News Releases
Idaho Delegation: Cleanup Agreement Reflects "Best Science"
Idaho Falls - Idaho's Congressional Delegation says today's announcement by Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter and the U.S. Department of Energy to revise a cleanup agreement at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) reflects the "best science possible". The agreement formalizes a 2006 federal court order requiring DOE to remove buried transuranic waste from the site and to coordinate those activities with existing Superfund cleanup of the area to protect water supplies in the Snake River Aquifer. … Continue Reading
June 26, 2008
Crapo: Gas Bill Takes Action For Price Relief
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo announced today that he is co-sponsoring the Gas Price Reduction Act of 2008 because it seeks to both reduce prices at the pump and provide long-term energy policy specific to vehicle fuels that will benefit consumers and the environment. Crapo joined with more than 40 other Senators, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, in introducing the legislation today. "The key to our energy future is to take a balanced approach to domestic produc… Continue Reading
June 26, 2008
Crapo And Bennett To Visit Idaho National Lab
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, will visit projects and employees at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) next week during a visit to Idaho Falls. Crapo invited Bennett to tour the site and speak at the Idaho Falls City Club. Bennett accepted the invitation and will visit Idaho Falls on Wednesday, July 2. "With Senator Craig's retirement, Idaho will lose a senior member of the Senate Appropriations … Continue Reading
June 26, 2008
Crapo Applauds "Historic" Gun Rights Ruling
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today noted the U.S. Supreme Court made the right decision to uphold both the individual and Second Amendment rights of all Americans by upholding the Constitutional rights to keep and bear arms. The high court today struck down local laws that banned handgun ownership in Washington, DC. Crapo is one of 55 U.S. Senators who signed a "Friend of the Court" brief supporting today's ruling and noting the rights of individuals in the case. "The U.S. Suprem… Continue Reading
June 25, 2008
Idahoans On Energy: Running On Empty
"Please listen to the less vocal majority who are pleading for drastically decreasing the restrictions and regulations on drilling and refining our domestic oil." "Who is going to pay back the tax payers when this [global warming] is proven to be a political sham?" "Instead of the U.S. depending on foreign oil, why not make the rest of the world dependent on U.S. company patents for whatever ultimately replaces petroleum as the leading energy technology?" "Our problems as usual are the … Continue Reading
June 25, 2008
Crapo Makes Strong Case For County Payments
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo highlighted the potential impact on Idaho communities of a failure to extend county payments on the floor of the U.S. Senate today when he spoke of the need to continue the County Payments program. Crapo joined colleague Senator Larry Craig and other Senators in filing an amendment to a supplemental spending bill that if enacted would continue payments to counties for another year, while the effort continues to extend the program on a more long-term basi… Continue Reading
June 25, 2008
Crapo To Host Talk Show On Energy
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will host a three-hour live talk radio program devoted to energy issues in Boise Tuesday as he sits in for regular host Nate Shelman on KBOI-AM 670. Crapo, who has collected more than a thousand e-mails from Idahoans concerned about gas prices and energy shortages, has been entering those concerns into the Senate Record. "Hosting the radio program is the latest step in gathering input from Idahoans regarding what Congress should do regarding energy is… Continue Reading
June 24, 2008
Crapo Works To Improve Merchant Card Reporting
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo says small business owners will face unnecessary and unneeded burdens under tax reporting provisions inserted in a housing reform bill before the Senate. Crapo attempted to correct this problem with two amendments earlier today, but his effort was shot down by the Senate Majority. The amendments would have delayed, or stopped, new and costly tax reporting requirements that were inserted as a way to offset costs in the measure, the Foreclosure Preventi… Continue Reading
June 20, 2008
Crapo: Next iTownhall To Focus On Energy
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo will focus his next quarterly iTownHall meeting on energy issues and the effects that the escalating energy costs are having on Idahoans. The quarterly meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 9, 2008, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mountain/5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Pacific. The technology behind the iTownhall meeting allows Idahoans to join in via telephone from any location in the state. Participation is voluntary, and listeners are invited to ask the Senator question… Continue Reading
June 19, 2008
Crapo: McCain's Nuclear Plans Help Energy Crunch
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said the Idaho National Laboratory may play an expanded role in national energy development under plans announced today by Senator John McCain (R-Arizona). McCain says he endorses the building of an additional 45 new nuclear reactors by the year 2030, and that he would be interested in possibly increasing that up to 55 within the next 20 years. His efforts are focused on reducing dependency on foreign energy. The INL is acknowledged by the U.S. Departmen… Continue Reading
June 18, 2008
