News Releases
Senate Confirms Underwood As U.S. Marshal For Idaho
Washington, D.C. - Pocatello City Councilman Brian Underwood will become the next U.S. Marshal for Idaho. Underwood's nomination has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Underwood has been a member of the Pocatello Police Department and now works as Warden for the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center under the Idaho Department of Correction. Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch offered their approval as part of a unanimous consent vote by the Senate. Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick originall… Continue Reading
April 23, 2010
New Studies Predict Health Care Costs, Penalties
Washington, D.C. - New reviews from non-partisan government and Congressional experts now predict the recently-enacted health care law will increase costs and penalties for consumers, and will fail to reduce the skyrocketing cost of health care. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, who tried to amend the measure to eliminate the bill's middle-class tax increases, said these studies prove what a majority of Americans have been saying throughout the debate: that premiums and taxes would increase for many Ame… Continue Reading
April 22, 2010
Idaho Senators Have Award-Winning Websites
Washington, D.C. - Idahoans have award-winning service at the click of a mouse when they visit the official websites of Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch. The ratings for United States Senate websites have been announced by the Congressional Management Foundation, an independent nonpartisan nonprofit that conducts annual reviews of Senate websites and rates technology. Idaho is one of just three states in the country where both Senators' sites won awards; Utah and Pennsylvania were the oth… Continue Reading
April 22, 2010
Crapo: New Budget Ignores The Debt Threat
Washington, D.C. - Senate Budget Committee member and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo voted against a new budget blueprint from Majority Democrats and the White House because it is heading in the wrong direction by doubling federal debts by and sharply increasing taxes on middle Americans and small business. "If this spending plan is adopted, we are headed for a record level of spending at $3.8 trillion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011," Crapo said. "This proposal calls for a short-term, unenforceable freez… Continue Reading
April 21, 2010
Crapo Honors Civil Air Patrol Members
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) who provided, as civilian volunteers using their own aircraft, extraordinary public and combat emergency services during World War II. Crapo joins Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the Commander of the Congressional Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, and Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) in introducing the legislation. "World War II members … Continue Reading
April 19, 2010
Idaho Senators Join Bipartisan Group To Introduce RECA Amendments Act Of 2010
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch today joined with a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Amendments of 2010. The legislation would provide expanded restitution for Americans sickened from working in uranium mines or living near atomic weapons tests. Both Crapo and Risch have sponsored similar programs in the past for downwinders in Idaho and other states. Crapo and Risch were joined in introducing the legislation … Continue Reading
April 08, 2010
Senators Note Veterans History Milestone
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch are congratulating the contributions of Idaho veterans and the Idaho Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa on reaching a historic milestone-recording the 500th veterans' history for the Idaho Veterans History Project. Crapo and Risch have participated in the recording of veterans' histories for inclusion into the National Library of Congress. The National Veterans History Project seeks to preserve the stories of America's veterans for future gener… Continue Reading
April 07, 2010
Idaho Delegation Plans Office Hours In Hailey
Washington, DC - Staff from the offices of Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Congressman Mike Simpson will be available to Wood River Valley residents during remote office hours on Monday, April 12th. Staff from the Congressional offices will be available to discuss casework requests with federal agencies or answer questions. The Congressional staff will be available during two sessions in Hailey. The locations are listed below: Staff for Senator Mike Crapo, Senator Jim Risch, Co… Continue Reading
April 01, 2010
Crapo Highlights Availability Of Farm Trade Assistance
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee's Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is currently accepting petitions from agricultural groups to access technical assistance and benefits to address impacts from imports. "Idaho farm families produce an abundance of high-quality food that nourishes not only Idahoans but families acr… Continue Reading
March 31, 2010
Crapo, Risch Note Wolf Depredation Funding For Idaho
Washington, DC - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch announced today that Idaho will be among the states receiving funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to compensate livestock producers in cases of wolf depredation. The State of Idaho will receive $140,000 in grant funding this year. "Significantly, the federal government is acknowledging responsibility for these losses that ranchers suffer," Crapo said. "The wolf introduction program in the northwestern United States has bee… Continue Reading
March 31, 2010
Crapo Seeks National Nuclear Summit
