News Releases
Senators Seek Additional Work on Sheep Issues
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch today called for additional collaboration and research in an attempt to resolve issues between wild bighorn sheep and domestic sheep utilizing public lands for grazing. The Payette National Forest has issued a ruling curtailing domestic sheep grazing over concerns about disease spreading from domestic to wild sheep. "While the decision by the Payette National Forest has been released, the bighorn and domestic sheep issue is far f… Continue Reading
July 30, 2010
Listening Session Set on North Idaho Cleanup
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will chair a listening session in Kellogg on Monday, August 9th to take public comment on EPA's announcement to amend its Record of Decision regarding environmental cleanup in the Silver Valley and Coeur d'Alene Basin. Crapo will be joined for the listening session by Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter, Coeur d'Alene Tribal Chairman Chief J. Allan, Shoshone County Commission Chairman Jon Cantamessa and EPA Region 10 Administrator Dennis McLerran. Loc… Continue Reading
July 29, 2010
Delegation: F-35 Decision "Disappointing'
Washington, DC - Members of Idaho's Congressional Delegation say today's announcement by the U.S. Air Force that neither Mountain Home Air Force Base nor Gowen Field made the initial list for a new F-35 mission is "disappointing," but does not mean Idaho's bases are out of the running for future F-35 missions. The Air Force says an initial review indicates a preference for locating the new fighter jets at locations other than Idaho. Delegation members, who were briefed by phone on the decision t… Continue Reading
July 29, 2010
Crapo to Discuss Budget Deficits, Taxes
Washington, DC - Many in Congress seem to have an unending appetite for spending, and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo says he'll make spending and expiring tax relief cornerstones of his iTownhall visit with Idahoans next month. Crapo invites Idahoans to make arrangements to participate in his iTownhall meeting, which begins at 7:00 p.m. Mountain/6:00 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, August 4th. To sign up for the iTownhall meeting, please go to Crapo's website, http://crapo.senate.gov and click on the i… Continue Reading
July 28, 2010
Monuments Could Be Blocked in Senate Bill
Washington, D.C. - Presidential authority to declare new federal monuments on public land will be restricted under legislation introduced today by Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch. The National Monument Designation Transparency and Accountability Act calls for Congressional approval within two years of any executive order by a President seeking a monument designation. If the two-year deadline passes without congressional approval, the land would return to its original status. The legi… Continue Reading
July 22, 2010
Crapo, Udall Bill Would Provide Estate Tax Relief for Farmers, Ranchers who Preserve Land through Conservation Easements
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (ID) and Mark Udall (CO) announced that they have introduced bipartisan legislation designed to offer estate tax relief and encourage farmers and ranchers and others who choose to protect the rural character of their land when they pass it on to their children. The goal of the bipartisan American Family Farm and Ranchland Protection Act is to preserve family farms and the heritage of our rural communities by helping families avoid the pressu… Continue Reading
July 21, 2010
Bill Seeks To End Veterinarian Shortage
Washington, D.C. - Ending a shortage of rural veterinary medicine is the aim of bipartisan legislation introduced today by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) with Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) as an original co-sponsor. The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act would bolster our nation's veterinary work force by eliminating taxes on programs that encourage veterinarians to practice in underserved areas. "The shortage of veterinarians in the… Continue Reading
July 21, 2010
Idaho Senators Vote to Extend Unemployment Benefits Without Increasing National Debt
Washington, D.C.-U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 90 days without raising the national debt. The amendment, S. Amdt 4492, would have used unspent stimulus funds to cover the three-month extension. Democrats voted the amendment down by a 56-42 margin. "The amendment that was voted down would have reduced the deficit by $7 billion instead of increasing it by $34 billion, and unemployment benefits would have been extended for those wh… Continue Reading
July 20, 2010
Crapo: Don't Use Unemployment To Justify Increased Debt
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate plans to pile another $34 billion onto the national debt this week with a nearly party-line vote, extending unemployment benefits without providing payment for them. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo supported an alternative measure that would have provided additional benefits for those who have exhausted their six months of benefits, but would have paid for that using unspent stimulus funds. Crapo said that the new extension should have been done in a manner that match… Continue Reading
July 15, 2010
Crapo: Financial Bill Restricts Credit, Maintains Bailouts
Washington, D.C. - Facing a measure that will choke economic growth by restricting credit and fail to end bailouts, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today voted against H.R. 4173, the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010, more commonly known as the financial reform bill. Crapo was a member of the House-Senate conference committee on the legislation. "This bill makes credit more expensive which will impact Main Street and job creation," Crapo said. "The best way to get people back to wo… Continue Reading
