Michael Keith Simpson (born September 8, 1950) is an American politician and former dentist serving as the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for since 1999. The district covers most of the eastern portion of the state, including
Idaho Falls
Idaho Falls (Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: Dembimbosaage) is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. It is the state's largest city outside the Boise metropolitan area. As of the 2020 Un ...
,
Pocatello
Pocatello () is the county seat of and largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the ...
,
Sun Valley,
Twin Falls and the northern two-thirds of
Boise
Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area's ...
.
A member of the
Republican Party, Simpson was first elected to public office in 1984, and was elected to the House in the
1998 elections, succeeding
Mike Crapo
Michael Dean Crapo ( ; born May 20, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Idaho, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Republican Party, Crapo previously served as the U.S. repres ...
. He served as
Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives
The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate se ...
from 1992 to 1998.
Early life, education and private career
Born in
Burley, Simpson was raised in
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...
, where his father was a
dentist
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the mouth, oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofaci ...
. He graduated from
Blackfoot High School
Blackfoot High School is a four-year public secondary school located in Blackfoot, Idaho, the only traditional high school in the Blackfoot School District #55 in south central Bingham County.
History
Founded in the early 1890s, the current ...
in 1968,
Utah State University
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
in
Logan in 1972, and the
Washington University School of Dental Medicine
The Washington University School of Dental Medicine (WUSDM) was the dental school of Washington University in St. Louis. It operated from 1866 to 1991. Over 5,000 dentists were educated at WUSDM. WUSDM was a pioneer in Harvard School of Dental Medi ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, in 1977.
Simpson practiced dentistry in Blackfoot until his election to
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
in 1998. He was elected to the Blackfoot City Council in 1980 and to the
state legislature in 1984, the first of seven terms. He was the
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
of the
Idaho House before his election to Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
1998
Simpson entered the 1998 campaign for the U.S. House seat vacated by
Mike Crapo
Michael Dean Crapo ( ; born May 20, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Idaho, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Republican Party, Crapo previously served as the U.S. repres ...
, who was running for
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
. He defeated former
Democratic Congressman
Richard H. Stallings, who held the seat from 1985 to 1993, in the general election with 52% of the vote. He has never faced another contest that close; Stallings was the last Democrat to win even 40% of the vote.
Simpson did not face serious opposition in 2000, 2002, or 2004. In 2006, Simpson defeated former Democratic state representative
Jim D. Hansen
James Duncan Hansen (born November 5, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as a commissioner of the Ada County Highway District. He was the 2006 Democratic nominee for Congress in Idaho's 2nd district, but was defeated by four-ter ...
, son of former Republican Congressman
Orval H. Hansen, with 61% of the vote.
2008
Simpson defeated two primary challengers with 85.2% of the vote. He defeated Democratic nominee
Debbie Holmes
Deborah Holmes (born October 30, 1961) is a Democratic politician from Idaho. She was the 2008 Democratic nominee for United States House of Representatives in the Idaho Second Congressional District, and faced incumbent Republican Congressman M ...
with 71% of the vote.
During the 2008 presidential primaries, Simpson was an early supporter of former Massachusetts Governor
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
and a member of his Congressional Whip Team.
2010
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated
Chick Heileson of Iona and Russ Mathews of Idaho Falls.
Simpson defeated Democratic nominee Mike Crawford and Independent candidate Brian Schad with 68.8% of the vote.
2012
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated
Chick Helieson with 69.6% of the vote. He defeated Democratic nominee
Nicole LeFavour
Nicole LeFavour (born February 8, 1964) is an American politician and educator from Idaho who served as an Idaho State Senator from 2008 to 2012. LeFavour previously served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008.
Early life, ed ...
with 65.1% of the vote.
2014
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated lawyer
Bryan Smith with 61.8% of the vote. He defeated former congressman
Richard H. Stallings in the general election with 61.4% of the vote.
2016
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated perennial candidate Lisa Marie with 73% of the vote. He defeated Jennifer Martinez and Anthony Tomkins in the general election with 62.9% of the vote.
