Mike Simpson

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson is putting his foot down when it comes to the federal government selling public lands.

Wildland firefighters have been pushing for permanent pay raises for years. A stopgap funding measure approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and now heading to the Senate would do just that.

Environmental groups are worried that a short portion of the recently adopted US House rules package could expedite the transfer of public land to states – and ultimately to private entities.

Wildland firefighters and their advocates pushed hard for permanent pay raises before Congress’ holiday recess. What firefighters got instead was yet another last-minute extension of temporary raises.

Without action, the government could shut down after September 30. Along with that, federal wildland firefighters would see the end of temporary raises as large as $20,000.

For several years, federal wildland firefighters have enjoyed temporary raises without any clear way toward permanent raises. Now advocates are hopeful that language tucked into a larger spending bill could be the way forward.

U.S. House Republicans are proposing sweeping cuts to the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other executive departments with major influence in the Mountain West.

Senators Mike Crapo and Michael Bennet were not able to reach a bipartisan agreement on Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

The Sawtooth Society, which formed 25 years ago to protect the mountainous region, gave U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson its inaugural “Champion of the Sawtooths” award Thursday.

The response from Idaho’s congressional delegation over a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas that's killed at least 21 people — most of them elementary school students — has been mostly muted.