July 15, 2010
Jobs Created In Hydropower Improvement Act
Washington, D.C. - Idaho could benefit through the job creation and increase in renewable energy production expected if Congress approves the bipartisan Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has joined Senators Patty Murray (D-Washington), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) to introduce the legislation that would bring technology upgrades and energy production capabilities to existing dams. "There are estimates that this legislation could create… Continue Reading
July 14, 2010
Red Tape, Paperwork Would Be Cut Under Senate Proposal
Washington, D.C. - Millions of small businesses in Idaho and other states would be spared the agony of onerous tax paperwork associated with health care reform under legislation co-sponsored today by Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch. The new health care law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act presently expands requirements and red tape for how businesses report services performed for them by independent contractors and other non-corporate entities. The bill introduced today, T… Continue Reading
July 14, 2010
Crapo: Vernon Baker An Idaho Legend
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today offered this tribute on the passing of Idaho Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Vernon Baker of St. Maries: "Mr. Vernon Baker, an Idahoan, received the Congressional Medal of Honor 50 years after his honorable service in World War II. He is the only living African-American to receive Congress' highest honor. Baker is a true war hero and he will remain a legend and testament of determination and steadfastness in the face of unspeakable disc… Continue Reading
July 14, 2010
Twenty-nine Members Of The U.S. Senate From Both Parties Urge Obama Administration To Renew County Payments
Washington, D.C. - In a bipartisan effort to maintain the "contract" between rural America and the federal government, 29 members of the U.S. Senate from both parties are urging the Obama Administration to include a long-term reauthorization of the county payments program, known as the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act (SRSCA), in its 2012 budget. "The SRSCA is not an entitlement program, but rather a demonstration of the commitment that this nation made to rural for… Continue Reading
July 08, 2010
Formaldehyde Safety Bill Signed Into Law
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) announced today that their legislation, the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Act, has been signed into law by the President. The law establishes national health standards for formaldehyde in composite wood products, protecting consumers from potentially hazardous levels of the chemical. The new standards will apply to both domestic products and foreign imports. "The health threats posed by formaldehyd… Continue Reading
July 07, 2010
Geothermal Expanding Across Broadway Bridge
Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter and representatives from Boise State University announced the further expansion of renewable and natural geothermal heat in Boise. The expansion will mark phase two of a project to bring geothermal heat across the Boise River. The first phase, announced in the spring of 2009, will bring the geothermal pipeline across the Capitol Bridge. Phase two of the project, funded partly by grant money from the Department of Energy, will complete… Continue Reading
July 06, 2010
Geothermal Expansion To Be Detailed
Boise - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter and representatives from Boise State University and Boise Public Works will join tomorrow to discuss the historic expansion of renewable and natural geothermal heat in Boise. In addition to phase one of the geothermal expansion project, which is connecting the city's system to Boise State University via the Capitol Boulevard bridge, Senator Crapo and Mayor Bieter will also discuss phase two of the project, which will extend the geothermal… Continue Reading
June 30, 2010
Idaho U.S. Senate Pages Making Their Mark
Washington, D.C. - Two Idaho students are spending an interesting summer working on the floor of the United States Senate. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo assisted the Idaho high school students with their applications into the Senate Page Program. Both began assisting Senators on the floor of the Senate and with day-to-day operations, including writing a prayer to open the Senate at the request of the Senate Chaplain. Hannah Joy Coad is from Sagle, Idaho, and will be a junior next fall at Classical… Continue Reading
June 28, 2010
Byrd's Service Of Note For The Senate, Nation
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said the passing of Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) today is a time for the United States Senate and the nation to note Byrd's history in the Senate of calling for civility and tradition in public service. Byrd served in Congress for 57 years, longer than any member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. "Senator Byrd pressed for civility, fair dialogue and respect for the traditions of the Senate every day he served here," Crapo said… Continue Reading
June 28, 2010
Crapo: Firearms Rights Reaffirmed
Washington, D.C. - Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling again confirming Americans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms should be seen as significant for those who seek to restrict firearm ownership, said Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. The latest ruling on Second Amendment rights struck down local laws to restrict firearms owners in the Chicago area, and comes after a previous ruling two years ago (District of Columbia vs. Heller) that struck down a local law in Washington, D.C. to restrict the o… Continue Reading