2018
2020
2022
In the Republican primary Simpson once again defeated his 2014 opponent Bryan Smith, this time by 54.6% to 32.7%, with three other candidates splitting the rest of the vote.
Tenure
While the Republican Party held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Simpson often served as the
Speaker Pro Tempore
A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being".
...
of the House, particularly during debates on controversial legislation, due to his command of House procedure. Simpson is known to have broken several sounding boards with the gavel while calling the House to order. This inspired him to have a number of sounding boards produced in Idaho, which he presented to then Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis Hastert (; born January 2, 1942) is an American former politician and convicted felon who represented from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. The longest-se ...
as a joke. When the Republican Party regained control of the House of Representatives in 2010, Simpson began once again to serve frequently as Speaker Pro Tempore.
In the
111th United States Congress
The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...
Simpson became the
Ranking Member
In United States politics, a ranking member is the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the Chair, serve as ''ex officio'' members ...
on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves as the small state representative on the 33-member House Republican Steering Committee.
Known as the "committee of committees", the Steering Committee decides which Republican lawmakers become ranking members on House committees. Simpson replaced
Don Young
Donald Edwin Young (June 9, 1933 – March 18, 2022) was an American politician from the state of Alaska. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving Republican in congressional history, having been the U.S. representative for for ...
on the committee.
In December 2020, Simpson signed an amicus brief in support of Texas Attorney General
Ken Paxton
Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. (born December 23, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the Attorney General of Texas since January 2015. Paxton has described himself as a Tea Party conservative.
Paxton was re-elected to a t ...
's lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Larry Craig scandal
During the 2007 scandal involving U.S. Senator
Larry Craig
Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served 18 years in the United States Senate (1991–2009), preceded by 10 years in the U.S. ...
, Simpson was openly considered for an appointment to the Senate if Craig resigned. But Simpson asked Governor
C.L. "Butch" Otter to remove his name from consideration, claiming that the Idaho Congressional Delegation would be in a better position if he were to remain in the House and retain his seniority on the House
Appropriations Committee.
Simpson rankled Senate leadership during the Craig scandal by criticizing them for their treatment of Craig. He said: "If that's how they treat their own, that tells me they're more interested in party than individuals, and the party is made up of individuals. How you treat them says a lot about your party."
Simpson is not known to have condoned Craig's alleged misconduct, but demanded that Craig be treated fairly. For example, he said, "They have people over there
n the Senate Republican Conferencein far worse trouble that they haven't said a thing about."
2013 government shutdown
In October 2013, Simpson voted to end the
United States federal government shutdown of 2013
From October 1 to October 17, 2013, the United States federal government entered a shutdown and curtailed most routine operations because neither legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014 nor a continuing resolution for the interim ...
.
Health care
;Affordable Care Act repeal
Simpson voted for and presided over the vote on the
American Health Care Act of 2017
The American Health Care Act of 2017 (often shortened to the AHCA or nicknamed Trumpcare) was a bill in the 115th United States Congress. The bill, which was passed by the United States House of Representatives but not by the United States S ...
, which passed the House on May 4, 2017.
;Newborn health
Simpson was an original co-sponsor of the
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1281; 113th Congress), a bill that would amend the
Public Health Service Act
The Public Health Service Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1944. The full act is codified in Title 42 of the United States Code (The Public Health and Welfare), Chapter 6A (Public Health Service).
Contents
The act clearly establis ...
to reauthorize grant programs and other initiatives to promote expanded
screening of newborns and children for heritable disorders.
Simpson said: "the bill reflects the realities of reduced budgets Washington, but continues and strengthens the well established system of monitoring and evaluating infant conditions soon after birth. Just one small blood sample from the newborn's foot identifies infants with genetic or other conditions that can be treated quickly and effectively, saving and improving thousands of lives."
Energy and water
On June 20, 2014, Simpson introduced the
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4923; 113th Congress), a bill that would make
appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for FY2015.