Idaho Energy Stories Submitted To U.S. Senate
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo began the process of following through on his promise to share how high energy prices are affecting Idahoans. Today, he began submitting the stories sent to him from Idahoans to the Congressional Record, a process he vows to keep up until every story has been shared. Since Monday evening, more than 800 Idahoans have responded by sharing their thoughts on how their lives have changed because of high energy prices as well as how Congress needs to address t… Continue Reading
June 17, 2008
Energy E-Mail Draws More Than 500 Responses Overnight
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo asked Idahoans to give Congress input on lowering high energy costs, and he got it-more than 500 e-mailed responses in one evening. Monday, Crapo sent e-mails and posted a request on his website seeking comment on efforts to lower prices for gasoline, diesel fuel and other energy costs. He plans to share the responses with fellow Senators. Many of the Idahoans who have responded say they agree with Crapo that energy conservation plans should be linked… Continue Reading
June 16, 2008
Crapo Seeks Idahoans' Input On Energy Issues
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today announced a new effort to give Idahoans a direct voice in how to resolve problems related to high gasoline, diesel and energy prices. Crapo says Congress needs the input of Idahoans, and Americans in general, to help draft legislation that may solve issues related to high energy costs, and he is using his official website to let Idahoans share their stories. Crapo is asking for Idahoans to send him their personal stories on how high energy price… Continue Reading
June 11, 2008
Crapo Co-Sponsors Medicare Improvements
Washington, DC - Physicians who treat Medicare patients can continue to do so without worrying about cuts in reimbursement, under legislation co-sponsored by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo. Crapo, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction on Medicare issues, joined Committee Ranking Member Charles Grassley, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and others in introducing the bill today. The Preserving Access of Medicare Act of 2008 increases payments to physicians for quality report… Continue Reading
June 11, 2008
Crapo Welcomes Summer Interns To Washington
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo welcomes five Idahoans from Post Falls, Twin Falls, Rexburg, Weiser and Boise to Washington, DC, this summer as they serve as interns, assisting with constituent work, tours in the U.S. Capitol and other duties. Ashley Burt is a Boise native and 2005 graduate of Boise High School. She just completed her junior year attending Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She is majoring in Mathematics and Pre-Medicine, and will become Executive Vice Pre… Continue Reading
June 06, 2008
Crapo: This Global Warming Bill Did Not Add Up
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo said today that the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act was incomplete in its approach and too expensive to garner the support it needed in the Senate. Crapo, along with many of his colleagues from both sides of the aisle, found the legislation would raise energy costs too high for consumers. "I don't believe that legislation which could raise energy prices by almost 140% is what we need at a time when we are already paying record prices for electri… Continue Reading
June 05, 2008
Watershed Quality Improves In Crapo, Tester Bill
Washington, DC - Federal legislation that has been introduced today by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) will spur the improvement of watersheds in Idaho and across the country. The Cooperative Watershed Management Act of 2008 creates a framework of new federal grants and incentives for collaborative efforts aimed at improving the quality of watersheds. Senators Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Max Baucus (D-Montana) are co-sponsoring the legislation. The grants, administer… Continue Reading
June 05, 2008
Men's Health Highlighted In Senate Resolution
Washington, DC - Men in the United States live an average of five fewer years than women. Middle-aged men are three times more likely than women to die of a heart attack and women are far more likely than men to see a doctor regularly. Those statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are why Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and four of his Senate colleagues are introducing a Senate resolution naming June 9th through the 15th of this year as National Men's Health Week. The resolution … Continue Reading
June 04, 2008
Crapo: Spending Plan So Bad It Gets Three 'No' Votes
Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, noted today's federal budget blueprint that narrowly passed the Senate is so bad that he had to vote against it three times-in committee and twice on the Senate floor. Crapo said the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution conference report that passed on a 48 to 45 vote is the first budget plan ever to top $1 trillion in spending and could raise taxes for the average American family by more than $2,000 annually. "… Continue Reading
June 04, 2008
Like A Gathering Storm
It's coming. In less than the time it takes to get a bachelor's degree, serve a military tour or complete high school, taxpayers earning $30,000 to $80,000 will see increases in their tax liability from $1,600 to $2,300. At the end of 2010, the tax relief enacted in 2001 and 2003 will expire, absent changes to current tax policy by Congress. The writing is on the wall - those tax cuts will very likely not be made permanent next year or the following. Some taxpayers are already starting to prepar… Continue Reading
