Chairman over EPA funding signs letter with 169 other members expressing concern about federal attempts to usurp state authority over water Read more »

“I was glad to see my Republican colleagues unite behind this budget. It is the first serious proposal in Congress to tackle the biggest issues facing our country: the national debt, our outdated tax code, and our ailing entitlement programs,” said Simpson. “It fundamentally strengthens and secures Medicare and Medicaid for future generations but does not alter the benefits for those in or near retirement. House Republicans are leading the way with this tough but fair proposal.” Read more »

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1473. This legislation provides the largest spending cut in history for the federal government and contains Simpson’s language to delist wolves and defund Department of Interior’s Wild Lands initiative.   “Congress… Read more »

“After seeing that House Republicans and Chairman Paul Ryan are responding to the call of the American people to get spending under control, President Obama has come late to the game and put forth a proposal that still doesn’t pass muster.  Unlike Chairman Ryan’s plan, which reduces the deficit by $4.4 trillion and reduces taxes, President Obama proposes to raise taxes on job… Read more »

“I am confident that this language gets us closer to our ultimate goal, which is seeing the entire Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population taken off the endangered species list and managed exclusively by the states,” said Simpson. “Not only do wolf populations in the west far exceed recovery goals, but without proper management they have become so robust that they are adversely impacting other wildlife populations in the region and are spilling into other states not in the original recovery area. This language takes an important first step by allowing for a wolf hunt this year in Idaho and Montana and allowing Wyoming to move closer to developing an approved state management plan.” Read more »

“The longer this initiative has been out in the public, the more concerns I hear about the impact it will have on ranching, energy production, recreation, and even the BLM’s own ability to manage their lands,” said Simpson. “To that list, I would add my own deep concern that with this initiative, the Department has overstepped its authority. Only Congress has the authority to create new land designations, and I intend to restore that authority by including this provision in the CR.” Read more »

Chairman of House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee initiates historic cuts to move toward balanced budget Read more »

“This really is an extraordinary accomplishment in budgeting,” said Simpson. “It is a crucial first step in the process of reforming our entitlements and ending our debt crisis because it provides a plan by which Congress can stabilize our long term budget outlook and end the practice of run-away spending in Washington.” Read more »

“My colleague from across the aisle says that this is an ideological position on which Republicans will not yield, and he is right—our ideological position is that this country is in a fiscal crisis, and we have got to get this house back in order,” said Simpson from the House floor. “If that’s the position for which we’re being criticized, I welcome that criticism.” Read more »

“To me, it is pretty clear the Obama Administration’s climate change regulations circumvent the legislative process and take the decision about how to address our nation’s energy future out of the hands of the American people,” said Simpson. “The Administration is basically trying to use the EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act to force Congress to pass cap and trade legislation that is widely opposed by the American people, all without regard for the impact that it would have on our still-fragile economy. “ Read more »