News Releases
Crapo to Discuss Clearwater Basin Collaborative, Tour Kootenai River Restoration Project
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will begin the August state work period with several events in north Idaho. Crapo will discuss job creation, recreational opportunities and habitat and land preservation efforts in the Clearwater Basin when he meets with the Clearwater Basin Collaborative work group next week in Lewiston. Crapo will also speak to a community luncheon in Bonners Ferry and view the progress made by the Kootenai River Restoration Project, aimed at improving flood contr… Continue Reading
July 26, 2013
Crapo to Speak at Bonners Ferry Luncheon
Washington, D.C. - Recent concerns over federal government debt and the intrusion into the private business of Americans by the IRS, federal financial bureaus and other federal agencies will be discussed by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo in Bonners Ferry on August 6 th. Crapo will keynote a public community luncheon organized by Bonners Ferry business and civic leaders. The 12:30 PM midday event will be held at the Kootenai River Inn on U.S. 95 in Bonners Ferry. Crapo is the lead Republican… Continue Reading
July 26, 2013
Crapo Announces Idahoâ??s Chobani Selected for Greek Yogurt Pilot Program
Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo announced that Chobani, which employs more than 600 Idahoans at its Twin Falls production plant, has been selected as the Greek yogurt of choice for the new U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Greek yogurt pilot program. Idaho, along with three other states, was chosen earlier this month to participate in the pilot program that will feature Greek yogurt in school lunches starting in the fall of 2014. "Greek yogurt is packed with protein an… Continue Reading
July 25, 2013
Crapo, Risch Support Student Loan Bill
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted for H.R. 1911, the student loan bill, as amended in the Senate. The bill passed the full Senate 81-18. "This measure will make it less expensive for students to plan for college and it links rates to the financial markets," said Crapo. "I would prefer to return to the private sector handling student loans to reduce government bureaucracy, but action was needed and we were able to reach agreement on a bipartisan solution to help… Continue Reading
July 24, 2013
Western Senators Introduce Measure To Offer Certainty For Cabin Owners
Washington, D.C. - Leading U.S. Senators from the American West introduced a bipartisan measure to make cabin user fees more affordable and predictable, allowing families to keep their cabins on Forest Service land at no cost to the federal government. Many Western families have owned family cabins on leased Forest Service land for generations. But due to skyrocketing land values, annual user fees are too expensive for many families, forcing some to consider abandoning their cabins. Led by Se… Continue Reading
July 22, 2013
Crapo, Bennet Secure Provision to Prioritize Wildfire Mitigation Efforts
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) have secured a measure in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill to help prioritize wildfire mitigation efforts. The bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a report detailing its efforts to mitigate wildfires and identify any funding obstacles for current mitigation programs. Last week, Bennet and Crapo urged the Subcommittee to push FEMA to use a… Continue Reading
July 18, 2013
Crapo Votes Against EPA Administrator Nominee
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted against the President's nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Gina McCarthy was approved by the full Senate, but Crapo joined 39 members in opposing her nomination. Crapo serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) which has jurisdiction over the EPA. "Idaho business owners, farmers and ranchers feel the impact of EPA regulations daily and they should be able to expect that our government will not pursue f… Continue Reading
July 18, 2013
Crapo Statement at Nominations Markup
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, delivered the following remarks during a Banking Committee mark-up of several nominations to federal agencies: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased that nearly all of these nominees can be moved today via voice vote. I congratulate each of them and wish them a speedy confirmation process on the floor. This is a clear reminder that the vast majority of the Presi… Continue Reading
July 16, 2013
Crapo: I Will Continue to Fight for Accountability and Transparency at CFPB
Washington, D.C. - In a speech on the Senate Floor today, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, reiterated his serious concerns with the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, highlighting common-sense improvements that should be made to increase accountability and transparency at the agency while strengthening protections for consumers. "[T]his is not a debate about whether Republicans in the Senate supp… Continue Reading
July 15, 2013
Crapo, Bennet Fight for FEMA Funding to Prevent Wildfires
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) are urging Congress to support more resources for wildfire mitigation efforts. Crapo and Bennet today urged the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to use a greater share of its mitigation funding to prevent catastrophic wildfires in the coming years. As a first step they believe FEMA should report its efforts to date to support wildf… Continue Reading
