Protecting and Promoting Idaho’s Interests

The 118^th Congress is in full swing, and I am focused on ensuring Idaho’s values and needs are put front and center each day on Capitol Hill.

Reinvesting in Nuclear

Simply put, nuclear energy is good for jobs, good for the economy, good for our air, and it is a great source of base-load clean energy.  It is a critical part of any conversation of an all-of-the-above approach to our nation’s energy portfolio.

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls is a world leader in making clean energy innovation a reality through its investment, research and development of nuclear energy strategies.

That’s why I joined my colleagues to introduce legislation that would further improve the nation’s nuclear infrastructure, secure the American uranium supply chain, reduce carbon emissions and strengthen national security.

The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act is a comprehensive bill that reinvests in our nuclear technology and promotes American energy independence.

Key goals of the ADVANCE Act:

1. Reestablish American international competitiveness and global leadership;
2. Empower the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to lead a consensus-building process in international forums to establish regulations for advanced nuclear reactor designs;
3. Provide the NRC authority to deny imports of Russian nuclear fuel on national security grounds;
4. Create a prize to incentivize the successful licensing process of next generation nuclear technologies and fuels;
5. Require the NRC to identify and resolve regulatory barriers to enable advanced nuclear technologies to reduce industrial emissions;
6. Authorize a targeted credit program to preserve nuclear plants at risk of prematurely shutting down;
7. Modernize outdated rules that restrict investment in nuclear energy; and
8. Revitalize America’s nuclear supply chain infrastructure.

Senator Crapo with INL Director John Wagner

Protecting Life

Life is a precious gift from God.  Throughout my tenure in the Senate, I have consistently supported measures that protect the rights of the unborn.  Below are a few of my latest efforts:

Abortion pill

I joined dozens of Republican lawmakers in filing an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. US Food & Drug Administration.  The brief urges the Court to invalidate the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill on the grounds that the agency violated federal law throughout the drug approval process.

The Fifth Circuit Court largely upheld the previous ruling that invalidated the pill’s approval and the case progressed to the Supreme Court, where I again filed an amicus brief in support of taking the drug off the market.

As progressive regulators and lawmakers push for expanded access to chemical abortion, including removing the need for a prescription and making it available to order through the mail, it is critical that the Court consider the health and wellbeing of mothers and their unborn children.

Eliminating Taxpayer Funded Abortion

Americans work far too hard to watch their tax dollars be used on questionable programs.  Taxpayer funds should not go toward abortion or any abortion-related services, period.  I have recently supported efforts to:

1. Stop the U.S. Department of Defense’sexpanded taxpayer financing of servicemember abortion access;
2. Block the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) new rule to provide abortion services through the VA’s taxpayer-funded health care system; and
3. Introduce the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which closes existing loopholes that allow Title X family planning grants from going to programs and entities that that perform abortions, including Planned Parenthood.

Looking Out for Idaho’s Ag Industry

Farm Bill

With the programs authorized in the 2018 Farm bill set to expire this year, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working to put together another Farm Bill.  Throughout my time in Congress, I have greatly valued opportunities to work for Idahoans to help shape past Farm Bills and ensure federal farm policy best empowers Idaho production.

Agriculture is at the heart of life in Idaho, where farmers and ranchers put food on our tables, support local jobs and meet an ever-increasing demand for food.  Idaho’s 25,000 farms and ranches maintain Idaho’s ranking in the top ten in the nation in 30 agricultural commodities and is responsible for nearly $20 billion in sales.

I will continue to work for Idaho producers and others as Farm Bill reauthorization discussions take shape and I encourage those interested in these issues to go to my Senate website, http://crapo.senate.gov/, and share your views.

PASS Act

Our foreign adversaries are investing in agricultural businesses and buying up farmland across the country.  This acquisition of American agricultural assets is a threat to national security that cannot be understated.

To put an end to this, I co-sponsored the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act. The legislation would:

1. Prohibit China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from purchasing U.S. farmland and agricultural companies;
2. Add the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as a standing member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to consider agriculture needs when making determinations affecting our national security; and
3. Require the President to submit a report to Congress on any waiver granted to a prohibited country.

Idaho’s agriculture industry is a precious resource that should be protected from foreign adversaries.  Our farmers and ranchers need to know their concerns regarding national security are being heard and addressed.

###