Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson signed onto an amicus brief regarding the recent decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the American Farm Bureau Federation v. United States Environmental Protection Agency. The brief outlines concerns about the EPA’s overreach in the Chesapeake Bay blueprint, in which the EPA has issued an ultimatum to states that if they don’t follow the federal blueprint, they risk the EPA taking over their water quality plans under the Clean Water Act. “We’ve seen a ... 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. “Funding for highways is some of the most important money appropriated on the federal level,” said Simpson. “Idaho’s economy de... 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 would employ the Congressional Review Act to ensure that the rules do not go into effect. Simpson has long opposed efforts t... Read more

On Tuesday, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson praised the passage of a motion to go to conference on a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The motion to go to conference, which was passed by the House without opposition, is the next step towards finalizing ESEA, which was last reauthorized in 2001, and is the primary law which governs K-12 education in the United States. “Today is a positive step forward on education reform,” said Simpson. “I have heard from teach... 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 disapprove of two rules recently finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from... 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 the Clean Water Act. H.J.Res. 59 would use the Congressional Review Act to prevent the rule from being enacted and... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted to support H.R. 1314, the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015. In addition to preventing a catastrophic national default, this agreement achieves long-term savings through entitlement reform, delivers predictability and certainty to the appropriations process and the funding of our national defense, and repeals an onerous mandate put in place by Obamacare. H.R. 1314 is fully offset and does not increase taxes. “It is imperative that we act in the best i... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act today. The legislation repeals the most onerous Obamacare provisions through a mechanism known as reconciliation, which is a budgeting process that allows Congress to align the priorities outlined in the current year’s budget resolution with existing law. “Even though Obamacare was signed into law five years ago, I still hear from Idahoans every single day about the law’s negative i... Read more

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported H.R. 1937, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act when it came before the House of Representatives this week. The legislation would ensure the availability of domestic minerals and mineral materials that are essential for national security, technological innovation, and economic growth by streamlining the permitting process for mineral exploration and development projects. Simpson is an original cosponsor of H.R. 1937. “The United Sta... 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 to sage-grouse habitat are wildfire and invasive species, and controlling these threats requires good, active land ... Read more