July 10, 2013
Crapo, Risch Push For Shelving All Obamacare Provisions
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are joining other Senate colleagues in asking for a full delay of all components of the Affordable Health Care Act, known as Obamacare. The Senators say Congress was not consulted on the decision to delay the employer mandate provisions in the legislation announced last week. As such, they say the entire law should be shelved in order to avoid the economic harm it will cause to American families. The letter is being led by the Senate … Continue Reading
July 08, 2013
Idaho To Be Included In USDA Greek Yogurt Pilot Project
Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Idaho will be a participant in the USDA Greek Yogurt Pilot Program that Crapo and other members of the delegation have been advocating to create. The USDA announced that four states will be participating in the program: Idaho, New York, Tennessee and Arizona. "I commend the USDA for choosing to implement this pilot program for Greek yogurt in Idaho schools," said Crapo. "G… Continue Reading
July 03, 2013
Crapo Comments On Administrationâ??s Decision To Delay Key Obamacare Provision
Washington, D.C. - Today, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced its decision to delay, by one year, the health care law mandate that forces employers to provide insurance or face a penalty. "Since this law was rammed through Congress, we have seen the problems and costs continue to grow," said Crapo. "While this delay is certainly welcome news, it only magnifies the concerns busi… Continue Reading
July 02, 2013
Crapo Requests GAO Investigation Into CFPB Data Collection
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the "big data" collection effort being undertaken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on consumer spending habits. After discovering the CFPB was spending millions of dollars to collect information on millions of Americans' personal credit card, banking, mortgage and student lo… Continue Reading
June 27, 2013
Crapo, Risch Oppose Closing Debate on Immigration Reform Bill
Washington, D.C. -The U.S. Senate has been debating and amending S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, or the Immigration Reform bill. Today, the U.S. Senate held a Cloture vote to close off debate and move the bill toward final passage. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch opposed closing debate. "Comprehensive immigration reform is not something that the Senate should rush through," Crapo said. "We need to reform our immigration policies,… Continue Reading
June 27, 2013
Crapo: America Deserves Better On Immigration Reform
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted against final passage of S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, or the Immigration Reform bill. The Senate has been considering the legislation for approximately three weeks after the bill was reported out of the Judiciary Committee. "Throughout the history of the United States, our immigration laws have been periodically altered and adapted to meet our changing needs and circumstances, Crapo said… Continue Reading
June 27, 2013
Crapo Commends Baucus And Hatch For Moving Forward On Tax Reform
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, who served on the bipartisan "Bowles-Simpson Commission", expressed optimism that the tax-oversight committee has announced the next stage for the tax reform process. "I commend the work of Senators Max Baucus (D-Montana) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on getting us to this point," said Crapo. "For years, many of my colleagues and I have worked to enact comprehensive tax reform to simplify our overly-… Continue Reading
June 27, 2013
Crapo Statement at Banking Committee Hearing on Nominations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today delivered the following remarks during a Banking Committee hearing to consider the following nominees: Representative Mel Watt, of North Carolina, to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency; Dr. Jason Furman, of New York, to be a Member and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers; Ms. Kara M. Stein, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Securities and Ex… Continue Reading
June 25, 2013
Crapo Statement at Banking Committee Hearing on Private Student Loans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today delivered the following remarks during a Banking Committee hearing on private student loans focusing on regulatory challenges and a path forward: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing today. Student loans play a vital role in the lives of many students and their families across our country. The loans help maintain a strong and educated workforce by en… Continue Reading
June 24, 2013
Crapo Statement on the Passing of Velma Morrison
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo issued this statement on the passing of Idaho icon Velma Morrison this past week at the age of 92: "One cannot travel in Idaho, especially in Boise, without noting the numerous additions Velma Morrison brought to our great state. I join with many Idahoans today in mourning her passing while celebrating the gifts of art, philanthropy, education and leadership she bestowed on us during her long and wonderful life. "I appreciate the opportunitie… Continue Reading
