Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson commends the recent report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggesting that fresh, white potatoes should not be excluded from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.  Simpson has been raising this concern with the USDA for years and successfully included fresh, white potatoes in the WIC program in the fiscal year 2015… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson will once again be a co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus for the 114th Congress. The 80 member bipartisan caucus provides a forum for members and staff to collaborate on many important issues to the dairy industry. “Idaho dairy producers and their counterparts across the nation face unique challenges,” said Simpson. “It will be… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has signed on as an original cosponsor of H.R. 594, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, which would support the existing partnership between states and the federal government by preventing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers from redefining “waters of the United States” under the Clean… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today applauded the release of H.R. 83, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations bill that included many important provisions for Idaho and Western States.  “This bill represents an important step for Congress toward fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to fund government operations through the regular… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today expressed continued opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule to expand federal jurisdiction over water.  This week the Small Business Administration expressed “deep concern” in a letter to the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the impact of the rule on agriculture and other small businesses.  The… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson cosponsored and supported final passage of H.R. 5078, the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, that supports the existing partnership between states and the federal government by preventing EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers from redefining “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. This bill addresses widespread… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today hailed passage of legislation to clarify federal regulation of pesticides by the House of Representatives.  H.R. 935, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, would remove duplicative requirements that have added layers of paperwork on top of day-to-day operations for small businesses, farmers, and local governments by clarifying that pesticides which… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has cosponsored two new bills to address widespread concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new proposed rule expanding its jurisdiction over water throughout the U.S.  H.R. 5071, the Agriculture Conservation Flexibility Act, would address some of the most controversial provisions in the proposed rule, withdrawing the Interpretive Rule… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson applauded the decision to stop USDA’s planned closure of the U.S. Sheep Experimental Station in Dubois, Idaho.  Simpson, who is working with other western representatives to prevent closure of the facility, recently urged the chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee to deny a request by the Agricultural Research Service to reprogram… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, and other western members of Congress have asked the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture to stop the closure of the U.S. Sheep Experimental Station in Dubois, Idaho.   In a letter, the members ask that Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt not approve the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) request for… Read more »