News Releases
Idaho State Treasurer, Congressional Delegation Announce Secure Rural Schools Payments
BOISE -- Members of Idaho's congressional delegation and State Treasurer Julie Ellsworth say Idaho counties will receive a total of $23.9 million in payments this year under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The funds are administered through the U.S. Forest Service and based on a formula that takes into account economic activity, timber harvest levels and other considerations that vary from county to county. SRS payments are critical to maintain education programs for many rural countie… Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Idaho Delegation Advocates for Direct Relief to Farmers and Producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Representative Mike Simpson co-led a bipartisan letter signed by 126 members in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Representative Russ Fulcher. Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch joined the same effort in the U.S. Senate requesting the President to eliminate payment limits for specialty crop, livestock, and dairy producers before the final Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) details are announced. On Friday, April 17, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U… Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Crapo Statement On Vital Funding For American Paychecks, Small Businesses And Crucial Sectors Of Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today supported the passage of "phase 3.5" of emergency coronavirus legislation, allowing over $480 billion of additional funding to be placed in the hands of the American people and small businesses. "The additional funding Congress agreed to today will help additional small businesses receive money from the Paycheck Protection Program," said Crapo. "This program ensures that employees of small businesses can still keep their jobs and coll… Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Idaho Senators Urge Disbursement of Aid for Higher Education
BOISE -- Today, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the swift distribution of education assistance funds in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to Idaho's colleges and universities. "As you know, students, teachers, parents and faculty of America's higher education institutions are making the necessary but difficult decisions to close their facilities and provide remote learning," wrote the senat… Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Amid COVID-19 Crisis, Crapo, Wyden, Risch, Merkley, Colleagues Call for Financial Security for Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) today led a bipartisan group of 22 other senators on a letter calling for the Senate to finally provide much-needed financial certainty during the COVID-19 crisis for rural communities to ensure long-term funding needed for essential services. In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New Yor… Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Idaho Delegation Calls on USDA to Assist Idaho’s Farmers and Ranchers
BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho's congressional delegation today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue calling for special attention to Idaho's agricultural industry, which is experiencing great economic disruption due to COVID-19. Idaho is home to 25,000 farms and 185 commodities, many of which are seeing severe impacts to the farm, processing, and supply chain levels. With many of Idaho's commodities produced specifically for food service, many markets no longer… Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Crapo to Coordinate Senate-wide Oversight of Rescue Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) announced that Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo will lead and coordinate the Senate's oversight of the historic Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). As Banking Committee Chairman, Crapo played a critical role in shaping many of the provisions of the CARES Act designed to provide significant economic support to severely distressed sectors of the U.S. economy. "This crisis has h… Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Crapo, Risch Join Colleagues Urging HHS to Advocate for Relief for Senior Communities and Health Care Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Idaho's U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch joined a bipartisan letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to ensure that as HHS sets guidelines for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), they do not overlook the providers within nursing homes, skilled nursing centers, senior living communities, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities who are caring for our nat… Continue Reading
April 16, 2020
Crapo, Risch to Serve on Opening Up America Again Congressional Group
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, President Donald J. Trump announced that Idaho's U.S. Senators, Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, will serve with a bipartisan group of congressional colleagues on the White House's Opening Up America Again Congressional Group. The congressional group, in consultation with America's Governors and the Administration, will work to develop guidelines on re-opening the economy in order to begin recovering from the economic strife caused by the global coronavirus, or COVID-19, pand… Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Crapo Joins Call for Dairy Farmer Assistance
WASHINGTON, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined a letter led by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and supported by 13 additional Senate colleagues, to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue calling on the Department to extend assistance to the dairy industry, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. United States dairy producers across the country have not been immune to the same economic strife felt across the nation throughout the COVID-19 p… Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Idaho Delegation Urges Department of Energy to Take Additional Steps to Remove Spent Nuclear Fuel from INL
WASHINGTON -- Idaho's congressional delegation today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Dan Brouillette encouraging further action by DOE to remove spent nuclear fuel from the Idaho National Lab (INL) consistent with the 1995 Idaho Settlement Agreement. The delegation stressed that while the 1995 Settlement Agreement deadline to remove spent nuclear fuel from Idaho requires action by the Administration, Congress and states to develop a solution for long-term storage an… Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Crapo Highlights Additional Guidance for Paycheck Protection Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, issued an update on the Paycheck Protection Program, a provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Paycheck Protection Program went into effect on April 3. Crapo has been working closely with the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA), urging them to provide additional clarity to banks, credit unions and non-bank lenders so… Continue Reading
April 03, 2020
Idaho Delegation Members Announces Federal Transit Funding Coming to Idaho
Washington, D.C.--Members of the Idaho Delegation announced that Idaho will receive over $60 million in federal funding allocations to the transit industry following the President's signing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act directs the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to allocate funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus through the existing Urbanized Area, Formula Grants Program Rural Areas Formula Grants Program, and the … Continue Reading
April 01, 2020
Idaho Delegation Urges USDA to Provide Immediate Assistance to Cattle Producers
WASHINGTON--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch (both R-Idaho), along with Congressmen Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue requesting that he provide immediate assistance to cattle producers by using the resources provided in the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act, including the replenishment of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and additional e… Continue Reading
March 30, 2020
Idaho Senators Call on HHS to Help Rural Health Providers
Today, U.S. Senators for Idaho Mike Crapo and Jim Risch sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar urging the prioritization of rural hospitals and clinics. The letter, which was signed by 41 senators and 81 representatives, requested the Trump administration use the funding included in the recently passed CARES Act to sustain rural health providers. During the COVID-19 outbreak, many of Idaho's rural hospitals and health care providers have ce… Continue Reading
March 28, 2020
Crapo Statement on the Passing of Senator Tom Coburn
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after learning that former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) had passed away: "I am saddened to learn of the passing of my friend Tom. His unmatched service to his constituents and the American taxpayer will be missed. He devoted his public service career to eliminating waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government. We had the opportunity to work together on the National Commission on Fiscal Polic… Continue Reading
March 26, 2020
Crapo to Follow Governor Little’s Guidance and Close Idaho Offices
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Governor Brad Little today issued a 21-day statewide stay-home order in an extreme emergency declaration and, as a result, Senator Mike Crapo will be closing his state offices. All staff will now be working from home. Senator Crapo has already implemented a work from home policy with his D.C. staff. "Idahoans remain my priority and can still expect to receive timely responses to casework requests involving federal agencies," said Crapo. "You can continue to reach a… Continue Reading
March 25, 2020
Crapo Leads Economic Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today voted in favor of the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 96-0. The CARES Act is the third package the Senate has passed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, Crapo voted to support funding that would help bolster the nation's response to the virus, followed by a s… Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Crapo Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort to Help Protect Domestic Food Supply During Coronavirus Pandemic
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter led by Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and Representative Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina), and signed by more than 100 members of Congress, urging President Trump and his Administration to maintain access to vetted, temporary workers to help ensure America's agriculture industry has the workforce necessary to continue producing the country's domestic food supply as the United States combats the C… Continue Reading
March 19, 2020
Idaho Delegation Postpones Upcoming Academy Days
BOISE -- Today, the Idaho Delegation announced it would postpone indefinitely the remaining Service Academy Days due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The delegation will announce new dates at a later time. CANCELLED EVENTS: South Idaho April 4, 2020 1pm-3pm Gowen Field, MG Kane Aud. Readiness Ctr., Bldg. #440 Boise, ID 83705 East Idaho April 18, 2020 1pm-3pm Idaho National Guard Armory 10714 Fairgrounds… Continue Reading
