WASHINGTON, May 7 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-386) is entitled "Foreign Military Sales: DOD Should Further Strengthen Financial Oversight of Transportation Fees". The report was sent to Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Committee, Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, chairman, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Richard C. Shelby, R-  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced $470 million in food purchases under Section 32 funding to occur in the third quarter of the 2020 fiscal year. Section 32 funds are used for a number of purposes to support the agricultural supply chain. As part of the announcement, Secretary Perdue designated $50 million in surplus potato purchases, the highest of any specialty crop, and $120 million in surplus da  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Idaho Congressmen Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher signed a letter with 61 of their colleagues to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking for sending a letter to House leadership urging them to include long-term funding certainty for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs for rural counties in the next round of COVID-19 relief. "PILT is perhaps   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following remarks at a hearing on the nomination of Brian Miller to be the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery at the Treasury Department and Dana Wade to be the assistant secretary for housing and federal housing commissioner at the Housing and Urban Development Department: "This hearing will come to order. "Since this is our first hybrid hearing, a brief   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue announced $470 million in food purchases under Section 32 funding to occur in the third quarter of the 2020 fiscal year. Section 32 funds are used for a number of purposes to support the agricultural supply chain. As part of the announcement, Secretary Perdue designated $50 million in surplus potato purchases, the highest of any specialty crop, and $120   more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following column: As schools closed nationwide to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, millions of school-aged children suddenly started being homeschooled. Many parents are reeling trying to juggle at home work schedules while trying to keep on top of schooling needs. For most, this abrupt shift has not been easy, and the tremendous importance of our educators is even more acutely clear. All the while, teachers an  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 7: Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was joined by the entire Democratic bench of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in sending a letter to Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to express their opposition to his plans of convening a committee business meeting next week without any major legislation related to fighting COVID-19. With a  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 7: Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was joined by the entire Democratic bench of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in sending a letter to Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to express their opposition to his plans of convening a committee business meeting next week without any major legislation related to fighting COVID-19. With a proposed agenda centered on voting on a controversial political n  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, issued the following statement after the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it will begin accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications to assist farmers, ranchers, and small agricultural businesses. "As the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue  more

BOISE, Idaho, May 9 -- Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on May 8 in honor of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe: "On the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), the transatlantic community celebrates the end of WWII in Europe and the defeat of Nazism. "While today is a day to celebrate the victory over fascism and its hateful ideology, we also solemnly remember the sacrifices made by   more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on May 7 after the Senate confirmed Adm. Brett Giroir to be representative of the U.S. on the executive board of the World Health Organization: "I'm pleased the Senate confirmed Admiral Brett Giroir to be the U.S. representative on the executive board of the WHO today. "This action ensures that the United States will be aptly represented on the WHO Executive Board a  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced $470 million in food purchases under Section 32 funding to occur in the third quarter of the 2020 fiscal year. Section 32 funds are used for a number of purposes to support the agricultural supply chain. As part of the announcement, Secretary Perdue designated $50 million in surplus potato purchases, the highest of any specialty crop, and $120 million in surplus dai  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release on May 5: United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), along with Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and James Risch (R-Idaho), in reintroducing a Senate resolution marking May 5,  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today in a bipartisan, bicameral letter to express unwavering support for Australia amidst recent comments made by Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye. The comments insinuated Australia may face economic retaliation after calling for an independent inv  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), co-chairs of the Friends of Australia Caucus, led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to express unwavering support for Australia amidst recent comments made by  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Todd Young (R-Ind.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), introduced the Multilateral Aid Review Act of 2020 (MAR Act) to review and improve the accountability and effectiveness of U.S. participation in international organizations. The MAR Act wo  more