IDAHO NATIONAL
Idaho
Transportation |
Reaction to President Bush’s nomination of Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne as the 49th Secretary of the Interior has been swift and positive from Washington, D.C. Idaho’s Congressional delegates enthusiastically endorse his nomination. U.S. Sen. Larry Craig Craig chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, which has jurisdiction over a number of Department of the Interior functions, including the Bureau of Land Management and oversight of U.S. territories. Rep. Mike Simpson “One thing I’ve learned since coming to Washington is that Governor Kempthorne enjoys widespread, bi-partisan respect in the Senate. With that in mind, I expect him to sail through the confirmation process." Sen. Mike Crapo “Dirk is a westerner, a colleague and a friend who sincerely understands western issues. We are currently addressing so many important and difficult issues that impact Idaho, and the prospect of working so closely with him in this role is very exciting. “Dirk has been an advocate for improving the Endangered Species Act, public lands management, fish recovery and I look forward to him working collaboratively with Congress to address these and many issues. “Dirk served well as a U.S. Senator and has worked to improve Idaho’s natural resources and land as our Governor. I have confidence he will serve the nation as well as he served Idaho in this capacity as Secretary of the Interior.” Kempthorne and Crapo were elected to the U.S. Senate and House respectively in 1992 and Crapo filled Kempthorne’s Senate seat when Kempthorne was elected to be the governor of Idaho. Published 3-17-06 |