Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson expressed great satisfaction at the news that H.R. 876, the Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act, which he authored, has been signed into law. Simpson first introduced the legislation in 2009, and today it was signed by the president. The Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act corrects a long-standing oversight in law by authorizing a number of water diversions within the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area and the Selway-Bitteroot W... Read more

The House Appropriations Committee today released the fiscal year 2015 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation provides annual funding for national defense nuclear weapons activities, the Army Corps of Engineers, various programs under the Department of Energy, and other related agencies. The bill totals $34 billion – a $50 million reduction from the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and an increase o... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined a majority of Congress in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing concerns with and strong opposition to the proposed rule re-defining the power of the federal government under the Clean Water Act. The letter raises a number of serious flaws with the rule and asks the agencies to withdraw it. The letter states that the rule “would assert Clean Water Act jurisdiction over nearly all areas with an... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson hosted leaders of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in two hearings before the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee to discuss Fiscal Year 2015 budget issues. Simpson, who chairs the subcommittee, oversees the budgets for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. Testifying for the Army Corps of Engineers was Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy and Chief of Engineers Lieut... Read more

Idaho Congressman demands to know why EPA releases rule prior to receiving conclusion of scientific results – says agency just fired the first shot over the bow Read more

“. . .the Obama Administration isn’t interested in the facts, but simply in grabbing power wherever it can,” said Simpson. Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported legislation passed by the House of Representatives to protect water rights against overreach by the federal government. Simpson is a cosponsor of H.R. 3189, the Water Rights Protection Act, which prohibits agencies from requiring the transfer of privately-held water rights to the federal government in order to obtain a permit to use federal land. The House passed the bill by a vote of 238-174. In a number of recent cases, the U.S. Forest Service has... Read more

H.R. 3377 would clarify Clean Water Act to protect private property and states’ rights Read more

H.R. 876 would allow Forest Service to authorize existing water diversions in Idaho wilderness Read more

Idaho Congressman assumes Chairmanship of Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction over Idaho National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration Read more