WASHINGTON, June 1 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release and letter: U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced the creation of a new Senate National Labs Caucus. The National Lab Network conducts cutting-edge research to advance and deploy technologies that are critical to maintaining sustainable economic growth in the U.S. and safeguarding our national security. The Senate Nati  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, June 1 -- Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led Senate Republicans in reintroducing legislation to help recover funds lost to unemployment insurance (UI) fraud and provide incentives for states to recover fraudulent payments. The introduction of the legislation follows ongoing concerns that just a sliver of the funds lost to misspent unempl  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release on June 1, 2023: U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) today voted on their congressional resolution to overturn President Biden's unfair student loan cancellation scheme. "Idahoans who went to work instead of attending college, or who already paid off their student loan debt, should not have to foot the bill for President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan," said Crapo. "Placing the burden of   more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following statement on June 1, 2023: * * * Citing continued concerns with the unsustainable path of the national debt, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after voting against the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), which passed the Senate 63-36. "The Fiscal Responsibility Act makes important progress in addressing the discretionary side of federal spending, including by rescinding a portion of unused COVID f  more

WASHINGTON, June 1 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee passed legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho), Committee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Chairman Tom Carper (D-Delaware) and a bipartisan group of their colleagues, that would help position the United States as the undisputed international leader for nuclear energy technologies  more

WASHINGTON, May 31 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee passed legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho), Committee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Chairman Tom Carper (D-Delaware) and a bipartisan group of their colleagues, that would help position the United States as the undisputed international leader for nuclear energy technologie  more

WASHINGTON, June 1 -- Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, issued the following statement on May 31, 2023: * * * Congressman Fulcher released the following statement on the Fiscal Responsibility Act: "Today, I voted no on the bill dealing with America's debt ceiling issue - the Fiscal Responsibility Act. In a negotiation where the Senate and White House were controlled by Democrats, Speaker McCarthy did an admirable job in gaining some Republican victories. However, ultimately I cannot justify the deb  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, issued the following statement on June 1, 2023: * * * "Congress has an opportunity to make meaningful and needed change in securing our borders while at the same time delivering the workforce Idaho's farmers desperately need. These changes need to go hand in hand. Failing to secure our borders leaves American families abandoned to the threats of drug trafficking and terrorism that have increased since President Biden took office. Failing to und  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following statement on June 1, 2023: * * * U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) today voted on their congressional resolution to overturn President Biden's unfair student loan cancelation scheme. "President Biden's student loan forgiveness is raising the cost of higher education and transferring the debt to every taxpayer, including Idahoans who paid off their student loans or never had them in the first place," said  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following column on May 29, 2023: * * * Solutions To Reduce Prescription Costs For Idahoans Some of the most life-saving medications remain out of reach for far too many working families and seniors. We must empower consumers, plans, providers and pharmacies to make informed, cost-effective and clinically appropriate decisions. As Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member, I joined Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) last month in rele  more

WASHINGTON, May 29 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following remarks at a hearing on May 18, 2023, entitled "Tax Incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act: Jobs and Investment in Energy Communities": * * * "Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. "Many members of this committee, on both sides of the aisle, have long recognized the need to reform our energy tax laws. "But rather than work on stakeholder-informed, bipartisan en  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following remarks at a hearing on April 19, 2023, entitled "House Republican Supplemental IRS Funding Cuts: Analyzing the Impact on Federal Law Enforcement and the Federal Deficit." IRS is the Internal Revenue Service. * * * "Commissioner Werfel, thank you for testifying this morning, as well as for your conduct in these first few weeks of your tenure. "I hope you will continue to be tra  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following remarks at a hearing on March 30, 2023, entitled "Pharmacy Benefit Managers and the Prescription Drug Supply Chain: Impact on Patients and Taxpayers": * * * "I have long championed efforts to improve prescription drug access and affordability for Americans, and I welcome the opportunity to engage in this vitally important bipartisan hearing. "Whether at the pharmacy counter, th  more

WASHINGTON, May 31 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release and letter: U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, last week sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting information regarding the administration's handling of the crisis in Sudan. "  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Sens. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chairman and ranking member, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statements on June 2, 2023: * * * U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement to introduce legislation that seeks to deepen and expand the Abraham Accords and Negev Forum - relationships that are profou  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Sens. James Risch, R-Idaho, and Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking member and chairman, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statements on June 2, 2023: * * * U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statements to introduce legislation that seeks to deepen and expand the Abraham Accords and Negev Forum - relationships that are profo  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on June 1, 2023, on the committee passage of a tax treaty with Chile: * * * "Tax treaties are a critical part of the U.S. tax landscape. They prevent double taxation for U.S. taxpayers, help eliminate tax uncertainty, and are important instruments in fighting tax fraud. "Today's committee passage of a tax treaty with Chile brings us one step closer to stre  more

WASHINGTON, June 1 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today gave the following opening remarks at a full committee hearing on accountability for Russian atrocities in Ukraine. The witness was The Honorable Beth Van Schaack, ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice at the Department of State. Ra  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on June 2, 2023: * * * U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced Thursday it had sanctioned entities linked to the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for fueling the conflict in Sudan: "Thursday's act  more

WASHINGTON, June 1 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 31, 2023: U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led 18 colleagues in introducing the Taliban Sanctions Act, legislation to hold the Taliban accountable with sanctions for terrorism, human rights abuses, drug trafficking, and more. Joining Risch in introduction are Senators Bill Cassidy (R-L  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued the following testimony by Ritchie Eppink, of counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho Foundation, involving a hearing on May 16, 2023, entitled "Artificial Intelligence in Government": * * * Thank you for your attention to artificial intelligence and automated decision-making in government programs, and for inviting me to testify about it at this important hearing. I was invited here t  more