“After seeing that House Republicans and Chairman Paul Ryan are responding to the call of the American people to get spending under control, President Obama has come late to the game and put forth a proposal that still doesn’t pass muster. Unlike Chairman Ryan’s plan, which reduces the deficit by $4.4 trillion and reduces taxes, President Obama proposes to raise taxes on job creators while punting on the real drivers of the debt: our expensive mandatory programs which make up 60% of the federal budget. After putting out a federal budget that did absolutely nothing to address the deficit crisis... Read More »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Environment, today issued the following statement on language he has inserted into H.R. 1, the House Continuing Resolution, that prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using taxpayer dollars to implement laws or regulations expanding federal jurisdiction over state waters. The provision would block any attempt by the Obama Administration to remove the term “navigable waters” from the definition of waters subject to EPA regulation under the Clean Water Act. Currently non-navigable water... Read More »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson put out the following statement regarding language included in the continuing resolution to reinstate the 2009 decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the gray wolf in Idaho and Montana. “It makes no sense to call wolves in Idaho and Montana an endangered species. Not only do wolf populations far exceed recovery goals, but without proper management those populations have grown to the point where they are adversely impacting other wildlife populations in the region and wreaking havoc for ranchers, hunters, and public land users in Idaho. The Fish ... Read More »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, who chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after putting language into H.R. 1, the FY2011 Continuing Resolution, prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using funds to implement climate change regulations scheduled to go into effect later this year. “It has become clear to me in talking to the job creators in this country that allowing these regulations to go into effect would prevent job creation and inhibit economic growth at a time when our economy is still struggling. It should... Read More »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, issued the following statement about language included in H.R. 1, the FY11 Continuing Resolution, to prohibit the use of funding for the Department of Interior’s new “Wild Lands” policy: “I have a long list of concerns about the Department of Interior’s ‘Wild Lands’ initiative, not the least of which is the fact that it was rolled out without giving the public an opportunity to comment on it and without the opportunity for congressional oversight. I’m concerned that this initiativ... Read More »

Republicans eye block of Interior Dept. wilderness policy By Ben Geman - 02/09/11 05:43 AM ET By Ben Geman - 02/09/11 05:43 AM ET A senior Republican said Tuesday that Interior Department spending legislation could prevent the department from carrying out a new wilderness policy that has drawn widespread opposition from Western GOP members. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), who leads the Appropriations Committee subpanel that crafts Interior’s budget, said lawmakers could include language that prevents federal funding from being used to implement the program. He said spending legislation “might” c... Read More »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today issued the following statement in response to U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruling H.R. 3590, the Patient, Protection and Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional: “I strongly believe Obama’s health care law is the wrong direction for our nation and is unconstitutional,” said Congressman Mike Simpson. “I am pleased to see this court ruling, and I believe the House acted appropriately earlier this month by repealing the bill in its entirety so we can start over by passing smaller bills that enjoy bipartisan support and focus on bringing down costs for Amer... Read More »

I am writing to respond to the comments of former Governor Cecil Andrus and the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board regarding the recent agreement between the State of Idaho and the Department of Energy (DOE) over future shipments of very small quantities of spent nuclear fuel for research purposes. While I have a great deal of respect for the former Governor, I am disappointed in his opposition to this sensible agreement and even more disappointed that he is using outdated and unfounded arguments to oppose it. The former Governor’s distrust of the Department of Energy is well earned, but is in ... Read More »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson issued the following statement concerning the senseless attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and members of her staff today in Tucson, AZ. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic attack on Congresswoman Giffords, her staff, and the citizens attending her Town Hall. Gabrielle is a dedicated public servant to the people of her district and Arizona. Kathy and my thoughts and prayers are with the family of all who were harmed in this violent attack.” Read More »

As the end of the 2010 tax year gets nearer, we are rapidly approaching a traffic jam of expiring tax provisions, uncertainty about the AMT, and a sluggish economy. Congress has a lot of work to do in the coming months, as I believe that the hard work of balancing our budget will require us to do the hard work of fundamental tax reform. In the meantime, however, Congress must act swiftly to prevent the huge tax increases looming over American families from crashing down on them on January first. Although no clear path forward on the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was agreed to during today’s the meeti... Read More »