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… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today applauded the House passage of H.R. 244, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, which included many important provisions for Idaho and Western States.  “This is a comprehensive and responsible package that contains many significant wins for Idaho and Western States, and will avoid a government shut down,” said Simpson.  “It is the… Read more »

U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jon Tester (D-MT) and U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) today underscored the urgency in reversing the ruling of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. U.S. Forest Service by introducing bipartisan bicameral legislation to do just that. The bill seeks to codify the… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined 94 colleagues in urging House leadership to secure full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Simpson and others urged the federal government to fulfill its responsibility to counties with tax-exempt federal land by fully funding both programs. “Last year’s… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported the House Interior and Environment Appropriations bill for FY17 during the House Appropriations Committee consideration. Included in the legislation are policies important to western states and critical funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), a vital program in the west that ensures communities are adequately compensated for the lack of… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined a bipartisan group of Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) top official expressing extreme concerns with the use of federal funding for advocacy and lobbying efforts.  EPA funds were recently linked to an advocacy project in Washington State. “As an Idahoan I fully expect to have differences… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported legislation protecting Americans’ access to hunting, fishing and shooting on public lands.  H.R. 2406, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act, would ensure federal land managers continue to allow reliable access to public lands and protect Second Amendment rights. H.R. 2406 passed the House of Representatives… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson’s H.R. 812, the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act, passed by voice vote in the House of Representatives. The bill would modernize the federal government’s role in managing Indian trust property by allowing tribes to manage their own assets through negotiated demonstration projects with the Department of Interior. “This legislation is a step forward for tribes… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined 253 Members of Congress in passing S.J.Res. 22, a resolution intended to stop the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from implementing the Obama Administration’s controversial Clean Water Rule.  The rule, which was implemented in June 2015 in spite of widespread opposition among the public and in Congress,… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today applauded the passage of H.R. 2029, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations bill that included many important provisions for Idaho and Western States. The House passed H.R. 2029 by a vote of 316-113, and it will be considered by the U.S. Senate today.  Links to the bill text and reports can be found here:… Read more »