayer funding. Crapo stressed the sugar p… Continue Reading
