Sen. Crapo visits eastern Idaho

U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (Republican) discussed several items during his visit in American Falls Friday, but one of his major focuses was on creating a sustainable budget.

“I really believe the biggest threat facing this country today, and we have a lot of big threats in our country,” Crapo said,” is the national debt.”

Crapo said in five or six years, payments on the interest on the national debt will be greater than the country spends on the non-defense, discretionary budget. And a few years after that, Crapo said it will be even high than the nation’s defense budget.

“We cannot continue to amass this incredible debt as a society without paying a terrible price,” said Crapo. “I think Americans need to pay attention to that now, and make the necessary fiscal reforms that will help get us on a much stronger path.”

Crapo also said student loan debt needs to be addressed. He said he’d love to offer two free years of community college to students, something President Obama has proposed, but he said it’s just not realistic and doesn’t address the underlying issue.

“Most of the folks in my generation would say ‘You know, it wasn’t that way when we went to college,’ and it’s not just that there’s been inflation in the economy,” Crapo said. “It’s a lot, lot more expensive to go to college. And we’ve got to get in and figure out the causes of that.”

Overall Crapo’s presentation and answers during public comments had the theme of smaller government.

“We need to have a strong focus on limiting our government, reducing it’s size, controlling our spending and reforming our tax code so we can have a much more competitive economy,” he said.

Crapo said one specific instance of smaller government comes with his concerns about the Boulder White Clouds area and the caldera near Island Park. Crapo said President Obama has been eyeing the areas to make federally-controlled lands.

“Which I believe is terribly wrong,” said Crapo. “We do need to protect and preserve this incredible heritage we have here in Idaho, but we in Idaho know how to do that and we can do that the best.”

Crapo also said these are very big issues, and may make the everyday, average citizen feel helpless. But he said the opposite couldn’t be more true.

“The reality is that as people get engaged and contact their senators and congressmen, those people that do speak out actually have influence,” Crapo said. “It’s that grassroots effort that often moves Congress in one direction or another.”

“We could run this country with the people who are here in this room much better than it’s being run today by the United States Congress, because they understand the basic principles of freedom,” he added. “Limited government, getting rid of the debt, not spending more than we have in income, and being able to balance our budgets. And the list goes on.”

Crapo will continue his town hall meetings Saturday at 3:30 at Madison Junior High School in Rexburg.