BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has had a very busy week. I had the chance to speak to him about what he expects from President Trump’s second term in office and Risch says he feels criticism of President Trump's agenda is unwarranted.
“This is going to be just fine. I meet with people from other countries all the time and there are some on edge about this. Everyone needs to take a deep breath, stay calm. This is going to be just fine.”
Senator Risch says everyone should give President Trump the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his second-term agenda, including his choice of nominees. And that includes Michael Boren’s appointment to Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. Boren, who’s from Stanley, was criticized for his confrontation in 2020 with trail workers near Red Fish Lake while riding in a helicopter.
“It’s always good for Idaho to get somebody back here that understands Idaho," Risch said.
I asked if he thought Boren's conduct in Custer County was unwarranted. "I’m not familiar with that," Risch said. "I know there were some issues , look he’s going to go through the process, and we’ll get.”
I also asked Senator Risch about how he convinced President Trump to sign an executive order scrapping the Lava Ridge Project that had to do with large windmills on federal land in Southern Idaho.
“Simply the fact the federal government wouldn’t listen to us and this was the people of Idaho speaking. I met with him last week personally and he’s very patient and onboard. I said 'How about it?' And he said 'Yeah we can do this' and I said 'When can you do it' and he said 'The first day' and I said 'I’ll hold you to it.'”
Risch, as a new member of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency, introduced the zero-based budget act to reduce the debt and curb unjustified spending at the federal level. Risch also co-sponsored the Northwest Energy Security Act to protect the four lower Snake River dams.
Idaho News 6 will continue to follow what’s happening in Washington and how it relates Idaho.
