Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported passage of the fiscal year 2018 House Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which contains many important provisions to Idaho. Congressman Simpson has continually advocated for essential funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and wildfire suppression and prevention, which are included in this year’s bill. “The Interior Appropriations bill is arguably the most important piece of legislation for the western United States,” said Congressman Simp... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson praised passage of H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018. This bill fulfills the constitutional responsibility of Congress to provide for the common defense by funding the Department of Defense, and authorizes many important programs that support our military, including a pay increase and benefits to military members and their families. “I am thrilled to see this bill provide our service members with the necessary tools and s... Read more

Idaho Congressman applauds U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke for his announcement today that Craters of the Moon National Monument is no longer under review. Further, the Secretary will recommend that no modifications should be made to the monument. “I applaud Secretary Zinke for honoring the local consensus Idahoans have created with Craters of the Moon,” said Congressman Simpson. “I worked with a diverse group of stakeholders over ten years ago to ensure Craters reflects Idaho values a... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today announced that the Fiscal Year 2018 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill protects funding for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, and cleanup activities in Idaho. Simpson is Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which passed the bill through the full House Appropriations Committee today, and had the lead role in deciding funding for all Department o... Read more

Idaho Congressman Simpson praised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers proposed rule to repeal the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) definition that was submitted by the previous Administration. Today’s proposed rule withdraws WOTUS and allows for a rewrite of the definition, which will provide regulatory certainty for farmers, ranchers, local municipalities, and others who have voiced concerns with WOTUS. “I applaud the Administration for taking this importa... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson and Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader today reintroduced the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act (WDFA), legislation which would fix the current budgeting process for wildfires. In recent years, Congress has budgeted for wildfire suppression by appropriating money according to the average cost for wildfires over the past ten years, known as the “ten-year average.” When costs exceed an agency’s fire budget, that agency is forced to borrow from non-fire accounts to pay for ... Read more

On Thursday, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson discussed important Idaho issues with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell during a hearing held by the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. The topics ranged from ongoing litigation that prevents the Forest Service from managing public lands, to treating wildfire funding like other natural disasters. “How do you maintain the public’s right to have a say in how their publ... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson released the following statement addressing the Administration’s FY18 Budget. “Now that Congress has received the Administration’s FY18 budget, my colleagues and I will give serious thought and discussion to the proposals that the President has put forward. I look forward to carefully reviewing the President’s request in the coming weeks so that Congress can get to work on funding bills for fiscal year 2018, which begins in just a few short months. Although we are ... Read more

On Friday, President Trump signed the Fiscal Year 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act into law which includes Congressman Simpson's agreement on the Gateway West Transmission Line. “I applaud President Trump for signing the fiscal year 2017 appropriations legislation into law,” said Congressman Simpson. “This bill contains many important provisions for Idaho including an agreement that allows the Gateway West Transmission line to pursue an Idaho-based solution while enhancing the Birds of Prey ... Read more

On Thursday, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported the American Health Care Act which passed the House of Representatives by 217-213. The legislation is a repeal and replacement plan for Obamacare. “I voted against the passage of Obamacare and I have voted to repeal it over 60 times,” said Simpson. “Many members promised the American public that they would repeal and replace Obamacare and this vote is the first step to fulfilling that promise. I believe in keeping my promises.” Specifically, ... Read more