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 »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson applauded the release 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.  “I applaud Chairman Rogers and Speaker Ryan for their hard work in assembling this comprehensive and responsible package that will keep the government open through… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted for two resolutions intended to put the brakes on the Obama Administration’s new cap and trade regulations.  The votes on S.J Res. 23 and S.J. Res. 24 disapprove of two rules recently finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from new and existing power plants.  S.J.Res. 23 and S.J.Res. 24… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson strongly supports efforts to put the brakes on the Obama Administration’s new cap and trade regulations.  Simpson has long opposed efforts to impose unworkable regulations on the energy sector that would do little to improve climate conditions but would impose prohibitive costs to consumers.  Most recently he has cosponsored resolutions to… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted this week for legislation to bring certainty under EPA’s recently finalized coal ash regulations.  H.R. 1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015, would put states in charge of implementing coal ash regulation in order to ensure that public health and the environment are protected while states’ rights are… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson praised the House passage of the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, which reverses proposed cuts to 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 and had the lead… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today announced that the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill reverses proposed cuts to 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… Read more »

Last week, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson introduced H.R. 1719, the Geothermal Production Expansion Act of 2015. H.R. 1719 makes a small but important change to current law to facilitate the development of geothermal energy on public lands.      H.R. 1719 would allow for expansion of renewable geothermal energy, while at the same time protecting the national interests… Read more »

“In the world of politics, some of the toughest moments are when you find yourself disagreeing with those you consider friends.   “That has never been truer for me than in my current difference of opinion with former Governors Phil Batt and Cecil Andrus. They are opposing two INL shipments containing just 200 pounds of commercial nuclear fuel because of a delay related to the 1995… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, today held two hearings to discuss budget issues with officials from the Department of Energy. The first hearing was focused on the Department of Energy’s Applied Energy Programs, with Assistant Secretaries from the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Nuclear… Read more »