Press Releases

I am happy to know that this vital legislation is on its way to becoming law. Predating the existence of the wilderness areas, private land owners had received permits to maintain and repair water diversions that existed on national forest system lands. Many of the permits have since expired leaving those who own the water diversions without options for maintaining their water systems. This legislation will protect these private property rights and give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to reissue and issue special use authorizations to the owners of these diversion facilities within the Frank Church and the Selway-Bitteroot

Today's briefing at the White House was very useful. Not surprisingly, much of the graphs, weather data, and other information were provided by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise. I’m very proud of the work that NIFC does every year. As we brace for this fire season in Idaho and the west, the nation relies very heavily on the work done in Boise. As always, funding relating to fighting fires is a difficult problem that we are working every day to solve.

John Evans was one of the most civil and gentle people I dealt with in the political process over the years. He was a committed Idahoan who deeply loved his state. Being in the banking business, he had a clear understanding of free markets and their importance in a free society. His leadership was greatly respected. Vicki and I send our condolences to Lola and the entire Evans family, who we have always considered good friends.

When it comes to Cybersecurity and protecting critical infrastructure, nobody does it better than the dedicated individuals at the Idaho National Lab. I am pleased that the committee included this important amendment in the Intelligence Committee’s Cybersecurity legislation. American businesses and private citizens are attacked on a daily basis and have little or no recourse. This legislation would promote information sharing on cyber threats between the private sector and the government to protect those businesses and private citizens. This bill remains a work in progress as it moves through Congress, however.

No one should be rewarded for breaking the law. The president and his administration have turned a blind eye to the crisis at our nation's border for far too long at the expense of American citizens. It is time to enforce the laws we currently have in place.

Not everyone understands the serious impacts of fires in the western part of our country, but the threat is very real. This legislation would give reassurance that especially bad fire years won’t break the bank and that those of us in the west can count on much-needed disaster funding.

Wild Touch Taxidermy has achieved success as a custom taxidermy shop with the ability serve customers from any country. In part due to help from a State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant program, Wild Touch Taxidermy has been able to further develop their international presence. Utilizing STEP grants, Wild Touch Taxidermy’s actual export sales for year one leveraged a return on investment of 15:5:1 and actual export sales for year two leveraged a return on investment of 74:4, with anticipation of more sales in the international market. I congratulate everyone at Wild Touch Taxidermy on their success and wish

This is just another attempt by the Forest Service to override state water laws. The restrictions associated with this proposed directive will restrict Idahoans' access to public lands and will invite needless litigation that could be avoided if the federal government would get out of the way. The federal government has failed before in its attempts to grab Idaho waters and will fail again this time.

Under this rule, EPA is attempting to regulate virtually every body of water in the country no matter the size. This blatant overreach by the Administration sets a dangerous precedent. Not only does this unwarranted attempt to exert authority over water outside the scope of the CWA represent an assault on private property rights and state sovereignty, it puts our economy and family farms in jeopardy.

America has a commitment to ensure our veterans have fair and equal access to the healthcare and benefits they have earned and justly deserve. This legislation will provide veterans the choices and flexibility needed to guarantee that they receive the care they need, when they need it. It will also give the VA secretary the necessary authority to discipline or fire employees based on performance. We must never allow the VA to repeat the mismanagement that led to their failure to meet veterans’ needs.