The bill would appropriate $34 billion, which is $50 million less than these agencies then received.
The appropriations for the
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...
and the
are made by this bill.
Gun rights
Simpson voted for and helped pass the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011. Under this law, which passed the House on November 16, 2011, people with a valid license are allowed to carry a concealed weapon in other states as long as those states allow concealed weapons and do not have specific rules about concealed weapons carried by nonresidents.
Idaho-focused environmental legislation
Simpson's hallmark legislation is the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA), which would create 312,000 acres of wilderness in central Idaho, much of which is currently a wilderness study area. He has faced substantial resistance from groups like the Sierra Club, which claim the bill lacks "wilderness values"
because it allows for motorized access to certain parts of the wilderness area and some federal land would be transferred to the State of Idaho to promote the economic development of the local community and the recreational use of National Forest land and other public lands in central Idaho. Simpson has also faced opposition from groups that oppose new federal land designations, and wilderness designations particularly, because of restricted access to wilderness areas.
In August 2015, a revised version of CIEDRA, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act, passed Congress and was signed by President Obama, creating the
Hemingway–Boulders,
Jim McClure–Jerry Peak, and
White Clouds wilderness areas, which cover a total of of central Idaho.
On March 21, 2014, Simpson introduced the bill To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to maintain or replace certain facilities and structures for commercial recreation services at Smith Gulch in Idaho (H.R. 4283; 113th Congress).
The bill would require the United States Secretary of Agriculture to permit private entities to repair or replace certain commercial facilities on United States Forest Service land in
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
.
Simpson said, "this legislation clarifies Congress's intent of the 2004 amendments to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act which continued the existing use and occupancy of commercial services in this corridor of the Salmon River".
In February 2021, Simpson announced a "Salmon and Energy" concept intended to restore Snake River salmon while protecting agricultural and energy interests across the Columbia River basin.
Judgeship reorganization
Simpson has actively pushed to divide the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
, sponsoring bills to that effect in 2007, 2011, 2017, and 2021. None of these bills was successful.
Dentistry
A dentist himself, Simpson has worked closely with the
American Dental Association
The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's ...
on issues over the years. This has included co-sponsoring an unsuccessful 2009 bill intended to counter "
methmouth", watching out for dentists' interests during the COVID pandemic, and in general pushing for better reimbursements and coverage for dental care.
Tax reform
Simpson voted for the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
The Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, , is a congressional revenue act of the United States originally introduced in Congress as the Tax Cuts and Jobs A ...
.
After passing the bill, he said he spoke to Idaho farmers, ranchers and businesses who called for a simplified tax code and reform. He said the bill would "create economic growth in the United States by unleashing American small businesses and unburdening middle-class families so they can make better financial decisions with their own money."
''Texas v. Pennsylvania''
In December 2020, Simpson was one of 126 Republican members of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
to sign an
amicus brief
An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...
in support of ''
Texas v. Pennsylvania'', a lawsuit filed at the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
contesting the results of the
2020 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*5 January:
**C ...
, in which
Joe Biden defeated incumbent
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked
standing
Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an ''erect'' ("orthostatic") position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the s ...
under
Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Simpson and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."
January 6 commission
On May 19, 2021, Simpson was one of 35 Republicans to join all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the
January 6 commission
The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex, known colloquially as the January 6 commission, was an unsuccessful proposal to create a commission that would have investigated the January 6 Uni ...
meant to investigate the
storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Immigration
In 2021, Simpson voted for the
Farm Workforce Modernization Act
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a proposed United States law that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for terms and conditions for nonimmigrant workers performing agricultural labor or services in the United States. ...
of 2021, which passes work visas for undocumented farm workers.
Simpson voted for the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which authorized DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.
Simpson voted for Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158), which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).
Simpson supports
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, colloquially referred to as DACA, is a United States immigration policy that allows some individuals with unlawful presence in the United States after being brought to the country as children to receive ...
(DACA).
