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 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 »

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 »

The House Appropriations Committee released FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill last night. This legislation includes funding for the 12 annual Appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2016. Many provisions that are critical to Idaho are included in the legislation. Chairman Simpson secured increased funding for operations and research at the INL, funding… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today supported the conference report to reauthorize highway programs for five years, providing long-term certainty to state and local governments to carry out much needed maintenance and repair projects for our roads, bridges, and transit systems.  The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed the House by a vote of 359-65. … Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has cosponsored 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.  In spite of widespread opposition in Congress and among the public, in June the Administration implemented a new rule broadly expanding its jurisdiction under… Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has signed onto legislation to give federal land managers better tools to improve sage-grouse habitat.  H.R. 1793, the Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2015, would create a categorical exclusion from the NEPA process in order to remove pinyon-juniper from sage-grouse and mule deer habitat. “Some of the major threats… Read more »

Idaho’s economy, both urban and rural, is inextricably tied to our ability to export the products and commodities we produce.  Whether it be by our high tech industry, which is the largest Idaho export to the world, or our agricultural products, which help support thousands of jobs.  I strongly believe that Idaho’s farmers and businesses can compete and win on a level playing… Read more »

The 2015 wildfire season has been brutal.  In mid-August the National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level was raised to the highest Level 5 and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) mobilized active duty military personnel to fight wildfires for the first time in almost a decade.  Millions of acres are burning in the drought-plagued West—more than twice as many as last… Read more »