Washington, D.C. - Addressing the nation's future energy needs can best be outlined by taking new initiatives such as a national nuclear summit, according to Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. Crapo is part of a bipartisan group of eleven U.S. Senators who have written President Obama, urging him to join with them in convening a nuclear summit. "With applications for 22 new reactors that could be built over the next ten to twenty years and the President's new commitment to build reactors, it is time f… Continue Reading
March 30, 2010
Bipartisan Biomass Heating Bill Introduced
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has joined three of his Senate colleagues to introduce the American Renewable Biomass Heating Act, bipartisan legislation that could aid Idaho's forest products industry while promoting renewable heating fuels. The legislation puts the use of woody renewable biomass on par with other renewable energy sources by offering substantial tax credits for the use of biomass from forests and private lands. It provides an investment tax credit (ITC) of 30 percen… Continue Reading
March 29, 2010
Idaho Delegation Reacts To Doe Cleanup Announcement
Washington, DC - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Congressman Mike Simpson issued the following statement today concerning DOE's selection of the CH2M Hill Newport News Nuclear, LLC Partnership to continue cleanup operations at the DOE's Idaho Site: "The Idaho Delegation welcomes today's announcement that the CH2M Hill Newport News Nuclear, LLC Partnership has been chosen for the next phase of the AMWTP Project. This announcement shows that the contractor issues for this project ha… Continue Reading
March 25, 2010
Crapo: Fight Will Continue Over Health Care
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo released the following statement regarding the reconciliation health care reform measure, which was approved on a vote of 56 to 43: "This legislation is a slap in the face to Americans who have spent months objecting to the health care reform being pushed and prodded ahead by the majority party in Congress. This bill contains higher taxes, higher premiums, higher costs, more government control, unacceptable gimmicks and loss of Medicare services for… Continue Reading
March 24, 2010
Crapo Bill Promotes Landowner Role In Species Recovery
Washington, D.C. - Recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species would be improved by voluntary contributions from private landowners under legislation introduced by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. Crapo, the Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife, won bipartisan support and cosponsors for his Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2010. The updated ESA-related bill follows Crapo's original 2007 legislation that won broad, bipartisan suppo… Continue Reading
March 24, 2010
Crapo Wants Middle-Class Tax Increases Removed From Health Care Bill
Washington, D.C. - More than 73 million middle-income American households will see their taxes go up under the health care reform legislation (H.R. 3590) signed into law by President Obama. With the Senate now considering changes to the law, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has filed a motion to commit the reconciliation bill to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to remove those tax increases. During remarks on the Senate floor, Crapo said his motion protects the middle class from hundred… Continue Reading
March 23, 2010
Crapo: Health Care Reform Forced On Americans
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo released the following statement upon the signing of health care reform legislation (H.R. 3590) by President Obama: "While many are marking this as a historic day, I am disappointed over the outcome of the debate over health care reform. This legislation was forced through Congress, with buy-offs and backroom deals for votes. There were false attempts at bipartisanship, and now Americans will be faced with an enormous increase in federal bureaucracy, … Continue Reading
March 22, 2010
Boise TRACON Radar Language Passed By Senate
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch were victorious today in their efforts to have the Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act prevent the FAA from moving the TRACON radar control system out of the Boise Airport until the new Air Traffic Control Modernization Board reviews and evaluates the proposal. Recently, the FAA sent an Article 46 notification of the FAA's intent to move the Boise TRACON to Salt Lake City. The Senators, citing safety and … Continue Reading
March 17, 2010
Forest Fee Increase For Seniors Scrapped
Washington, DC - Idaho's congressional delegation says the decision by the U.S. Forest Service to scrap a proposal to cut discount pass rates available to senior citizens and disabled Americans is a good one. The Forest Service was reviewing a proposal to reduce discounts under the Interagency Pass Program and Golden Age and Golden Access Passports from 50% down to 10% for programs and services operated by Forest Service concessionaries. However, today, the delegation heard from the Forest Servi… Continue Reading
March 15, 2010
Delegation, Governor Note Sage Grouse Efforts
Washington, D.C. - Idaho's Congressional Delegation and Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter are calling on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to stand firm on his department's justified "warranted but precluded" ruling regarding protections for sage grouse. In a letter to Salazar sent today, Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, Congressman Mike Simpson and Walt Minnick, and Governor Otter pointed to Idaho's wide-ranging, collaborative on-the-ground efforts that have improved habitat for the sage grouse … Continue Reading
