Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) introduced the bipartisan Streamlining EIDL Act to improve the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) application process for small businesses and combat programmatic fraud. The legislation will require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide timely and helpful responses to small business applicants and submit a […]

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) voted in support of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) S.J.Res. 29, a joint congressional resolution of disapproval to formally nullify the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) vaccine mandate for private businesses. It passed the Senate by a vote of 51-49, […]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) introduced new legislation to boost access to clean and reliable water for families and businesses by supporting investments in smart water technologies that make water and wastewater systems more resilient.  The Water Infrastructure Modernization Act authorizes a five-year EPA grant program to help municipal water systems and […]

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jim Risch, senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced the selection of Trails West in Preston as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2021. Trails West will be recognized for its contribution to the Preston community in the Congressional Record of […]

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in introducing legislation to prevent payments for legal settlements for illegal immigration. Under the Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act, no federal funds, including money from the Judgment Fund, could be spent to […]

WASHINGTON – In an effort to support Idaho’s small businesses, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and the Idaho Department of Commerce today announced the return of the second annual Support Local Gems: All Season Long  initiative. Support Local Gems: All Season Long is a holiday revival of the statewide  Support Local Gems public awareness campaign that encourages Idahoans to support the small […]

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and 12 additional colleagues in urging the Federal Maritime Commission to re-evaluate the new fees imposed for shipping container carriers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that will be imposed starting November 22. The members expressed concerns […]

WASHINGTON – Idaho’s U.S. Jim Risch and Senators Mike Crapo and U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher (all R-Idaho) joined the other 48 Republican Senators and 155 Republican members of the House of Representatives in challenging President Biden’s vaccine mandate under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) by introducing a joint resolution of disapproval of […]

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) voted unanimously to pass bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) that will enhance online access to the nation’s outdoor recreational opportunities. The bill, the Modernizing Access to our Public Land (MAPLand) Act, will digitize public land mapping records to increase outdoor recreation […]

WASHINGTON – Upon the Biden administration’s move to formally repeal the commonsense Trump-eraNavigable Waters Protection rule, U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) today condemned the return of a standard that will result in severe uncertainty and costly red tape for Idaho’s water users.  “The Obama administration’s WOTUS rule declared temporary puddles would be held […]