Mike Simpson

Mike Simpson is serving his twelfth term in the U.S. House of Representatives fighting for Idaho’s Second Congressional District and our conservative values.
Mike serves on the House Appropriations Committee. He is the Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. He also serves on the Interior and Environment Subcommittee. These committees have jurisdiction over funding for a number of programs critical to Idaho, including the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, our National Parks, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Smithsonian Institute.

Mike is one of the House’s leading advocates for a new energy policy and a renewed commitment to research and development of improved nuclear energy technologies. Mike also notably was responsible for delisting wolves in Idaho during his time as Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. Other major Simpson wins include keeping sage grouse off the endangered species list, blocking the Obama Administration’s Waters Of The U.S. rule and proposed closure of the Dubois Sheep Station, as well as reigning in the Obama EPA. Mike also fought hard for and won a fix to fire borrowing, having authored the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act. Mike’s leadership led to historic forest management reforms, most notably treating wildfires like other natural disasters.

More recently, Mike authored the framework for the “”Great American Outdoors Act,”” (GAOA) to secure permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is a critical program to conserve public lands and improving outdoor recreation opportunities. His legislation also created a new fund to address the backlog of deferred maintenance in National Parks, National Forests, Bureau of Land Management assets, Wildlife Refuges, and Bureau of Indian Education school construction. The GAOA garnered wide support among outdoor industry groups, passed with wide bipartisan support, and was signed into law by President Trump.

Mike has always fought for Idaho’s agriculture industry. He introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (FWMA) with a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress and the support of 300 agricultural groups. This bill addresses the issue undocumented agriculture workers, reforms the broken H-2A program, and makes agriculture work subject to mandatory E-Verify, one of the strongest mechanisms to combat illegal immigration. The FWMA passed the House of Representatives with Republican support in 2019 and again in 2021.

Mike’s political career began in 1980, when he was elected to the Blackfoot City Council. In 1984, he was elected to the Idaho Legislature where he served until 1998, the last six years serving as House Speaker. Mike was born in Burley and raised in Blackfoot. He graduated from Utah State University and earned his DMD from Washington University School of Dental Medicine. After graduation, he joined his father and uncle at the Simpson Family Dental practice in Blackfoot.

Mike married his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and they have been married for 50 years. He is an avid golfer and reader who also enjoys painting and experiencing the exceptional scenery Idaho has to offer, with Kathy and their dog Charley.