Crapo Statement On Lands Vote

Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo issued this statement following a vote today in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Omnibus Lands bill that included Crapo's Owyhee Initiative legislation. The final vote was 282 to 144, meaning the effort to advance the legislation failed by two votes in the House based on a need for two-thirds approval from those voting.

"Despite falling just two votes short in the House, we will continue to press ahead with efforts to pass the Owyhee Initiative legislation," Crapo said. "The process of collaboration is succeeding in solving long-standing issues in Idaho and that process is too important to be cut short by one vote in the U.S. Congress.

"I am disappointed at the result of the House vote, but confident about the future of the Owyhee Initiative. This legislation passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. Senate on a 73 to 21 vote in January with the support of Senator Risch. The way the House voted on the Omnibus Lands package was based on other issues and was not directed at the Owyhee Initiative specifically. We will now look for the next opportunity to bring the legislation forward and I will be discussing this with bipartisan leadership, Congressmen Simpson and Minnick and the Owyhee Work Group in Idaho to discuss the timing of our continuing efforts.