LGBT rights
In 2021, Simpson was among the House Republicans to sponsor the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act. The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.
In 2021, Simpson was one of 29 Republicans to vote to reauthorize the
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law (Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, ) signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investi ...
. This bill expanded legal protections for transgender people and contained provisions allowing transgender women to use women's shelters and serve time in prisons matching their gender identity.
In 2022, Simpson was one of 47 House Republicans to vote with the Democratic Party to repeal the federal
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...
, and replace it with the
Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA; ) is a landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal gover ...
. He later voted for the final form of the bill as passed in the Senate in December.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Appropriations
The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Commi ...
**
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
**
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
**
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Party leadership
* House Republican Steering Committee
Caucus membership
* House Potato Caucus – Co-chair
* House Sugar Caucus – Co-chair
* Oral Health Caucus – Co-chair
* Congressional TRIO Caucus – Co-chair
*
Congressional Western Caucus
The Congressional Western Caucus is a caucus within the United States House of Representatives composed of 62 members. Although it has historically been bipartisan, it is currently composed almost exclusively of Republicans (with the sole excepti ...
* Nuclear Cleanup Caucus
*
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a 501(c)(4) organization that was allied with the congressional Republican Main Street Caucus. The Partnership continues to exist, while the Caucus was dissolved by its members in February 2019.
Hist ...
Political positions
Simpson is a Republican who is known to be pragmatic on certain issues. For example, he was one of a handful of Republicans to vote for reauthorization of the
State Children's Health Insurance Program
The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – formerly known as the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to ...
(SCHIP) in the 110th Congress. He has also supported the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
and the
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
, voting each year against Republican amendments to strip them of funding. In the past, he has opposed "
earmarks", or congressionally directed spending.
''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' listed Simpson as one of the 10 Best Members of Congress in October 2008.
The magazine wrote, "More than any other representative, Simpson lives by the philosophy that democratic representation is a matter of finding not advantageous positions but common ground".
The magazine's portrayal of Simpson echoes one of his personal philosophies, which is embodied in
Henry Clay
Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...
's words: "Politics is not about ideological purity or moral self-righteousness. It is about governing, and if a politician cannot compromise he cannot govern effectively." This quotation is framed and hangs in Simpson's Washington D.C. office. Simpson played a key role in the election of
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner ( ; born , 1949) is an American retired politician who served as the 53rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 13 terms as the U.S. represe ...
as
House Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are ele ...
in the
109th United States Congress
The 109th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2005 to January 3, 2007, dur ...
.
Domestic issues
Farming
Simpson is a strong supporter of domestic
sugar beet
A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...
producers and Idaho potato growers. In 2010, he took up the cause, alongside his former colleague
Walt Minnick
Walter Clifford Minnick (born September 20, 1942) is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
The district is in the western part of the state, and ...
, the lead sponsor of the bill, to secure a third federal judge for Idaho.
Simpson said, "The caseload of the Idaho District Court has increased significantly in recent decades resulting in Idaho's district judges carrying a disproportionate share of cases in relation to their colleagues in other states."
Gun law
Simpson was one of the members of Congress to sign the
D.C. v. Heller
''District of Columbia v. Heller'', 554 U.S. 570 (2008), is a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects an individual's r ...
amicus brief which supported a recognition of the
Second Amendment
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds eac ...
as an individual right.
Health care
Simpson has committed to repealing the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
, questioning its constitutionality and effectiveness. He was close and loyal to Speaker
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner ( ; born , 1949) is an American retired politician who served as the 53rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 13 terms as the U.S. represe ...
.
Economic issues
Corporations
Simpson supports an agenda of low taxes and pro-business policies.
Tax reform
Simpson supports tax reform.
When asked about the
Grover Norquist pledge to oppose any net increase in taxes, Simpson said, "Well, first, the pledge: I signed that in 1998 when I first ran. I didn't know I was signing a marriage agreement that would last forever."
