Preserving Missions for the Idaho Air National Guard, a Pay
Raise for Troops
Providing for
the Common Defense
On December 18, 2024, the Senate
passed the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization
Act (NDAA). The FY2025 NDAA helps embolden our national defense
to face down the threats of our world.
Importantly, the
FY2025 NDAA contains a number of wins for Idaho and America.
Inclusion of language based on my bill, the Fighter Force
Preservation and Recapitalization
Act, works to protect fighter squadrons--such as the
Idaho Air National Guard’s 190th Fighter Squadron--from force
reductions. Likewise, securing funds for projects at the
Mountain Home Air Force Base and the Idaho National Laboratory will
have lasting, positive impacts on local communities, the economy and
our national security.
It also includes a 14.5 percent
pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5 percent basic
pay increase for all servicemembers.
A list of other items
included in the FY2025 NDAA can be viewed
on my website here.
Looking Ahead to 2025
President Donald
Trump’s decisive victory across every corner of the United
States, in both the popular and electoral vote, as well as Republican
successes in key districts and states to maintain control of the
United States House of Representatives and flip control of the United
States Senate, sends a very clear message to Congress about how to
govern in the next few years ahead.
This election was a
sweeping mandate for change.
I look forward to working
with President Trump and my Senate colleagues to implement a strong
conservative agenda.
No matter how you choose to
celebrate the holidays this year, I hope the holiday season brings you
and your loved ones much joy, rest and renewal. Wishing you all
tidings of comfort and joy.
IN CASE YOU
MISSED IT:
As Ranking Member of the Senate Finance
Committee for the 118th Congress, I have been committed to
ensuring tax, health care and trade policies best meet the needs of
Idahoans. Below is a snapshot of some of the headlines of my
efforts you may have missed. In the 119th Congress, I
will serve as the Committee’s Chairman. I look forward
extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, as well as the
other important work before the Committee.
WATCH:
Crapo Joins Fox Business with Larry Kudlow – Americans
Can’t Afford a $4 Trillion Tax Hike
Idaho
Statesman: Opinion: Idaho’s Crapo poised to chair
Finance Committee as GOP takes control of government
By Chuck Malloy, Novmeber 19
One of the committee
battles will be the extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which
Republicans passed through in 2017 and part of it is scheduled to
expire at the end of next year. The task may be easier with
Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress. That means
Republicans can pass some select bills through the Senate by simple
majority, opposed to the normal two-thirds vote. The tax-cut bill is a
prime candidate for “reconciliation.” Democratic critics
say that the tax cuts caused the deficit to skyrocket while benefiting
billionaires. Crapo rejects those arguments.
“That’s what was said in 2017, and those arguments are
false,” Crapo said. “If it’s allowed to
expire, it would be a $4 trillion tax increase on Americans. The Biden
administration says that it benefits mostly big business. But $2
trillion is for those who make under $400,000 and multiple hundreds of
billions are for small businesses and other entities.”
Bloomberg:
Idaho Republican Becomes Major Player in 2025 Tax Cliff
Talks
By Chris Cioffi, November 6
With the GOP takeover of the Senate, Mike Crapo’s new
role as incoming leader of the Senate Finance Committee thrusts the
behind-the-scenes operator into the spotlight as tax policy takes
center stage.Former President Donald Trump was declared the
winner in the presidential race early Wednesday. The fate of the House
is still up in the air in what could be their only lever of power if
Democrats take back control. . . . Lately, Crapo has argued that
offsetting the entire 2017 law’s provisions—which could
cost a projected $4.6 trillion over a decade—wouldn’t be
necessary. That could lead to a showdown with the Joint Committee on
Taxation over how to score the price tag of whatever bill takes shape
next year. Commenting before the election, Crapo said one option would
be to use the current law baseline, which cuts the price tag of the
extension, but which some call an accounting trick. Crapo now will
have to navigate how to handle Trump’s calls for high tariffs on
Chinese-made and other imported goods. Congressional Republicans are
generally sour on the idea.
Politico:
Crapo will be a low-key partner to fiery Trump in tax
battles
By Brian Faler, November 6
Former and future President Donald Trump’s partner on
taxes next year in the Senate is a mild-mannered, detail-oriented
veteran of Washington known for his caution.Temperamentally,
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) — now set to become head of the
chamber’s Finance Committee — is Trump’s opposite,
and the two will make something of an odd couple as lawmakers tackle
next year the expiration of some $4 trillion in tax cuts, not to
mention a slew of additional tax cuts Trump promised on the campaign
trail. It will be up to Crapo to do much of the heavy lifting when it
comes to steering a bill through Congress and onto Trump’s desk,
and that will be both an opportunity and a test for the Idaho
Republican.
AP:
Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day
agenda, starting with tax cuts
By Lisa Mascaro,
November 30
Typically, lawmakers want the cost of a
policy change to be offset by budget revenue or reductions elsewhere.
But in this case, there's almost no agreed-upon revenue raisers or
spending cuts in the annual $6 trillion budget that could cover such a
whopping price tag. Instead, some Republicans have argued that the tax
breaks will pay for themselves, with the trickle-down revenue from
potential economic growth. Trump’s tariffs floated this past
week could provide another source of offsetting revenue. Some
Republicans argue there's precedent for simply extending the tax cuts
without offsetting the costs because they are not new changes but
existing federal policy. “If you’re just extending
current law, we’re not raising taxes or lowering taxes," said
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, the incoming chairman of the Senate Finance
Committee, on Fox News. He said the criticism that tax cuts would add
to the deficit is “ridiculous.” There is a difference
between taxes and spending, he said, "and we just have to get that
message out to America.”
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