Crapo, Risch tell lawmakers Statehouse is ‘where common sense reigns’
Idaho U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch addressed the state House and Senate today, and both told lawmakers they’re the ones doing things right. “It is so fabulous to be back where common sense reigns,” Crapo said. “It’s a continuous struggle in Washington, D.C.”
Risch said when ideas come up in the nation’s capital, “Somebody needs to say, ‘Hey, they can do this back in your states, the federal government doesn’t need to be involved in this.'” He said, “It’s just refreshing to come back here and know that you are governing, you are doing something that makes a difference to the people. On behalf of both of us, I can tell you we’re going to fight every day and do everything we can to see that you can do your job, and some yahoo in Washington, D.C. isn’t going to try to do your job for you.”
Crapo talked about his work on gun-rights bills, and said, “There is still a constant effort to restrict and if possible even eliminate the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment. This Congress will not do that, and quite frankly there hasn’t been a threat in Congress for six or eight years now. … But that doesn’t mean that the battle has not been engaged.”
Crapo said after winning the fight to get the National Park Service to allow people to carry guns in state parks, he’s now sponsoring legislation to open U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land to guns. “The one public land manager that is still outstanding that doesn’t have this right is the Corps of Engineers,” Crapo said. “There are hundreds of miles of trails … a huge amount of recreational public facilities on Corps lands. And the Corps still has a policy that there are no firearms allowed on any of its properties. We’re engaged in that fight. My legislation has been teed up. … It’s my hope that we’ll resolve that issue for public land access.”
Crapo said he’s also fighting to make sure the Social Security Administration doesn’t declare people “mentally defective” and therefore ineligible to have guns because they seek help with their finances. “It’s outrageous,” he said. “Their answer to us is, ‘We haven’t done that yet.’ But they clearly are evaluating it, and it is a real possibility. So we’ve got legislation in place to stop that. We’ll see if we’re able to make it through the Congress.”
Risch said he’s been campaigning for Marco Rubio in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and said in those states during presidential election years, “It is a full-contact sport and everybody is involved in the state.” He called this year’s election “a watershed election,” because all three branches of government could be affected – Congress; the presidency; and even the judiciary, because after the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the president will appoint a replacement.
“We’ve had a U.S. Supreme Court that’s been balanced with four liberals, four conservatives, and then Justice Kennedy who kind of was moderate, a swing vote one way or another. That balance is now out of kilter,” Risch said.