International issues
Climate change
In a 2019 conference in Boise, Simpson said: "climate change is a reality. It’s not hard to figure out. Go look at your thermometer." In his speech, he tied climate change to the viability of salmon in Idaho lakes and rivers.
Energy
Simpson is also known as an outspoken proponent of
nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...
, extolling its virtues as an environmentally friendly source of energy with minimal carbon output. His support for nuclear energy plays a significant role in his membership of the
, which oversees the
Idaho National Laboratory
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is one of the national laboratories of the United States Department of Energy and is managed by the Battelle Energy Alliance. While the laboratory does other research, historically it has been involved with nu ...
, a main site for nuclear and
alternative energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a Orders of magnitude (time), human timescale. It includes sources such as Solar power, sunlight, wind power, wind, the movement of Hydropo ...
research in the United States.
Ukraine
In 2022, Simpson voted to provide approximately $14 billion to the
government of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ( uk, Кабінет Міністрів України, translit=Kabinet Ministriv Ukrainy; shortened to CabMin), commonly referred to as the Government of Ukraine ( uk, Уряд України, ''Uriad Ukrai ...
.
Social issues
Simpson supports efforts to make it illegal to desecrate the
American flag
The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the c ...
.
Abortion
Simpson is
anti-abortion
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...
. He has a zero rating from
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice America, commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, political action, and advocacy efforts to oppose restrictions on abortion, to expand access to ...
and a 100% rating from the
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
Since the 1980s, NRLC has influen ...
for his voting record on
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
. He opposes using federal monies to fund abortions,
embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre- implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consi ...
research, restricting the transport of minors over state lines to receive abortions,
partial-birth abortion
Intact dilation and extraction (D&X, IDX, or intact D&E) is a surgical procedure that removes an intact fetus from the uterus. The procedure is used both after miscarriages and for abortions in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
In U ...
s except to save a mother's life and
human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy (or clone) of a human. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning, which is the reproduction of human cells and tissue. It does not refer to the natural concepti ...
. He supports cutting federal funding of
Planned Parenthood
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...
.
Affirmative action
Simpson has a 28% rating from the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
for his
affirmative action-related voting record.
Cannabis
Simpson has a "D" rating from
NORML
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML ) is a social welfare organization based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for the reform of marijuana laws in the United States regarding both medical and non-medical use. Acc ...
for his voting history on
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
-related causes. He opposes veterans having access to medical marijuana if recommended by their
Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the component of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health that implements the healthcare program of the VA through a national ...
doctor and if it is legal for medicinal purposes in their state of residence.
Civil rights
Simpson had a 38% rating from the
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
for his civil rights voting record in the 117th Congress as of November 2021.
LGBT rights
Simpson has had a zero score from the
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
for his
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
voting record as recently as the 115th Congress, but in the 117th Congress he received a 14, in part for his votes for the Respect for Marriage Act and the Violence Against Women Act.
Big Tech
In 2022, Simpson was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the
Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021
The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021 (MFFMA) is a proposed antitrust bill in the United States Congress. The legislation was introduced in the Senate by Amy Klobuchar ( D- MN) and Chuck Grassley ( R- IA) as S. 228 on February 4, 2021. ...
, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.
Election results
Source:
See also
*
Idaho's 2nd congressional district
Idaho's 2nd congressional district is one of two congressional districts in the U.S. state of Idaho, in the eastern portion of the state. Beginning with the 2012 election, the district expanded westward and now includes most of Boise, the state ...
References
External links
Congressman Mike Simpsonofficial U.S. House website
Mike Simpson for Congress*
*
*
, -
, -
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Mike
1950 births
21st-century American politicians
American dentists
American Latter Day Saints
1984 Idaho elections
1988 Idaho elections
1990 Idaho elections
1992 Idaho elections
1994 Idaho elections
1996 Idaho elections
1998 Idaho elections
Living people
People from Blackfoot, Idaho
People from Burley, Idaho
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Idaho
Speakers of the Idaho House of Representatives
Utah State University alumni
Washington University School of Dental Medicine alumni